Roger Federer's most dominant wins in 2018
World no. 3 Roger Federer enjoyed another great year in 2018 despite the fact he failed to repeat the level from the previous season, winning 48 matches and lifting four ATP titles including his 20th Grand Slam crown in Melbourne. Ranked inside the top-three throughout the season for the first time since 2015, Federer also managed to become the oldest no. 1 player when he won Rotterdam in February, kicking off the season with 17 straight wins and playing on a high level in almost every tournament he entered.
Alongside some shaky performances when he stayed empty-handed or clinched a tight win, we also witnessed some amazing performances from the Swiss maestro when he dominated on both serve and return to secure one-sided triumphs and add some icing on the cake to his already impressive numbers at the age of 37.
ATP Finals RR vs Dominic Thiem 6-2 6-3 (61-39) Rotterdam F vs GrigorDimitrov 6-2 6-2 (61-39) Wimbledon R1 vs Dusan Lajovic 6-1 6-3 6-4 (62-38) Indian Wells R3 vs Filip Krajinovic 6-2 6-1 (67-33) Rotterdam R1 vs Ruben Bemelmans 6-1 6-2 (70-30)
We have chosen five matches where Roger claimed more than 60% of the overall points and the list starts with the ATP Finals clash against Dominic Thiem that Federer won 6-2, 6-3 in an hour and seven minutes. This was the 16th second round robin match for Roger at this event and his 16th win, raising his level significantly compared to what he showed against Kei Nishikori in the opening match and dominating on serve to keep the pressure on Dominic all the time. The Swiss grabbed his first win over the Austrian since Brisbane 2016 and it helped him to stay in contention for the place in the semi-final. Federer lost just six points on serve and he never faced a break point, stealing half of the points on the return to create seven break chances and convert four, more than enough to control the scoreboard all the time. Thiem served at only 50% and he never found his rhythm, making some huge volley errors at the net and failing to move Roger from the comfort zone.
The Swiss finished the match with nine winners and 11 unforced errors but the Austrian managed to spray 34 unforced errors in such a short match, missing equally from both wings to stand no chance against such a strong indoor player. Federer had a clear advantage in the shortest points up to four strokes (46-30) and he had the upper hand in the mid-range rallies as well to earn his win fair and square. The first break of the match came in the third game after a forehand error from Dominic and Roger moved 5-2 up after another break in game seven thanks to a poor volley from the Austrian.
Serving for the set, Roger fired four winners in the following game for a 6-2 after just 31 minutes, hoping for more of the same in the rest of the match. Thiem won just one point on the return in the second set and he couldn't match that level in his games, losing serve at 15 in the first game after a terrible forehand. Roger blasted three service winners in game eight and he sealed the deal with another break in the next game when Dominic sent a volley long, extending his chances of reaching the semis before the last clash of the round robin stage against Kevin Anderson.
Back in 1999, the 17-year-old Roger Federer had come to Rotterdam for the first time with the rank of 178th and he enjoyed a great run, reaching the quarter-final before losing to world no. 2 Yevgeny Kafelnikov in three tight sets. 19 years later, Roger left Rotterdam with his third title (2005 and 2012) and world no. 1 ranking by his name after a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over Grigor Dimitrov in just 55 minutes! This was the 97th ATP crown for Roger in his illustrious career and the second of the season after defending his Australian Open title two weeks earlier, keeping a perfect 12-0 score in 2018.
This was their seventh meeting and Roger was yet to lose a match against the Bulgarian, scoring his most dominant win so far against the world no. 5. Grigor was toe to toe with Federer in the first four games of the match but the Swiss raced through the rest of encounter, never facing a break point and breaking Dimitrov four times from eight opportunities he created. The tournament director Richard Krajicek later said that Dimitrov got sick on Saturday night and that he couldn't play at his best in the title match, which was evident on the court. This was the 20th ATP 500 crown for Roger, leaving Nadal on 19 and also reaching the 10000-point mark for the first time since January 2013!
Federer was flawless in his service games, dropping seven points and keeping Grigor away from breakpoints. On the other hand, Dimitrov was powerless with his initial shot, hitting only one ace and losing 45% of the points in his games to find himself in trouble in almost every service game after the initial two. This was the most desired final once the draw came out and they were off to a great start, with just three points for the returners in the opening four games. Out of sudden, Grigor faded from the court and he never regained his composure after netting a backhand that cost him his service game at 2-2.
Roger took full control and he broke again in game seven after another groundstroke error from the Bulgarian, racing into a 5-2 lead and serving for the set in the following game. A service winner gave Roger the opening set a few minutes later, winning 20 of the last 26 points to bring the set home in 25 minutes and looking strong to repeat the same in set number two as well. Grigor continued to struggle and he sprayed a backhand error to drop serve in the first game of the second set, drifting further and further away from the title or any kind of positive result.
He saved a break point in game three to end his drought but Roger moved 4-1 up when Dimitrov double-faulted in game five. A volley winner gave Federer the title in the eighth game, completing one of his fastest triumphs in the ATP finals and celebrating a historic week that brought him so much and made him the oldest world number 1 since the start of the ATP ranking in 1973.
Roger secured another dominant win in the first round of Wimbledon, toppling Dusan Lajovic 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 19 minutes, competing in his 103rd Wimbledon match and leaving Jimmy Connors on 102. Just like against Thiem and Dimitrov, Federer was untouchable in his games, dropping 11 points behind the initial shot and never facing a break point to keep the pressure on the other side of the net. Lajovic won just four matches on grass before this clash and he couldn't match rival's pace, facing 11 break points and suffering five breaks to win only 38% of total points. Dusan claimed the opening game with a volley winner but that was all we saw from him in the opening set, with Roger earning a break at love in game three.
