BNP Finals rematch: Djokovic, Federer advance to championship match for second straight year
It’s the finals rematch Roger Federer wanted as soon as he lost the 2014 BNP Paribas Open championship in a third set tiebreak, and now the winningest player in its tournament history gets his long awaited wish.
Federer defeated 6-seed Canadian Milos Raonic, 7-5, 6-4, setting up a BNP Paribas Open finals rematch with Novak Djokovic, who defeated 4-seed Andy Murray 6-2, 6-3 earlier in the day.
Murray was not playing his sharpest tennis, losing a break early and making plenty of unforced errors. Djokovic, meanwhile, capitalized on Murray’s mistakes for four breaks in the match, while Murray could only break Djokovic once late in the first set.
The second men’s semifinal of the day was much more intriguing, as Roger Federer and Milos Raonic held serve throughout the match until Federer broke Raonic late in the first set. Federer only faced one break point all match, but battled it away and held serve for the straight set victory.
This will be the 38th meeting between the current top two men’s tennis players in the world, with Federer holding a 20-17 edge in the series over Djokovic, but both men alternating victories against one another since late 2013.
In the men’s doubles championship, Canadian Vasek Pospisil and American Jack Sock defeated Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-7(3), 10-7 for their third-ever tournament win together.
In the women’s doubles championship, 1-seeded pair Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza defeated 2-seed Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in straights, 6-3, 6-4.
