With two wins, Federer has a clear path to the ATP Finals semi-finals

The world number two tennis player convincingly defeated rising Japanese star Kei Nishikori with a score of 6-3, 6-2 on the evening of November 11, thereby consolidating his position at the top of Group B of the prestigious year-end tournament in London.

Kei Nishikori is now ranked fifth in the world after his surprise run to the US Open final, becoming the first Asian player to qualify for the year-end tournament for the top eight ATP rankings of the season.

The 24-year-old Japanese player defeated Andy Murray 2-0 in his opening match. However, he could not cause much trouble for Roger Federer on the second day of Group B. The Swiss player won a total of three breaks to close out the two-set victory in just one hour and nine minutes. Federer hit seven aces throughout the match, compared to just one for his opponent. The six-time year-end champion only made one double fault on his serve throughout the match, while Kei Nishikori made five.

Federer still maintains an impressive form. Photo: Reuters.

With a perfect record of two matches and a 4-0 set score, Federer is considered to have one foot in the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals. He will have the first ticket to the semi-finals if Milos Raonic defeats Murray in the remaining match on the second day of Group B. Federer will also soon secure a semi-final spot if Murray defeats Raonic in three sets. If this scenario does not happen on Tuesday night, Federer will need to get a good result against Murray in the final round of the group stage.

The first set lasted just 35 minutes. Federer dominated the game with four aces and only one double fault, while his Japanese opponent had no aces and three double faults. Kei Nishikori also made more unforced errors in the first set. Federer faced a break in the third game, but eventually saved it to lead 2-1. In the next game, the Swiss player got the first break of the match to hold on for a 3-1 lead. He had another break chance in the sixth game, when leading 40-30, but failed to take advantage. However, winning the remaining two games of service was enough for the Grand Slam king to seal the first set 6-3.

Nishikori's youth and progress were not enough to counter the reigning world number two. Photo: AP.

The second set was a similar affair. Kei Nishikori failed to improve his play and continued to be ineffective on his serve. Meanwhile, Federer had two early break point opportunities in the third game, which he took advantage of to lead 2-1. The 33-year-old won another game on his serve to hold the lead at 5-2, after Kei double-faulted when the Japanese faced his third break point of the game. In the eighth game of the second set, Federer faced a break point but saved it before securing the score at 6-2.

“I thought it was going to be a tough match. I’ve known Kei since he was 17 and I’ve always thought he was a very promising player. So I’m really pleased with how I played today,” Federer said after the win.

According to VNE