There were some peRFection matches played by the Swiss Maestro in 2011. Enjoy!
10. Federer vs Tsonga – Rome 2nd Round
Masterclass from Roger – a straight set win 6-4 6-2. Fed played with a mix of techniques, with serve and volley and dropshots, never giving Tsonga a chance to strike. His net play was superb as well. Little did he know the result of their quarterfinal clash at Wimbledon in a month’s time.
9. Federer vs Wawrinka - Australian Open Quarterfinal
There were all sorts of rallies in this match, with creative shot making by both players. Wawrinka was no match for Federer’s brilliance though and it showed in the scoreboard – 6-1 6-3 6-3.
8. Federer vs Berdych – Bercy Semifinal
Great serving performance from Roger, not a single break point on his own service games and he hit some beautiful angle shots. His strategy was working that day, always on the front foot and playing the best points on key stages.
7. Federer vs Monaco – US Open 4th Round
6-1 6-2 6-0 – Total Domination by the Fed Express. 1st strike tennis. 42 winners to Monaco’s 4. Enough said.
6. Federer vs Davydenko – Doha Final
This was probably one of the best matches Roger had played in the early hardcourt season. His strokes and footwork were beautiful in this match and he completely took apart Davydenko 6-3 6-4, turning the tables from last year’s semi.
5. Federer vs Simon - Australian Open 2nd Round
Magical performance in the first two sets for Fed, the match was looking to be a comfortable win over Simon. But Simon had previously beaten Federer before and to the crowd’s delight, fought back 6-4 6-4 in the next two sets. The crowd were on the edge of their seats, Simon was exploiting Federer’s drop of form and the fifth set was down to the wire. It looked very close, but at 3-2 Fed broke back in dramatic fashion. You could see it in his emotion; he needed the break so much. Roger served out the match 6-3 and even if it wasn’t the prettiest performance from him, the drama and fighting spirit was amazing to watch that night and that is why it is No.5 on my list.
4. Federer vs Del Potro – Cincinnati 2nd Round
Roger had just lost a big hitter (Tsonga) in Montreal, and I guess people were hoping to see a close match between him and Del Potro. It never was. Roger played with a lot of variety and never allowed Del Potro to attack from the baseline. 6-3 7-5 – Top Class.
3. Federer vs Nadal – Barclays World Tour Finals Round Robin 2
It’s extremely rare to witness such a lopsided match between these two – 6-3 6-0. But it was Federer that played extremely aggressive, especially on key points. Nadal was never going to hurt him with his constant moonballing. My favourite point is the bullet forehand down the line Federer hits at break point in the first game of the 2nd set. PeRFect.
2. Federer vs Nishikori – Basel Final
Nishikori was totally destroyed in this match. Federer had never played him before, but I was expecting a close straight set win after an upset over Djokovic in the semis. Federer’s serve was clutch, winning 88% and 79% on his first and second serves. There were great baseline rallies and passing shots by Federer, he never backed off and took his record 5th title in Basel.
1. Federer vs Djokovic - Roland Garros Semifinal
Djokovic was the obvious favourite, having an amazing winning streak coming into this match. Federer was never going to let it get any higher; he played with confidence and self-belief. He was absolutely on fire in the first two sets, ripping winners including many exceptional down-the-line backhands. He kept Djokovic out of his comfort zone by wrong footing him on many occasions, the point at 1-1 in the tiebreak in the first set shows it. Djokovic fought back strongly and was looking to force the epic match into a fifth set at 5-4 in the 4th set. Federer broke back, convincing the crowd to be back on his side and served a rocket ace on match point in the tiebreak.
