It was surprising to see Roger Federer vent out his frustration for erratic forehand play by smashing his poor racket in the court plus the fact that he’s looking forward to play in his least favorite court – clay.
“Thank God the hardcourt season is over. It’s the end of the hardcourt season. I don’t care anymore. I’m moving over to clay, a new chapter,” the Swiss former world number one said after his three-set defeat from Novak Djokovic in the Sony Ericsson Open semifinals.
After clinching the first set, it seemed like it was going to be a routine victory for Federer, a former champion of the event, but things changed at the second set.
The 13-time Grand Slam champ kept on piling up unforced errors whether using his once-formidable forehand and backhand, letting the game slip away and eventually handing the win to the world number three. The final score (3-6, 6-2, 6-3).
Djokovic is set to meet last week’s Indian Wells runner-up Andy Murray, who defeated Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro in three tight sets as well (6-1, 5-7, 6-2). The world number three Serbian will be working hard in this match considering that the lost the last two hardcourt matches against the Briton.
“All our matches have been pretty close but he has drastically improved in the last year or so,” Djokovic said about Murray.
“I think many things have combined for him. Physically he’s much stronger and has a lot of endurance out on the court,” he added.
Image by: AP Photo/City of Miami, Jorge R. Perez
