Roger Federer produced another masterly display to beat Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2 and move a step closer to the semi-finals at the ATP World Tour Finals in London. The six-time former champion was at his imperious best to subdue the 24-year-old US Open runner-up.
Although this year’s tournament is still to witness a three-set match, the entertainment served up by world number two Federer and Nishikori kept the capacity crowd enthralled for one hour and nine minutes.
Federer clearly enjoyed it too.
“I was expecting a very difficult match,” the 17-time grand slam champion said on court, to cheers from a vocal Swiss contingent complete with cowbells.
“I’ve know him since he was 17-years-old and always thought he was a great talent and he’s going to have a great future. I’m very pleased with the way I played.”
The 33-year-old Federer, who can still knock Novak Djokovic off the top of the rankings before the end of the year, fought off two break points in the third game, one with an ace, and broke himself a game later with a flowing forehand pass.
That was enough for the Swiss maestro to secure the opener and the quality of his play pressured Nishikori into several errors on the backhand side at the same stage of the second set as he forged further into the distance.
There were flashes of inspiration by Nishikori, a graceful top-spin lob here, a sweetly-struck backhand pass there, but he lacked the authority he showed in convincingly beating home favourite Andy Murray on Sunday.
Federer, who began his record 13th appearance at the ATP Tour Finals by subduing Milos Raonic in straight sets, has only once failed to survive the group stage and looks poised to take centre stage again at the weekend.
His final match will be against Murray who stayed afloat with a 6-3 7-5 defeat of big-serving Canadian Raonic. After losing to Japan’s Kei Nishikori in his opening Group B match, Murray knew only a win against Raonic would keep his hopes alive and he duly delivered with a solid display at a jam-packed 02 Arena.
Murray needed one break of serve to clinch the opening set and struck again at 5-5 in the second as Raonic faltered. He clinched victory in one hour 31 minutes and on his second match point and will now go into his final Group B match against Federer with a place in the semi-finals at stake.
