NEWSPost India

Four-time former champion Roger Federer extended his record to 15-1 against Robin Soderling of Sweden with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory on Thursday at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. He finished his three Group B matches unbeaten. The Swiss superstar has now reached the semi-finals in eight of his nine appearances at the season finale. The result means Soderling is eliminated from semi-final contention upon percentage of games won. Semi-Final Scenarios

Federer has yet to drop a set this week after a 6-1, 6-4 win over Spaniard David Ferrer on Sunday and a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Andy Murray of Scotland on Tuesday. He has a 32-7 tournament record. “I’m happy I was able to come out today and play a good, tough, solid match against a player who I thought was in good shape,” said Federer. “I purposely didn’t want to know the calculations before today’s match, whereas I was in the loop very clearly what I kind of needed to do last year, which I think played on my mind a little bit.

“I just wanted to come out and try to play as good a match as I can. Losing is never a solution to trying to win a tournament. That’s why I’m happy that all three matches [were] straight sets, [and I did] not waste any energy. I’m playing real well [and] I’m through to the semis.” Soderling got off to a confident start, but came under pressure in the third game when he failed to convert a 40/15 lead. Federer won three straight points, earning the first service break after Soderling hit a forehand drop volley wide. Federer dropped one point in his next two service games, but at 4-3 he opened with a double fault and committed two unforced errors – including a forehand long on break point – to get Soderling back on level terms. The duo then hit three aces each en route to the tie-break.

Federer, the 2003-04 and 2006-07 champion, raised his game in the tie-break by hitting three aces and an attacking forehand that forced Soderling into error for a 6-4 lead. One set point passed as Federer hit a forehand wide, but on the next point Soderling left a high volley thinking it would land out. It didn’t, and Federer sealed the 50-minute opener. He improved to a 21-10 record in tie-breaks this season. “I think against a player like Roger, you need to have a little bit of luck to win,” admitted Soderling afterwards. “And I definitely didn’t have the luck on my side today. I’m not saying I would have won anyway, but those two points were really big and I needed both of them.”

Soderling looked to have secured a crucial break at the start of the second set only for the RICOH Official Review, the electronic line-calling technology, to adjudge his forehand down the line to have crept out. Federer, who had recovered from 15/40, escaped from the game unscathed by winning four straight points. In a 16-point fourth game, Soderling saved two break points to keep Federer at bay. But at 3-4, Soderling squandered a 30/15 lead and Federer clinched a decisive break with a fabulous forehand winner – his sixth of the match.

Federer did not take his foot off the gas and wrapped up his 63rd win of the year with a service hold to 15, which included his 11th ace of the 88-minute encounter. For Soderling, who reached his second successive Roland Garros final (l. to Nadal) in May, his season comes to an end. The 26-year-old Swede finishes the year with a 57-22 match record.

“I’m working a lot [on] my movement around the court,” said Soderling, who will spend his off-season between Monaco and Sweden ahead of a trip to Australia in January. “I think I need to improve everything. That’s what you need to do if you want to be on top of the game.”