Australian Open – Day 11 + 12 (SF)

1st semifinal:
(3)Novak Djokovic d. (2)Roger Federer 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-4        [3:00 h]

Djokovic began the match in unusual style, serving two double faults in a row in the 1st game which gave Federer a break point – saved by the Serb after a long rally. Since then, both players were winning service games comfortably until the tie-break, where Federer (second player behind Pete Sampras who has won the most tie-breaks in tennis history) was surprisingly tense, I don’t know, maybe the fact he had unusually long period (20 sets) without a tie-break was crucial – Djokovic won it easily. The 2nd set was different, early break for Djokovic, then Federer wins four games in a row and after a return winner leads 5:2* (15/0) – Djokovic gets the momentum and wins five straight games and the set being two points away from losing it at *4:5 (30-all). In the 3rd set Djokovic again breaks to lead 2:1, this time holds his serve in the next few games. Federer levels up from 2:4 to *4:4 but loses the 9th game with poor shot selection and despite saving a double match point in the following game, has to walk off the court as a loser – his first defeat after 15-match winning streak. Federer won one game less from set to set, but paradoxically, the time of each set was increasing (58, 60, 62). I guess it’s interesting that they’ve played the third semifinal of a major against each other with a similar scoreline. Here are the scorelines of those matches and their duration:

Australian Open, 2008: Djokovic d. Federer 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(5)… 2:26 h
US Open, 2009: Federer d. Djokovic 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-5… 2:34 h
Australian Open, 2011: Djokovic d. Federer 7-6(3), 7-5, 6-4… 3:00 h

2nd semifinal:
(5)Andy Murray d. (7)David Ferrer 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-1, 7-6(2)                [3:46 h]

The end of the 1st set was excellent – Murray led 4:3 with a break of serve but Ferrer managed to win three straight games, in which both players showed their best tennis. Ferrer responded with a break thanks to two great points played at the net to level at four games apiece, and won the next game saving a double break point (ace & service winner). There was close that the 2nd set would be a copy of the first one. The first break for Murray, then a ri-break for Ferrer and the Spaniard has a set point at 5:4… Murray saves it with a service winner – after the match he tells Jim Courier, he thought it was 3:4 not 4:5! Saving the set point was vital – Murray in the middle of the 2nd set had changed his tactics attacking the net more often, but after the set point in the 10th game, he was more convincing from the back of the court than his opponent, and winning the 3rd set easily, he led 2:0* (30/0) in the 4th set. An ambitious and pertinacious Ferrer saved a break point in that game and just like in the sets No. 2 and 3, he broke back Murray immediately. For the second time, the tie-break was required, and for the second time, Ferrer could not do too much in it. It’s amazing that “Pics” has lost his last 11 tie-breaks in Melbourne! He won out there only one tie-break – the first he played in 2004 against Gilles Muller. “I think toward the end of the second set I started going for my shots more. I was missing a lot earlier,” Murray said. “I changed my string tension and managed to come through. I changed my tactics … played closer to the baseline, waiting for my shots a bit more.”

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5 Responses to Australian Open – Day 11 + 12 (SF)

  1. Joca says:

    Do you have list of most H2H matches in Slams? Federer played 7 against Rafa and Novak and I think record is 10, between Lendl and McEnroe

  2. Voo de Mar says:

    Yes, 10 is a record, I’ll post this stats in a separate entry 🙂

  3. JanJan says:

    Murray first British until Perry to win a GC or the first to lose 3 finals in the Open era (Tony Roche win before 1968) ?
    The 2011 winner for me : Djokovic !

  4. Voo de Mar says:

    Roche won RG in 1966.

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