ATP World Tour Finals: Djokovic takes on Berdych; Wawrinka faces Cilic in Group A
Friday 14 November 2014 10:58, UK
Novak Djokovic will guarantee he will finish the year above Roger Federer at the top of the rankings when he looks to maintain his perfect start at the ATP World Tour Finals on Friday.
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The world No 1 is close to his metronomic best and will secure qualification to Saturday's semi-finals with victory over Tomas Berdych.
Djokovic secured his 29th consecutive win indoors when he dismantled Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka on Wednesday night and remains on course to lift his third consecutive title at London's O2. It would be hard to bet against him making it 32 to take the title.
The reigning Wimbledon champion remains unbeaten since wife Jelena gave birth to baby Stefan three weeks ago and he requires one set against the Czech to be sure of a spot in the final four.
Djokovic is in ominous form having yet to lose a set at the prestigious season-ending tournament for the past two years and is well on course to become the first player since Ivan Lendl in the 1980s to win the Tour Finals three years in a row.
Berdych will probably have to beat Djokovic to reach the semi-finals, a feat he has managed just twice in 18 meetings.
Their last match in the final of the China Open last month was the most chastening of the lot, with the Czech losing 6-0 6-2 after Djokovic looked on target to record a rare 'double bagel' when serving for the match at 6-0 5-0.
"I'm going to try to maybe get three, four games," he said with a smile. "That would be better from the last time.
"That experience was really an experience. As I said after my first match, it couldn't be worse than that. So let's see. It's pretty much the same scenario."
Group A has produced some lopsided results with the losing players have won only 11 games between them in four matches while Djokovic has lost only five games during his first two matches.
Stan primed
Wawrinka remains in a good position to qualify alongside Djokovic, with victory over Marin Cilic likely to be enough to put him into the last four.
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"I'm still playing great tennis," said the Swiss world No 4. "I played a great match against Tomas Berdych. I'm practising well now. I need to focus tomorrow (Thursday) to do some good practice and be ready for the last match."
US Open champion Cilic heads into the clash having lost both his matches on his debut appearance at the end of season showpiece although the big-hitting Croatian is not out of the reckoning despite winning just six games in his two matches.
Cilic recently pulled out of the Paris Masters tournament due to a right-arm injury and admits to suffering from fatigue following what has been a long and successful campaign.
He said: "Of course, it's a little bit disappointing to play like this. I was not expecting it," he said. "But I feel a little bit tired, and my body feels a little bit tired on the court.
"It seems that the things I'm doing are all basically going in a wrong direction."
Wawrinka will be odds-on favourite to progress against Cilic. He leads their head-to-head record 7-2 with the 29-year-old having won both their previous encounters this season at Masters events in Monte Carlo and Cincinnati.
