Novak Djokovic lost the first two games of his match against Stan Wawrinka. After that, there was no stopping the world No. 1. The top-ranked Serb stayed calm, withstood the early assault from the third-seeded Swiss, and then crushed him 6-3, 6-0 at the ATP Finals on Wednesday to close in on the coveted year-end No. 1 spot.
“I thought he played very well the first two games. But I wasn't frustrated. After that, it was a really amazing performance,” Djokovic said after extending his unbeaten run indoor to 29 matches.
“I'm not worried,” Wawrinka said. “All the players who faced him recently have lost in two sets.”
Djokovic will be guaranteed to finish top of the rankings for the third time in four years if he wins his final round-robin match at the elite tournament against Tomas Berdych. He has two wins in Group, A while Berdych posted his first victory against debutant Marin Cilic. Before the last round of matches, all four players can still make it to the last four.
Wawrinka, who had dominated the Serb en route to his Australian Open triumph earlier this year, opened confidently, putting Djokovic on the defensive by dictating from the baseline.
Helped by some superb backhands, he converted his third break point in a tight first game that lasted seven minutes, and then held for a 2-0 lead after hitting an excellent crosscourt pass.
But Wawrinka momentum didn't last long. While Djokovic stayed focused, his opponent's game suddenly went missing as the Serb won the next five games a run that included 11 consecutive points. Wawrinka saved a set point in the eighth game with a good passing shot. But Djokovic never looked back after that, losing only seven points in the second set as Wawrinka was overwhelmed by the sheer pace of the two-time defending champion.
FEDERER ADVANCES
Roger Federer equaled Ivan lendl's record of 12 semifinal appearances at the ATP Finals without stepping on court Thursday as Kei Nishikori defeated David Ferrer 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in his final round-robin match.
Nishikori will have to wait for the outcome of the later match between Federer and Murray to know if he makes it to the last four, but Ferrer sent Federer through by winning the first set.
Ferrer, who replaced the injured Milos Raonic on Thursday, took advantage of Nishikori's 18 unforced errors in the first set and made the decisive break in the 10th game when the Japanese player netted an easy smash.
Nishikori broke at the start of the second set before holding comfortably to even the score at one set apiece, making it the first match at this year's tournament to go to three sets following a run of eight one-sided encounters.
The fourth-seeded Nishikori left the court briefly after the second set but won four consecutive games upon his return. He saved five break points in the sixth game before holding his serve with a forehand drop shot winner.
Nishiroki's three-set victory complicated Murray's task, with the home favorite now forced to beat the in-form Federer in two sets to advance to the Semi Finals of the ATP Finals.