ROGER FEDERER DOWNS NOVAK DJOKOVIC FOR 50th ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS WIN.

By Rugiri Kiarie

A year ago, the two best tennis players in
the world, Novak Djokovic and Roger
Federer, were contesting not just the final
title of the ATP year but the No1 ranking.
As it turned out, Djokovic ended the season with
both: He held off Federer’s late-season surge
and unbeaten run at the O2 with his own
unbeaten run to the final. Federer, after picking
up a back injury late on Saturday night in a barn-
storming semi-final, was forced to withdraw from
their eagerly-anticipated face-off.
For their rivalry, both before and since, has
become one of tennis’s finest, most intense,
most compelling—second only to Djokovic and
Rafael Nadal in times played, second only to
Federer and Nadal in charisma—though on both
counts, this rivalry is surely a close contender.
Since their first meeting almost a decade ago,
they have met 42 times, and are poised at 21
wins apiece.
Since their first meeting, they have five times
played five matches in a single year, they have
spent more weeks at No1 than any other active
players, and have won the World Tour Finals 10
times—Federer six times, Djokovic four.
But since that missed meeting in London 12
months ago, the rivalry as taken on still greater
weight. Already they have met six times this
year, all finals. In a season of just five losses,
Djokovic has been beaten twice by only one
man: Federer. And the Swiss is second only to
Djokovic in titles won, with six—though make no
mistake, this year, the super Serb has been the
best of the best: 10 titles from 14 consecutive
finals.
But what makes this rivalry doubly compelling is
that they seem always to bring out the best in
each other, pitching Federer’s all-court fluency,
attack and tactical guile against the super-fit,
super-flexible body and intellect of one of the
greatest defenders in the game.
But here, with Federer pipped to the No2 post by
Murray, the latest Swiss-Serb battle would be
uncommonly early. Indeed since 2007, they had
met before the semi-finals only once, also in the
round-robin, 2013.
Over so many years and so many matches, as
one champion to another, and now one father to
another, their respect for one another has grown.
After Federer’s victory in Dubai, he said of
Djokovic: “I think it’s really become a very nice
rivalry. I think we play very nice against each
other, and it seems people like the way we play
against each other, as well. I don’t think we have
to adjust our games very much against each
other… we can just play our game, and then the
better man wins… He’s become such an
unbelievable player… and became the best mover
in the game. It’s really a pleasure playing against
him every single time.”
Djokovic responded in kind: “We always make
each other play our best tennis. We require from
each other the maximum focus and commitment,
and that’s what raises the quality of the match.”
Both arrived here with indoor titles, too: Djokovic
over Murray in the Paris Masters and Federer
over Nadal in Basel.
One thing, then, was certain: this contest would
be as eagerly contested as it was watched.
Djokovic certainly came out with all guns blazing,
and had a break point in the very first game, but
Federer, whose serving in the first set in
particular was in a fine groove, held with an ace.
It would be Djokovic’s only chance in the set, as
both held strongly through to 5-5.
Then Federer held to love and, rather than
coming forward in shock attacks, he pounded the
baseline like a man a decade younger than his 34
years, slicing and driving on the backhand,
hammering his forehand, with angle and down
the line, and earned his first break chance. Djokovic, one of the most adept players as
switching defence into sudden offence, replied in
kind. But he could not close it out, and at the
second time of asking, Federer did break, and
the arena erupted as he sealed the set, 7-5, after
an intense 44 minutes.
Federer got off to a racing start in the second
set, too, converting the last of three break
points. But again, Djokovic showed just how
dangerous he is when under pressure. He broke
back, but Federer was on a roll. He even got the
rub of the net with two break points on the
board, as a searing backhand down the line
clipped the tape: He apologised, as protocol
demands, but he had the 4-2 advantage.
It would not stop there, either. Djokovic was
unusually profligate with errors in the final few
games and Federer took full advantage. After a
love hold, he broke again in the longest game of
the match via three deuces and two break
points. Djokovic cast the die at Hawkeye in the
face of a closing winner, but it was a lost cause.
Federer had the win, 6-2, and that was not all.
He maintained his record of never trailing
Djokovic in their head to head and, more
important, with Kei Nishikori’s three-set 7-5, 3-6,
6-3 win over Tomas Berdych earlier in the day,
Federer also became the first man in the
tournament to confirm his place in the semi-
finals.
Djokovic was pragmatic, as a man who has won
10 titles and 79 matches this season should be:
“You have those days when you’re not feeling
your best—not even close to the best. Credit to
Roger for mixing up the pace, giving me always a
different ball. He used the slice and spin very
wisely. He served very efficiently. I made a lot of
unforced errors. Just handed him the win,
especially in the second set… But, again, that’s
sport.”
Federer, for his part, was not giving away too
much about his tactical plan: “I might have to
play him again!”
But he admitted he had not hoped for too much
from this particular match: “I focused more on
beating [Tomas] Berdych and Nishikori and let’s
see what happens against Novak. That shows me
that I didn’t expect this victory. But then again,
all day I felt good about my chances. It was
clear in my head how I wanted to play. Once the
match went on, I felt like, I’m with him, I’m
serving well, could play better from the baseline
maybe at times… I was just hoping I was going
to get a good return game, which I did get
eventually.”
In truth, he looked and sounded rather less
spritely in his news conference: He has the
beginnings of a beard and a sniffle, and looked in
need of some sleep, too.
But the pressure is off when it comes to
Nishikori on Thursday—so who knows how he will
play with the brakes off? For now, Federer has
notched up his 50th win in his 14th consecutive
year in the tournament, and in all that time he
has failed to make the semis only once—and it is
not this year.

