GLOBAL CHICKS LAST STORY FROM INDIAN WELLS CALIFORNIA IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, FEDERER LOSES FINALS TO DJOKOVIC

Written by: Global Chick on 23rd March 2015

GLOBAL CHICKS LAST STORY FROM INDIAN WELLS CALIFORNIA IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, FEDERER LOSES FINALS TO DJOKOVIC

epaselect epa04675448 Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with his trophy after his final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 22 March 2015. Djokovic defeated Federer. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Final thoughts from the desert

Well it’s all over for another year, but what a year this was.

First of, of course there was Serena. Her come-back was warm, her play in the first match was maybe decidedly lukewarm but it was enough to get her through to the semi-finals where, as irony would have it, she pulled out shortly before the match was due to take place with a knee injury.

It was handled well, covered up as part of a general ‘let’s celebrate the 40th year and look who came back, and look who’s coming back next year’ but it left finalist Simona Halep a little high and dry with four days off.

On the flip side, we had the delight of Jelena Jankovic, quite literally pitching up with no practice, having struggled with a torn muscle, and going out and just swinging her racquet willy nilly until lo and behold she made the final.

And gosh darn it (oh lawks, I’m going native), she almost won the whole kit and caboodle in an all-kinds-of-rollercoaster match where neither seemed to want to hold serve at one stage.

Halep’s younger legs just carried her over the finish line, and in all seriousness we saw the kinds of jitters the youngsters feel in their first finals, not a veteran with 13 titles already. But Jankovic last won a title in Bogota in 2013, and hopefully it won’t be too soon before she’s back to winning ways.

Earlier in the week Jankovic had the press corp in stitches agreeing that she would not have been anyone’s pick for the final, unless perhaps they had heat-stroke.

But it was a fantastic two weeks for the fans’ favourite glitter-queen, saying: “It’s been an amazing two weeks. Yes, of course I’m disappointed that I lost this final, because I really had a chance to win and hold that trophy. But I’m still proud of myself and my team how far I came into this tournament and what I have achieved.”

Jelena Jankovic of Serbia holds her runner-up trophy after losing to Simona Halep of Romania during their final match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 22 March 2015. EPA/MICHAEL NELSON

Halep had to acknowledge that at times the tennis had not been pretty, saying:

“She knew how to play me today to make more mistakes. It was difficult for me to take that balls very high and without power, so I did many mistakes with my forehand.

“My coach came on court and he said that I’m rushing at that balls. So I said, Okay, I understand, and I go now to play not very strong those balls.

“I just try to stay cool, to make her run a lot. I know that she’s running well, but still my backhand down the line was good today. Forehand so so. Everything went well, and, you know, I have no comments now. I have another title, my biggest title now, so it’s amazing. I feel great.”

That being said, she couldn’t lift the hunk of glass that we’re sure was modeled on the iceberg that sunk the Titanic.

So then we had the men, and as much as the women’s match was long, this was almost over in a jiffy as Novak Djokovic was running Roger Federer ragged, breaking in the first set and wrapping that up and almost doing the same in the second, before a dip in his concentration open the door for Federer.

The crowd bayed for more, and Federer duly obliged when another set of jitters handed the advantage to him in the tie-break, and Federer did not need a second invitation, forcing a decider, and once more proving his tenacity breaking back immediately after Djokovic regrouped for a quick 2-0 start in the third set.

But the Serbian was not to be denied, notching up his fourth Indian Wells title, his 21st Masters title, and earning himself a massive cake to celebrate his 50th career title, one up on old man Boris Becker.

He said: “I thought set and a break and it was a break point for 5‑2 up. I thought I could have done the job earlier. Credit to Roger for fighting through. Showed again why he’s a competitor and champion, somebody that never gives up. When we got to the third set obviously it was anybody’s game.

“I managed to regroup [and] overcome that frustration of handing that tiebreak to him with three double faults in crucial moments. But that’s sport. Obviously under pressure sometimes these things happen and it’s important to regroup, bounce back, and focus on next one.”

He continued: “I’ve got to look forward to get to Miami and have a dinner with Boris. I think it’s on him this time. (Smiling.) I surpassed his 49th title, so that gives a little bit of special spice to this title.”

Federer gave full credit to Djokovic in his press conference, saying: “Midway through the second it started to get better and I got into more rallies, and that’s where I think it became close again. That was tougher for him, because all of a sudden I think I was playing better so he wasn’t getting as many free points. He had to pull back and play a bit more safe. So it was from my side a bit more up and down, and he was just more solid. That’s why he totally deserved to win today, in my opinion.”

Roger Federer of Switzerland holds up his runner-up trophy after his final match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, USA, 22 March 2015. Djokovic defeated Federer. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

And so it is time to return to Blighty. Where moths the size of vampire bats do not dive bomb unsuspecting passers-by, where dry weather is a luxury, not an everyday occurrence, and where air-conditioning involves opening the double-glazing.

Until her next travels, this is Global Chick, signing off.

Topics: BNP Paribas Open, Coachella Valley, Federer, global chick, Indian Wells Tennis, Jelena Jankovic, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

March 23, 2015 at 8:45 am

GLOBAL CHICKS LAST STORY FROM #IndianWells CALIFORNIA IN THE COACHELLA VALLEY, #FEDERER LOSES FINALS TO #DJOKOVIC- http://t.co/6zaNBh8Wid