FEDERER FINALLY SET TO KICK OFF BRISBANE CAMPAIGN, DJOKOVIC BACK IN ACTION IN DOHA BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 7th January 2015

FEDERER FINALLY SET TO KICK OFF BRISBANE CAMPAIGN, DJOKOVIC BACK IN ACTION IN DOHA BY RICKY DIMON

epa04547897 Swiss player Roger Federer returns during a practice session at the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament in Brisbane, Autralia, 06 January 2015. EPA/DAVE HUNT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Novak Djokovic has already played four matches this week–two in singles and two in doubles at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Rafael Nadal, also in Doha, has already played three (one in singles and two in doubles).

Roger Federer, on the other hand, has not yet taken the court at the Brisbane International. For one, he had a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed (Brisbane is a field of 28, as opposed to 32). Secondly, the tournament has a Sunday finish (Doha ends on Saturday). Finally, Federer isn’t playing doubles like Djokovic and Nadal.

But the 17-time Grand Slam champion will finally get down to business on Thursday for his first tournament appearance since withdrawing from the World Tour Finals championship match. An in-form Federer captured titles in Shanghai and Basel, went undefeated in London prior to the injury, then helped Switzerland to its first-ever Davis cup triumph.

Switzerland’s Roger Federer, during a promotional event before the start of the first round of the Brisbane International tennis tournament, in Brisbane, Australia, 04 January 2015. The tournament runs January 4-11. EPA/DAN PELED AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

“I would love to win this event,” said the second-ranked Swiss, who finished runner-up to Lleyton Hewitt in 2014. “I was close last year. I always like lifting trophies in a place that I have never been able to. I am unbelievably pumped up for this week. It’s a really good field, with a lot of promising players.”

One of those promising players is John Millman, who will face Federer in round two. The 25-year-old Australian has been positively on fire, winning 22 consecutive sets dating back to last fall. It’s a stretch that includes two Challenger titles and a 6-3, 6-1 rout of Rhyne Williams on Monday. Of course, this will be a massive step up in competition for a player that registers 153rd in the rankings and has played only 10 career ATP-level matches (3-7 record).

Djokovic, meanwhile, will be back in action for the Doha quarterfinals on Thursday. The top-ranked Serb is coming off consecutive 6-2, 6-1 blowouts of Dusan Lajovic and Sergiy Stakhovsky.

Djokovic and Ivo Karlovic will be going head-to-head for just the third time in their careers and for the first time since 2008. They split a pair of encounters that came seven years ago, with Djokovic prevailing 7-6(3), 6-3 on the clay courts of Hamburg before Karlovic scored revenge a few months later via a 7-6(4), 7-6(5) decision on the indoor hard courts of Madrid.

Karlovic has taken out Lukas Rosol (7-6(4), 6-3) and Nikoloz Basilashvili (7-6(3), 6-3) so far this week. In two matches, the 6’11” Croat has combined for 46 aces without a single double-fault.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

10sballs Editors note : Ivo Karlovic has hit more aces than anyone can remember. Drumroll and a standing ovation. Ready. 9,000 aces ! We also wish our buddy from New Zealand ,Good luck to Artem SITAK. He is playing dubs against RAFA. Something to tell the grand kids about.

Topics: Atp, Brisbane, Doha, Novak Djokovic, Ricky Dimon, Roger Federer, Tennis

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10sBalls_com says:

January 7, 2015 at 12:14 pm

@rogerfederer FINALLY SET TO KICK OFF #BRISBANE CAMPAIGN, @DjokerNole BACK IN ACTION IN #DOHA BY @Dimonator http://t.co/3c8Htxrkwu #ATP #RF
TasteofTennisAU says:

January 7, 2015 at 12:31 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: @rogerfederer FINALLY SET TO KICK OFF #BRISBANE CAMPAIGN, @DjokerNole BACK IN ACTION IN #DOHA BY @Dimonator http://t.co/3…
Dimonator says:

January 7, 2015 at 12:36 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: @rogerfederer FINALLY SET TO KICK OFF #BRISBANE CAMPAIGN, @DjokerNole BACK IN ACTION IN #DOHA BY @Dimonator http://t.co/3…