By Erik Gudris / November 9, 2013

 

Roger Federer overcame a rough start to defeat Juan Martin Del Potro at the ATP World Tour Finals. Federer sets up a semifinal meeting with Rafael Nadal.

Photo Credit: Kieran Galvin and Rob Newell/CameraSport
 

With a semifinal spot on the line at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, it was a rather tense looking Roger Federer who entered the 02 Arena to face Juan Martin Del Potro. With both men having split their last two meetings earlier in Basel and Paris, another three set battle looked inevitable.

That was until Federer got off to a ragged start. Tossing in early errors in his opening service game, Federer found himself broken right away. Trailing later at 1-3, Federer looked poised to hold serve. But perhaps unnerved by the massive hitting from Del Potro on both wings, Federer dropped serve again for 1-4.

With Del Potro soon up 5-1, the set looked all but over.

But Federer wasn't done just yet as he picked up his game and soon broke back to eventually reach 4-5. The next game proved one of the best of the week with both players engaged in several entertaining rallies.

Having won 16 out of the last 20 points, Federer soon held break point. But Del Potro snuffed it out with one ace and then another to reach set point for himself. Federer's mini-comeback came to an end when he sent a forehand wide. That gave a somewhat relieved looking Del Potro the 6-4 first set.

After Federer fell behind an early break in the second set, Del Potro again looked in control. Could Federer keep up his stellar play all afternoon was the question now being asked of the six-time ATP Tour Finals champion. But Del Potro wasn't able to assume complete command as Federer once again made his move.

Thanks to an ill-timed double fault from Del Potro serving down break point, Federer leveled the set to 3-all. A tiebreak was soon needed to decide the set.

With clutch serving, Federer took control of the breaker and eventually won it 7-6(2).

This meeting then became the seventh straight match between the two players that needed a deciding set - a feat stretching back to Roland Garros in 2012. Federer could not continue his momentum though. A rash of errors from the Swiss No. 1 soon offered up another early break of serve for Del Potro.

But though Del Potro looked in command of his destiny while up 4-2, the plot would soon change again. In what became a key game in the match, tight play from Del Potro allowed Federer a break point chance at 30-40. Federer would send a down the line forehand just wide on the next point, but he would get a second chance a few moments later. Now it was Del Potro who would commit a forehand error to hand the break back.

A game later, Federer smacked a forehand winner behind a running Del Potro to level the set at 3-all. Though Federer's wife could barely watch from her seat, it was the often rowdy London crowd who kept voicing their hope that Federer would somehow pull through the final set.

With each man holding serve with more ease in the later stages, another tiebreak appeared inevitable. But that was when Federer, perhaps sensing his moment, decided to go for it as Del Potro served at 5-all. Moving forward at every opportunity while backed up with aggressive returning, Federer reached break point at 15-40. Another sharp return from Federer sealed the game and the lead for 6-5.

But nothing was certain as Federer stepped to the line as he served for the semis. Federer's recent issues with serving out sets in previous matches came to the fore again. Though Federer profited from several deep serves to Del Potro's backhand in the ad corner, it was the Argentine who came up with a break point. Del Potro played a safe rally on the next point and soon netted.

A well-timed smash from Federer created the first match point of the afternoon. With a final emphatic ace, Federer closed out the 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 victory that he celebrated by smacking his chest in triumph.

Federer hit 39 winners to Del Potro's 27. They were almost even in the unforced errors column (35 for Del Potro to 36 from Federer).

Federer now sets up his 32nd career meeting against Rafael Nadal in Sunday's first semifinal. Their last meeting was earlier this summer in Cincinnati. Nadal leads the overall head to head 21-10.

The final round robin match will be held later this evening between Novak Djokovic and Richard Gasquet in "Group B" action. Djokovic has already clinched his final four spot and will face Stanislas Wawrinka in the second semifinal on Sunday.