Fedrer vs Djokovic – An Epic Clash at Roland Garros

Two of the giants of tennis, Roger Fedrer and Novak Djokovic clashed at Roland Garros for a place in the finals of French open 2011 and the match was nothing less than epic. It was a feast for the tennis enthusiasts and from the beginning one could feel that it would be no ordinary match.

Roger started very strong with huge serves that broke Djokovic early. Both men played from the base line with huge forehands and backhands. Each point was keenly contested by both players and the first set entered a tie-break with both men equally matched. Fedrer kept his game simple and rallied the ball well, building pressure on his opponent. It worked, as Djokovic made lots of unforced errors which has been rare for him this year. Fedrer on the other hand, moved very swiftly over the court reaching out for the booming forehand of Djokovic. Fedrer came out on top, winning the first set in the tie break. There was an emotional moment in the game for Djokovic when his dad left the stand following his first set loss 7-6 (tie-break).

The second set also saw a good fight between the two and Fedrer again won, this time with relative ease, winning the set 6-3. It was the in the third set when Djokovic found his momentum back and pulled off a few stunning winners to win the set back,6-3.At this stage Fedrer seemed like losing his concentration a bit, making a few unforced errors.

As the game entered the fourth set, it was now more a question of physical fitness and mental strength as both players continued their incredible play on court. The crowd also joined in with the occasional chanting of “Roger” and clapping and cheering with every winner from either player. Even in the fourth set, with the match well into its third hour of play, both men were running all over the court producing some amazing winners. The game went down to the wire as the set was tied with the score at 6-6 and headed into another tie break to settle the match.

It was a nail biting finish with Fedrer winning the tie-break 7-5 to seal his place in the finals against his old rival Rafeal Nadal. I felt that, if ever it was possible, he was the man capable of it… Roger Fedrer, ending the unbeaten run of Djokovic this year. As Djokovic left, Roger was still in the court savoring the moment, while the audience gave him a standing ovation. It was a game of tennis played at a phenomenal level, for the entire duration of the match.

This is one match, which will be imprinted in my heart of many for a long time to come. This shows that even though Roger Fedrer is not currently the World Number One tennis by ATP rankings, he still has the old flare and magic in his game.

Tags: ATP Rankings, French Open 2011, Novak Djokovic, Roger Fedrer, Roland Garros, Tennis