Record breaking win for Federer

Written by: Staff on 27th November 2011

Record breaking win for Federer |

Federer had beaten Tsonga in the round-robin stage of this event, but Tsonga was the only player in the tournament who really took a set right out of Roger Federer’s control. It’s fair to say that Tsonga gave Federer his toughest challenge on route to the final.

This was Federer’s 100^th tour final, an incredible achievement, but Tsonga wasn’t there just to party.

Federer won the toss and elected to serve. The first four games went to serve, and if anything it was Tsonga looking the more convincing at this early stage, dropping just one point on the way to 3-3 in games. And Roger’s backhand lottery looked like it had made an unwelcome return.

The capacity crowd was strongly in favour of Federer, and perhaps even a tad arrogantly so – a cheer for Tsonga was met with ripples of laughter – did these people have such short memories as to forget what happened at Wimbledon? From two sets down??

Tsonga looked sharp, mixing it up with a few net rushes, and looking in control at the net. The two players seem to be firm friends, there’s a good natured rapport between them, but that didn’t stop both players calling for challenges to line calls frequently throughout the game – Tsonga challenged two calls in a row, getting the first wrong but being vindicated in the second.

It’s strange to say, given the way Roger has been playing at this tournament, but the first break of serve came against the run of play, really. Federer had been winning his games from deuce, or to 30, and Tsonga winning to love, or 15.

It came with Tsonga serving to make it 4-4; a couple of mistakes is all it takes for roger to smell blood, and Tsonga was guilty of profligacy at the net, wasting a chance and giving Roger a 0-40 lead, and three break points. Federer only needed one, forcing an error from Tsonga, he’d broken at just the right time and would serve for the set.

An ace brought up set point, but Tsonga brought it back to deuce, alas two more backhand mistakes from the Frenchman gave Federer the first set.

The second set started off to serve, with Tsonga surviving a scare when serving for 2-1; a double fault and a volley into the net made it 15-40, and Federer looked as though he’d get his set and break in early, and everyone could look forward to an early journey home. Tsonga dug deep and produced two scintillating aces to bring the score to deuce. Securing his game with an overhead forehand and an un-returnable big serve. Big heart from the Frenchman.

The break did come just two games later, Federer had held for 2-2 and then produced a fine forehand winner to take it 3-2, and would serve next.

At the change of ends, Tsonga looked despondent on the bench, head down, broken in more ways than one. The next game would give him even more cause for malaise. Federer rushed the net and cut out the court with a backhand volley, then three wild forehands gave Federer possibly his easiest game of the match – Tsonga changed his racquet.

Two aces in the next game (new racquet was working!) including one that was called long, but challenged by Tsonga put Tsonga back on the right track. But he still needed a break to be even and take it to three sets.

The break did come, and it was dramatically timed – it came as Roger served for the match. Tsonga flew into a 0-40 lead. It looked as though he might have blown his chance, as he slipped whilst putting a forehand into the net, but bravely charged to volley home the game winner. A huge cheer went up from the crowd. Tsonga was winning over the neutrals – we now had a match on our hands once more.

Tsonga was taken to deuce in his next service game, and had to defend a break point – again showing great physical and mental strength to find huge forehands that would’ve broken clean through Roger’s racquet had he got anywhere near them.

Federer suddenly found his own serve under pressure – as in the first match between the two this week, Tsonga had wrestled the momentum out of his hands, and another break would give Tsonga the set. But he held to take it to a tie-break in the second set.

The tie break saw the game go from entertaining, right through thrilling, straight into pulsating territory. The drama of it all heightened by several challenges form the players, with the ensuing dimmed lights and heartbeat graphics and sounds in the arena.

Federer won the first point, against serve, but then double faulted to clear the advantage that gave him. He got it back, Tsonga putting a forehand into the net, and they slugged it out until an ace pulled up match point for Federer. Tsonga produced another huge forehand winner, another huge serve that Federer couldn’t get back, and the biggest forehand of all to win the set. That’s one powerful weapon he’s got there. Three power points that Federer had little involvement in, to turn a tie-break around and keep Tsonga in the match. Again the crowd roared, really taking to heart the man from across the Channel.

The third set went without real incident until the eighth game. Federer and Tsonga both held serve up until this time, but Tsonga struggled to make it 3-3, and Federer winning the next to love – momentum now just back with Roger. He made it count, winning a gruelling game against serve with the crowd now fully involved, every 17,500 of those there on the edge of their seats. Federer took advantage twice and was pegged back, with some truly lovely play by both players. Drop shots, lobs, rushes to the net – you name it, it was all there in the eighth game of the third set. At the third ask, Federer converted the break.

He served out in a relatively simple game, each point cheered to the rafters. A subtle forehand drop-shot volley, followed by an ace brought up Championship Point. Federer then charged the net one final time, putting a forceful volley within reach of Tsonga, but the pace of ittook it beyond Tsonga, and at a stretch he struck it into the crowd.

Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras won five of these titles, Roger Federer now stands alone, peerless at six ATP World Tour finals victories.