ROGER FEDERER DOWNS NOVAK DJOKOVIC FOR 50th ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS WIN.

By Rugiri Kiarie

A year ago, the two best tennis players in
the world, Novak Djokovic and Roger
Federer, were contesting not just the final
title of the ATP year but the No1 ranking.
As it turned out, Djokovic ended the season with
both: He held off Federer’s late-season surge
and unbeaten run at the O2 with his own
unbeaten run to the final. Federer, after picking
up a back injury late on Saturday night in a barn-
storming semi-final, was forced to withdraw from
their eagerly-anticipated face-off.
For their rivalry, both before and since, has
become one of tennis’s finest, most intense,
most compelling—second only to Djokovic and
Rafael Nadal in times played, second only to
Federer and Nadal in charisma—though on both
counts, this rivalry is surely a close contender.
Since their first meeting almost a decade ago,
they have met 42 times, and are poised at 21
wins apiece.
Since their first meeting, they have five times
played five matches in a single year, they have
spent more weeks at No1 than any other active
players, and have won the World Tour Finals 10
times—Federer six times, Djokovic four.
But since that missed meeting in London 12
months ago, the rivalry as taken on still greater
weight. Already they have met six times this
year, all finals. In a season of just five losses,
Djokovic has been beaten twice by only one
man: Federer. And the Swiss is second only to
Djokovic in titles won, with six—though make no
mistake, this year, the super Serb has been the
best of the best: 10 titles from 14 consecutive
finals.
But what makes this rivalry doubly compelling is
that they seem always to bring out the best in
each other, pitching Federer’s all-court fluency,
attack and tactical guile against the super-fit,
super-flexible body and intellect of one of the
greatest defenders in the game.
But here, with Federer pipped to the No2 post by
Murray, the latest Swiss-Serb battle would be
uncommonly early. Indeed since 2007, they had
met before the semi-finals only once, also in the
round-robin, 2013.
Over so many years and so many matches, as
one champion to another, and now one father to
another, their respect for one another has grown.
After Federer’s victory in Dubai, he said of
Djokovic: “I think it’s really become a very nice
rivalry. I think we play very nice against each
other, and it seems people like the way we play
against each other, as well. I don’t think we have
to adjust our games very much against each
other… we can just play our game, and then the
better man wins… He’s become such an
unbelievable player… and became the best mover
in the game. It’s really a pleasure playing against
him every single time.”
Djokovic responded in kind: “We always make
each other play our best tennis. We require from
each other the maximum focus and commitment,
and that’s what raises the quality of the match.”
Both arrived here with indoor titles, too: Djokovic
over Murray in the Paris Masters and Federer
over Nadal in Basel.
One thing, then, was certain: this contest would
be as eagerly contested as it was watched.
Djokovic certainly came out with all guns blazing,
and had a break point in the very first game, but
Federer, whose serving in the first set in
particular was in a fine groove, held with an ace.
It would be Djokovic’s only chance in the set, as
both held strongly through to 5-5.
Then Federer held to love and, rather than
coming forward in shock attacks, he pounded the
baseline like a man a decade younger than his 34
years, slicing and driving on the backhand,
hammering his forehand, with angle and down
the line, and earned his first break chance. Djokovic, one of the most adept players as
switching defence into sudden offence, replied in
kind. But he could not close it out, and at the
second time of asking, Federer did break, and
the arena erupted as he sealed the set, 7-5, after
an intense 44 minutes.
Federer got off to a racing start in the second
set, too, converting the last of three break
points. But again, Djokovic showed just how
dangerous he is when under pressure. He broke
back, but Federer was on a roll. He even got the
rub of the net with two break points on the
board, as a searing backhand down the line
clipped the tape: He apologised, as protocol
demands, but he had the 4-2 advantage.
It would not stop there, either. Djokovic was
unusually profligate with errors in the final few
games and Federer took full advantage. After a
love hold, he broke again in the longest game of
the match via three deuces and two break
points. Djokovic cast the die at Hawkeye in the
face of a closing winner, but it was a lost cause.
Federer had the win, 6-2, and that was not all.
He maintained his record of never trailing
Djokovic in their head to head and, more
important, with Kei Nishikori’s three-set 7-5, 3-6,
6-3 win over Tomas Berdych earlier in the day,
Federer also became the first man in the
tournament to confirm his place in the semi-
finals.
Djokovic was pragmatic, as a man who has won
10 titles and 79 matches this season should be:
“You have those days when you’re not feeling
your best—not even close to the best. Credit to
Roger for mixing up the pace, giving me always a
different ball. He used the slice and spin very
wisely. He served very efficiently. I made a lot of
unforced errors. Just handed him the win,
especially in the second set… But, again, that’s
sport.”
Federer, for his part, was not giving away too
much about his tactical plan: “I might have to
play him again!”
But he admitted he had not hoped for too much
from this particular match: “I focused more on
beating [Tomas] Berdych and Nishikori and let’s
see what happens against Novak. That shows me
that I didn’t expect this victory. But then again,
all day I felt good about my chances. It was
clear in my head how I wanted to play. Once the
match went on, I felt like, I’m with him, I’m
serving well, could play better from the baseline
maybe at times… I was just hoping I was going
to get a good return game, which I did get
eventually.”
In truth, he looked and sounded rather less
spritely in his news conference: He has the
beginnings of a beard and a sniffle, and looked in
need of some sleep, too.
But the pressure is off when it comes to
Nishikori on Thursday—so who knows how he will
play with the brakes off? For now, Federer has
notched up his 50th win in his 14th consecutive
year in the tournament, and in all that time he
has failed to make the semis only once—and it is
not this year.

BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER'S IMPORTANCE TO MANCHESTER UNITED INCREASES FURTHER

By Rugiri Kiarie

Michael Carrick was stretchered off the
field while representing England, following
an injury to his ankle during the Three
Lions’ friendly loss to Spain.
The midfielder had started the game but
was unable to complete it, after Chelsea
midfielder Pedro caught the 34-year-old
with a late challenge. Carrick was visibly
distraught as he left the field, as he is now
expected to be out of action for some time.
He had just made his way back into the
Manchester United starting XI but will now
be forced to work on his fitness before
making a claim for a place in the side.
Instead, the Reds will have to rely heavily
on Bastian Schweinsteiger. The German
has been a stalwart in the Man United
team since his arrival from Bayern Munich
this summer and, with Carrick unavailable,
he could see his involvement increase even
further.
At 31, Schweinsteiger certainly has a few
good years ahead of him but there are still
doubts over his fitness. The World Cup
winner played 90 minutes for his country
against France as the build up to next
summer’s European Championships
continues. United fans will be encouraged
to see Schweinsteiger’s match fitness
seems up to scratch as they prepare for a
crucial part of the season.
With the busy Christmas schedule fast
approaching, United’s squad depth will
surely be tested, especially with Carrick out
injured. Schweinsteiger will be the key man
to make sure the Reds can hold onto the
ball and he will need to be the key man in
helping set the team forward, something
Carrick is normally extremely proficient at.
Schweinsteiger’s experience and undoubted
ability have made him a hugely important
player since he came to Old Trafford and
he is about to see his stock rise further.
United’s success over the next couple of
months could be down to the midfielder’s
performances and there is no question that
he can set the team up nicely for a title
run-in at the end of the season.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC NAMED SWEDISH FOOTBALLER OF YEAR FOR 10TH TIME

By European Football
Ibrahimovic might need a new mantelpiece for
his 10th Swedish player of the year award
He may not have the Ballon d'Ors of Lionel
Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but at least Zlatan
Ibrahimovic can console himself with being,
beyond doubt, the best player in Sweden.
The Paris St-Germain striker has won a record
10th Guldbollen (Golden Ball), the award given
to the best male footballer in his home country.
It is the ninth year in a row that Ibrahimovic
has lifted the award.
He won it for the first time in 2005, and has
won it every year since former Arsenal
midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg triumphed in 2006.
No other player has won the award more than
twice.
This year Ibrahimovic won a historic French
domestic treble, reached the quarter-finals of
the Champions League and became PSG's all-
time record scorer.
Since his first Guldbollen win, Ibrahimovic has
played for Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC
Milan and PSG, commanding transfer fees of
£150m.

