Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: Roger Federer outlasts Novak Djokovic to reach the final

Roger Federer isn’t going away any time soon, if that performance against the defending champion Novak Djokovic was any evidence. In an intensely brilliant encounter, the 32^nd between the two gladiators, Federer came from behind to oust the defending champion 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach his seventh final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates winning against Novak Djokovic of Serbia during their semifinal match in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis ATP Championships in Dubai on February 28, 2014 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Federer, for only the first time in his rivalry against Djokovic, managed to win a match after dropping the first set to inch closer to a sixth title in the desert city. In the final, Federer will face the man who defeated him in the semi-finals last year – Tomas Berdych. The Swiss improved his record against Djokovic to 17-15 as he reclaimed some of the ground he has lost in the past year with a memorable victory in a nearly two hour battle against the world No.2.

It was the marquee contest of the week, the finale before the real one, and it took no time at all to heat up. The third point, not long after Djokovic and Federer took to the centre court was a thrilling battle that saw both players traverse the length and breadth of the court. Ominously, Federer lost that marathon point with a tired forehand error and the Serbian held serve to kick start the match. Djokovic wasted no time to gain control, breaking Federer at his first opportunity in the second game.

Djokovic held to love in the next game, just to underline the mountainous task that stood in the way of the Swiss maestro’s resurgent aspirations. Federer though sought to find a way back and an opportunity presented itself when Djokovic sailed a backhand off the court at deuce in the fifth game.

Unfortunately, Federer failed to convert, pulling a cross court backhand wide off the court to allow the game back to deuce. That was to be the only real chance for the Swiss in the first set, as Djokovic kept holding serve with ease to retain the early advantage that fell his way.

A backhand return that slumped into the net gave Djokovic his first set point. Federer kept the set alive a little longer through some spirited tennis – winning a long rally with a sliced lob followed by a drop volley to take the point.

Eventually though Djokovic took the set with an ace to take the reins of this engaging semi-final. Federer was not too far away – there were just two break points in the entire set, the Serbian took his whilst the Swiss let his go to waste. But he was a set down, nonetheless.

The second set was just as close as the first, but it was again Federer who faced an early test. Djokovic had a look at a break in the fifth game, but the Swiss survived when his opponent swung his forehand wide to leave the set on serve, well balanced at 3-2 to Federer.

Some of the tennis was superlative, if anything, Djokovic had the slight edge thanks to the fleetness of his feet and stronger arms than his artsy but ageing opponent. But having held a difficult game, a buoyant Federer went up 0-30 in the sixth game.

A brief rain interruption did no damage, as Federer, in a fresh shirt promptly won the next point to claim three break points. Djokovic saved the first two with a couple of first serves, but when he missed one on the next Federer made him pay with a scorching backhand winner that peeled the paint off the court.

At 4-2, Federer was tested by the relentless striking power of Djokovic. But Federer kept steady at 30-30 to consolidate the break with a second serve that kicked into the Djokovic backhand. The Serbian ensured that Federer had to serve out to take the match into a decider.

Federer did exactly that, to the evident delight of a packed arena. The Swiss held to love, finishing the set with an ace down the middle, mirroring the score with which Djokovic took the first set. Federer won 93% of his first serve points and was far more in control of play as he took the set in 37 minutes.

Djokovic seemed burdened at having to play a third set, dumping a backhand in the net to offer an early break point to Federer. A double fault that followed just confirmed the fact that the Serbian’s mind was clearly wandering.

But this was an undulant contest – Djokovic had a big window open, when he raced quickly to 15-40 in the second game. Under strife, Federer produced a brilliant sequence of points – an ace, a service winner, a put away smash and a backhand passing winner from 10 feet behind the court to assume a 2-0 lead in the decisive set.

Needing to find a way back, Djokovic played typically stubborn tennis to draw Federer into lengthy rallies that kept the fourth game on edge at 30-30. The Swiss though was alert to the danger, finishing the next point at the net before holding serve with a kicker to the backhand of Djokovic.

In the fifth game, Djokovic looking to assert himself, made a rushed error at the net as he fell to 15-30. A determined Djokovic earned game point with some scintillating tennis, but Federer was in no mood to relent either.

In a game that seemed to last forever, there were to be four deuces before a failed forehand offered Federer a second break point in the game. The Swiss took it with a stunning cross court forehand pass that left Djokovic staring at a first loss to Federer since Cincinnati in 2012.

That fifth was a 13 point marathon, but Federer showed no ill effects as he held quickly to strengthen his grip on the match at 5-1 in the next game. In a final hurrah, Djokovic held to love in the next game to make sure his opponent needed to serve to win the match.

It is never easy between these two and Federer found himself in a hole as he stumbled to 0-30 in the eighth game. Never one to give up, the Serbian attacked Federer and the Swiss threw a forehand into the net to surrender two break points.

A big second serve into Novak’s body saved the moment as Federer rescued the game to deuce. With Djokovic dragged out of position, Federer nailed a backhand winner into the open court to earn his first match point.

It was all he needed, as Djokovic sailed a return wide on the next point to leave Federer relieved and thrilled at reaching the final again at Dubai. Earlier in the day, Berdych overcame a break deficit in the first set to work his way past Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-5, 7-5 to reach his second straight final at Dubai.

But the night belonged to Federer – in a performance that was reminiscent of his glory days, Federer refused to budge against the relentless Djokovic, whose best efforts were not enough to earn him what may have been his 550^th victory on the ATP World Tour.