Basel SF Recap

The final is set in Basel, and it is a little surprising to see who is in it.  On the one side there is of course Basel's favourite son, the great one himself, Roger Federer, but on the other side there is Japanese player Kei Nishikori, who upset Novak Djokovic 26 76(4) 60.

Federer handled countryman Stan Wawrinka rather easily in straight sets and moved into his first final since the French Open in June.  With these two friends squaring off, it will always be a strategic match, as both men know each other so well.  For instance, Roger quite enjoys forcing Stan to hit his BH short in the court and attacking his FH.  The result of the all-Swiss semi was rather predictable, but the Djokovic/Nishikori match was not.  At 6-2 4-5 0-30, it looked as if Novak would take the match in straights and move onto the final, but Nishikori would have none of it.  He fought back to force a tiebreak, won it, and then took the third set 6-0 for what was, in the end, a very comfortable third set to win.  Novak had issues with his shoulders and probably was not at 100%, but full credit to Nishikori for battling through and improving on his breakthrough year with a final in Basel.

The incredible physical toll that Djokovic's game has taken on his body this year has finally caught up with him it seems.  He won so many physical matches during his magnificent run that it was nearly impossible for him to keep healthy forever.  Like we have seen from Nadal for many years, Djokovic is struggling late in the season after wearing himself out during the busiest months of the year.  On the other hand, Roger looks fresh and invigorated as he looks to win his first title since January.  There is no question that Roger paces himself throughout the year perhaps better than any other player in history - it is why he has won 5 Masters Cup titles and this year is looking to win his sixth.  Unlike his younger counterparts Murray, Djokovic, and Nadal, Federer understands that you cannot go 100% throughout the entire year or you will not have enough gas left in the tank at the end.  Apparently Djokovic hasn't learned from Nadal's previous mistakes and now finds himself in a precarious position of trying to go into the World Tour Finals as healthy as possible.

As for the final, Roger should handle Nishikori in straights.  The guy beat Djokovic which is something in of itself, but Fed should prove to be too strong in front of his hometown fans.  As previously mentioned, the Maestro has not won a title since the opening tournament of the year, and he will certainly be hungry to win once again in Basel.  A win would be his fifth Basel title, and would most definitely give him credence to being called the greatest player in the Basel tournament's history.

Final prediction:  63 63 Federer.