The Swiss moved 4-1 up after another early break in game five and he sealed the opener with the third break at 5-1 after just 20 minutes. Roger won nine straight games to open a 6-1, 3-0 lead and he secured the second set with an ace at 5-3, moving a set away from the victory in less than 50 minutes. Lajovic sprayed a forehand error at the start of the third set to get broken and that was all he needed to seal the deal, serving well in his games and crossing the finish line after another good hold at 5-4.
Back in March, Federer stormed over Filip Krajinovic in the third round of Indian Wells, clinching a 6-2, 6-1 win in 58 minutes after winning 67% of all points! The world no. 1 played much better than in the second round against Delbonis, losing serve once at the start of the match but breaking Filip five times from eight opportunities he created. Roger was especially good in the second set and he finished the match with 24 winners and 10 errors. Krajinovic couldn't follow that pace, struggling in his service games and from his backhand, unable to drive Roger away from the comfort zone and impose his shots.
Federer won almost 60% of the points on the return and there was nothing Filip could do to prolong the match and be more competitive. It was all about the defending champion in the shortest and mid-range rallies and despite losing the majority of the longest points his win was never in doubt. Roger broke at 15 in game two when Filip netted a backhand but the Serb pulled it back in the very next game after a poor forehand from Federer. Krajinovic couldn't find the range on his serve and he had to save another pair of break points in game four to remain on the positive side of the scoreboard, leveling the score at 2-2 after landing a beautiful backhand down the line that stayed out of Federer's reach.
Roger held at love in games five and seven to keep the pressure on Krajinovic and the Serb couldn't deal with it, losing serve for the second time in game six to fall 4-2 behind despite having a game point. The set was over in game eight after a forehand winner from Federer who grabbed the last 11 points, clinching the set in style after 31 minutes and gaining the momentum before the rest of the encounter. Roger never looked back and he broke in the second game of the set number two when Filip's volley landed long. The Swiss was untouchable on serve, rattling off four consecutive holds at love for a 6-2, 3-0 advantage.
Krajinovic had nothing more left in the tank and he got broken in game six after a forehand error that allowed Roger to serve for the triumph in the following game. Four service winners sent Roger over the top in what proved to be one of the most dominant wins he scored in the entire season.
After he successfully defended his Australian Open crown Roger Federer was just 155 points behind Rafael Nadal in the ATP rankings and it was clear he would try to pass the Spaniard and become the oldest world no. 1 at the age of 36. We expected him in Dubai but the Swiss maestro surprised almost everyone when he announced that he is going to play in Rotterdam, receiving a wild card that was preserved for him by the tournament director Richard Krajicek. Federer opened his campaign with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 triumph over the Belgian Ruben Bemelmans in just 47 minutes, delivering his best performance of the year on both the serve and return combined and winning 70% of the total points!
It was a rock solid performance from a two-time Rotterdam champion, dominating in all segments and leaving Ruben without any chance in their first meeting on the Tour. The Swiss maestro dropped just four points in his service games and he was equally good on the return as well, creating 10 break points and converting four for an easy day in the office and a place in the second round. Bemelmans is a decent indoor player (four Challenger and seven Futures titles) and he qualified for the main draw to earn a chance to play against Roger, showing nothing from his arsenal against such a strong opponent who was super aggressive and who kept the points on his racquet.
The Belgian served at 70% but outside nine service winners he did almost nothing in his games, playing under constant pressure from Roger's return. The Swiss was untouched in his games and he had the freedom to play in full-attacking mode on the return, hitting deep balls that gave him the immediate control in the points. Every shot worked like a charm for Roger, from the serve that gave him a lot of free points to groundstrokes and volleys that allowed him to seize the control from the field. Federer used every opportunity to attack and his well-known controlled aggression disarmed his rival completely, firing from all cylinders to bring the win home in under 50 minutes.
The Swiss had a 17-9 lead in service winners and a more significant 21-6 advantage in the winners from the field department, hitting with the equal intensity from his forehand, backhand, volley and smash. Ruben had four volley winners but that was far from enough to make an impact and impose his shots in the rallies. Despite taking the risk and painting lines, Roger stayed on just seven unforced errors while Ruben hit 10, nine from his backhand that couldn't endure the stress from Roger's powerful strokes. Federer had only three forced errors and he drew eight on the other side to gain the advantage in that category as well.
Overall, the Swiss fired 38 winners and just 10 errors, compared to 15 winners and 18 errors from the Belgian who was overshadowed by an amazing performance from a two-time former champion. The points were quick and fluid and Roger won four out of five longest rallies. Also, his point construction was second to none, outplaying Ruben 23-8 in the mid-range rallies with five to eight strokes. Still, his biggest advantage came in the shortest points up to four strokes, grabbing 40 out of 56 thanks to his mighty serve and the first groundstrokes after the initial shot that gained him an instant success.
Roger opened the match with a forehand winner and he roared past Ruben in the first 12 minutes, creating a 5-0 gap in the blink of an eye! He broke Bemelmans at 15 in game two and again in game four with a beautiful backhand, controlling the pace and keeping the points on his racquet. A left-handed Belgian got his name on the scoreboard with a service winner in game six but Roger finished the set with a forehand winner in the following game, moving 6-1 ahead after just 18 minutes.
The Swiss sailed through the serving games in set number two, capturing all 16 points to keep the pressure on the other side of the net, something that Ruben couldn't deal with. The Belgian offered seven break points to Roger and he saved five to extend the match for some 10 minutes and notch two games before he hit the exit door. Federer converted his third break point at the start of the set when Ruben's backhand landed long and he made another big step towards the finish line with a break in game seven for a 5-2. Roger blasted four winners in game eight to bring the match home in a dominant fashion, delivering a great package on both the serve and return for the best possible start of the tournament.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2GKqpR3
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