LONDON: Roger Federer set up a mouthwatering semifinal with Rafael Nadal at the ATP World Tour finals after battling past Juan Martin del Potro in their Group B shoot-out on Saturday.
The Swiss seemed to spend most of the match fighting from behind but showed the grit of a true champion to topple the Argentine 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-5 at London’s O2 Arena.
Victory meant he qualified for the last four as group runner-up to defending champion Novak Djokovic who will face Federer’s fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in Sunday’s other semifinal.
Federer had only once fallen in the round-robin phase of the season-ending tournament in 11 previous appearances and never since the tournament switched to London in 2009.
However, del Potro looked favourite to tarnish that proud record as he moved a set and a break ahead.
Federer produced a stirring fightback from 5-1 down in the opening set only to fall short but hit back from a break in the second to level the contest with a commanding tiebreak.
The level of Federer’s game fluctuated throughout the match and it dipped again at the start of the deciding set when a netted forehand gave the powerful Argentine a 2-0 lead.
Again Federer responded to a deficit with some of his most forceful tennis and del Potro’s erratic forehand gifted the six-time champion two cheap points in the fifth game to get the set back on serve.
With the crowd roaring on the Swiss great, he broke del Potro’s serve to lead 6-5 and then completed his second victory over del Potro in consecutive weeks with an ace.
Federer admitted that the do-or-die contest was a tough one for him.
“A lot of coming from behind, trying to get back into the match, and it was amazing that I was able to pull it off,” said Federer after the match.
“I could never play free flowing tennis. I fought hard, maybe got a bit lucky at times.
“I don’t get a day off, I’ve got to back it up and be ready to go again tomorrow. I’ll try to make his [Nadal’s] life a bit difficult,” he added.
In the late match on Friday, Nadal dashed Tomas Berdych’s hopes with a win over the Czech that put Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka into the semifinals.
The Spaniard had already qualified for the last four but in beating Berdych 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 he also sent Wawrinka through as Group A runner-up.
Wawrinka had earlier beaten already-eliminated Spaniard David Ferrer in three sets.
The hard-hitting Berdych pushed world number one Nadal hard throughout the match but faded at the end of the deciding set when he double-faulted twice in the eighth game to drop serve.
Nadal then completed victory after nearly two hours of engrossing action with a screaming forehand winner.
“At the end I play for myself, 200 (ranking points),” Nadal said when asked about the implications of his win for Wawrinka.
“I went on court like as if I am playing for the qualification. I knew (after winning the first set) that I had won the group, but it was important to finish that match the way that I did. I’m very happy for that,” added Nadal. (Reuters)