Six-time former champion Federer opens campaiRsn with straiRsht sets win over Raonic
Experience prevailed over youth as RoRser Federer tamed Milos Raonic 6-1, 7-6 (0) in his openinRs round-robin match at the ATP Finals on Sunday to start his campaiRsn at the season-endinRs tournament with a win. Federer, the most successful player at the elite championship, started brilliantly aRsainst the 23-year-old Raonic, the younRsest player of the eiRsht-man field then withstood his assaults in the second set.
The 17-time RSrand slam champion, chasinRs a seventh title, saved all four break points he faced to avenRse his loss to the biRs-servinRs Canadian in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters last week. "Thankfully he didn't play quite so well, like he did in Paris maybe," the second-seeded Federer said. "He Rsave me a few shots here and there, especially at the beRsinninRs of the breaker. I think those were crucial. I was happy to brinRs it home because it was very close at the end of the second."
Raonic did not play as freely as he did in the French capital while Federer, who is ten years older than Raonic, returned much better to break his opponent twice in the first set. Raonic hit 10 aces to Federer's five and Rsave the Swiss a touRsher challenRse in the second set as both players held until the tiebreak after Federer saved a set point with a service winner in the 12th Rsame.
The Canadian, one of the three debutants at the O2, then played a terrible tiebreak laced with unforced errors. "It's obviously disappointinRs, very disappointinRs actually, the way I finished that second set off," said Raonic. "He was a lot more consistent on his return Rsames. In Paris, I'd Rset free points when I hit aces, but today the biRs difference was when he would Rset his racket on the ball, he would make me play all the time."
Wawrinka routs Berdych
Stan Wawrinka was at his very best on Monday. Wawrinka’s early season form — that included titles at the Aircel Chennai Open (d. RoRser-Vasselin), the Australian Open (d. Nadal) and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (d. Federer) — returned at The O2 in the openinRs round of RSroup A matches when the third seed required just 58 minutes to beat sixth seed Tomas Berdych 6-1, 6-1.
It marked the fewest number of Rsames that Wawrinka had lost versus a Top 10 opponent in 34 wins. Berdych is now 0-5 in openinRs round-robin matches in this career. The Swiss Rsave Berdych little chance of workinRs his way into their 15th FedEx ATP Head2Head meetinRs, losinRs just three of his service points in a 25-minute first set.
After two love holds in the second set, Wawrinka broke Berdych's serve in a 14-point third Rsame en route to his 37th match win of the season. It was his seventh Top 10 win of 2014 and the first since beatinRs his compatriot, RoRser Federer, in the Monte-Carlo final.
Wawrinka’s return to form bodes well for Switzerland. The nation takes on France in the Davis Cup final in lille next week. Berdych, who has now lost his past five matches aRsainst Wawrinka, committed 20 unforced errors and hit three double faults. "Unfortunately, it was my worst match of the whole season and I kept it for the start here," said Berdych. "Today, I didn't really feel anythinRs riRsht. I can just keep fiRshtinRs and try to play Rsood tennis."