MEMPHIS DEPAY: I AM A TEAM PLAYER

In the last few weeks, Memphis Depay has
been accused of not being a team player by
Holland coach Danny Blind and of not buying
into Louis van Gaal’s philosophy at United.
But now he’s hit back.
MEMPHIS
I’m at a new club and it’s a different level.
Such things are playing a big role and you’re
trying to find your way and it was a bit easy
at the start but then I fell back and you could
see it in the way I played.
‘‘
But I’m working on that and getting back to
the top. I feel fit and I’m trying to show on
the training ground that I’m doing my best to
perform well.
People are used to seeinf me score and that
shall come, it just takes a bit longer.
I think I’m a team player and the other
players in the team also think that. I don’t
think I’m in a difficult spell of my career as
the media say but I just think my form isn’t
good right now.
I’m still working hard and just because I don’t
show the exact form that I showed at the
World Cup or last year, it doesn’t mean I’m
not working hard. But I feel good again and
other people don’t see what I’m doing in the
training so people think I’m not busy with
football but that’s not true."

NEVILLE: MARTIAL IS AN ABSOLUTE BARGAIN.

The France international joined the Reds from
AS Monaco on transfer deadline day and
immediately enamoured himself to supporters
by scoring the final goal in a 3-1 win over
Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Martial has since scored against Southampton
(2), Ipswich Town and CSKA Moscow to take
his personal tally to five goals in 13
appearances in all competitions. However, it is
his all-round ability and excellent contribution to
Louis van Gaal’s team that has impressed many
observers and pundits.
Neville is currently a coach with Valencia and
came across Martial when the La Liga
contenders beat Monaco 4-3 in this season’s
Champions League play-off round. Clearly
impressed, the Treble-winner predicted great
things for the player and has been pleased by
his progress at Old Trafford so far.
"From the very first time I saw him early in the
season, when we [Valencia] played Monaco in
the Champions League qualifying rounds, he
was someone who was devastating against us,"
Neville explains in a video posted on his
personal Twitter account. "Every time he got
the ball he made me nervous; he made our
defenders nervous because he likes to turn and
he likes to dribble.
"What I think he brings most to this Manchester
United team is genuine speed and speed on the
counter-attack, like we saw against Everton
when they went to Goodison Park and won, as
well as speed when United play a passing
football style under Louis van Gaal.
"He has brought genuine speed to the team, he
is strong and he is quick. People question the
amount of money that van Gaal paid but I think
United have got an absolute bargain and his
style suits the Premier League. I think there is
more to come. He is still young, he still learning
and there is more to come from this striker,
who I think could become one of the best in the
world."

SMALLING HAILS MANCHESTER UNITED'S DEFENCE

Chris Smalling feels Manchester United's
defensive strength has been key to their
good form and has hailed the entire team's
contribution.
Chris Smalling has hailed Manchester United's
defensive strength following their 2-0 Premier
League win at home to West Brom on Saturday.
Louis van Gaal's men have kept five consecutive
clean sheets in all competitions and Smalling is
delighted to be part of such a strong defensive
unit.
"Over the last year we have had a very good
record and in the last month we've had many
clean sheets and as a back four, that's really
pleasing," Smalling told MUTV.
"We've been able to do that even when we've
had a few changes in the back four and have
stuck together. Everyone knows their jobs so it's
great to be a part of such a good defensive unit,
especially knowing that we've always got that
chance of scoring at the other end if we can
keep it tight.
"I think a lot of managers say that it starts from
the front and us as defenders know it helps our
job when the front two strikers put that pressure
on. If they can do that it makes our job a lot
easier. You know that without the whole team
working together, it's a very hard job for the
defenders, so everyone plays a part."
United have the best defensive record in the
Premier League after 12 games, conceding just
eight times so far, with Manchester City and
Arsenal having let in nine apiece.

NOT PERFECT , BUT CLOSE : THE EVOLUTION OF GUARDIOLA AT BAYERN MUNICH

This is not the German champions trying to
replicate Barcelona, but rather a fast, hungry
side littered with players capable of creating
chances and scoring goals.
No team in Europe has produced football like
Bayern Munich did in the first half against
Wolfsburg last week in the DFB-Pokal. They
totally destroyed the German cup holders; the
second best team in the Bundesliga last
season.
It was so good that the question of whether or
not Bayern had achieved football perfection
was asked with not a hint of hyperbole.
"Perfection doesn't exist," Pep Guardiola said.
"The first half was very, very good, but not
perfect. There are always details you can
improve."
Not perfect but pretty damn close. It was the
purest representation of what Guardiola has
sought from his players since taking over at
Bayern.
His team sustain possession as well as ever
but, significantly, the coach has made some
key tweaks. This is not Bayern trying to be
Barca; this is a fast, hungry team with players
placed in every position with the express
intention of creating chances and scoring
goals. Guardiola has dispensed with the players
who cannot execute the football he demands
and signed younger, quicker ones like Douglas
Costa and Kingsley Coman for their place.
Jerome Boateng's long balls have been
decisive against Borussia Dortmund in the past
as a way of skipping the first press and that
tactic is deployed on a more regular basis this
season - regardless of the opponent.
Arturo Vidal and Joshua Kimmich have been
brought in to quicken the pace through the
centre of midfield, while a fit, functioning
Thiago Alcantara stitches the play together.
This Bayern team are more direct in getting to
the final third and, once there, they raid down
on goal as quick as lightening. They are not
trying to walk the ball into the goal; there are
more conventional methods deployed in trying
to score goals thanks to Costa and Coman and
their ability to go past markers. That in turn has
allowed Robert Lewandowski to gorge himself.
"Maybe [Guardiola] has changed a bit," captain
Philipp Lahm told Goal. "Now we have wingers
like we had two years ago with Arjen [Robben]
and Franck [Ribery] - players which you put in
one-on-one situations, players who create
space. Now we have again two more of this
type of player, which we all know we have
missed at crunch times in the past.
"We have more possibilities. By doing this we
maybe have adjusted our game a little bit as
you try to get these players in position. But we
have not changed the way we play."
When a team is defending extremely deeply
with two rows of five, as is the norm these
days for teams facing Bayern, an attacker who
can beat his man can tilt a game in his side's
favour.
Costa's opening goal in that cup match against
Wolfsburg demonstrated exactly how Bayern
have changed. Other players in the Bayern
squad, for all their strengths, are simply not
wired to shift the ball past defenders and lash
home from outside the box. That will never be
the strength of, say, Thomas Muller, Robben or
Mario Gotze.
Moreover, Costa conjured classic 'wing play'
from a central position; formations only exist
on paper for this Bayern team. Exchanges of
position occur so frequently that it is pointless
trying to ascertain who exactly is playing
where.
"We can play a back three or a back four, we
can play with one or two support strikers,
whatever," said Lahm. "I don't know how many
systems we have. Our game is very flexible in
any case. This is often only about how you
write in down.
"It depends on the types of players. If you take
me for example as a right forward or Arjen it is
a completely different thing."
Guardiola, in the Marti Perarnau book 'Pep
Confidential', is shown to be obsessed with
passing lanes; the idea of having multiple
channels of attack for moves to develop. This
can easily be seen in Bayern's current set up
where David Alaba, Coman, Lewandowski,
Muller and Costa provide the options all across
the pitch for forward passes from midfield. The
effect is overwhelming for even the very best
of opponents.
The second and third goals on the night paid
testament to the overlapping abilities of
Alaba. That the Austria captain was missing
against Frankfurt and Bayern did not win is no
coincidence. His interpretation of what
Guardiola asks from a 'full-back' is fundamental
to how Bayern not only play but win.
"There are of course still full-backs, but the
type of player has changed a bit," said Lahm.
"Most can play in midfield." The 31-year-old
has done so frequently under Guardiola and
even now, when named at right-back, still
appears more often in the middle.
A common criticism of Guardiola's Bayern has
been that their possession-heavy game can be
sterile; that it's not only boring, but pointless.
Bayern spend so much time in the opposition
half and put so many of their players in that
sector of the field that the opponents have no
choice but to retreat to the very edge of their
own box. And for 90 minutes, too. Guardiola's
challenge, then, has been to figure out how to
win in this very specific context.
Against the best teams in the world - Real
Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League
semi-finals for the last two years - Bayern have
been unable to come up with the goods. The
twin problems of the ball moving too slowly and
failing to get the best from Lewandowski have
been addressed. Sterner tests await in the
spring when injuries will need to be avoided,
but right now the plan is coming together.