Roger Federer (R) of Switzerland and Novak Djokovic of Serbia (Photo : REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah)
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, the top-two men's singles players in the world, will go head-to-head once again a month after the former defeated the latter 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championship.
Looking for his third title of the year and a record-setting fifth career title at Indian Wells, the 33-year Federer is expecting another tough showdown with his fellow Big Four rival.
After receiving a first-round bye, the Swiss Master went on to dispatch Diego Schwartzman in the second round, 2015 Australian Open conqueror Andreas Seppi in the third round, American Jack Sock in the fourth, Tomas Berdych in the quarters and up-and-coming Canadian star Milos Raonic 7-5, 6-4 in the semis to book his spot in the championship round.
Djokovic, on the other hand, had an easier path towards the final, as he defeated Marcus Baghdatis, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, and John Isner without dropping a single set. He's also a beneficiary of Bernard Tomic's decision to withdraw from their quarterfinal match due to a back injury. In the semifinal, the Serb dominated Andy Murray 6-2, 6-3 to put him in position to win a record-tying fourth Indian Wells Masters.
Djokovic, who has been on the top of the world ranking for quite some time, is considering his championship match against Federer as the ultimate final, mainly because no player has played so well for the past 12 months other than the Swiss Master.
"If I get to play Roger, it's the ultimate final that right now I can have," Djokovic told ATP News. "[He is] probably the player that is in the best form. In the last 12 months, he's been playing some of his best tennis."
Djokovic added that winning against Federer playing on top of game is going to be hard, but a victory over the man hailed as the greatest tennis player of all time would be also gratifying in the end.
"One thing about Roger is that he always makes you play [at the] highest level if you want to win against him," said the World No. 1, who is looking to win his fourth Indian Wells crown (2008, '11, '14) via ATP News. "That's something that's always in the back of my mind. This is something that makes me come out with the highest possible concentration and intensity and commitment.
"If I want to win that match and win this title, I definitely need to be on top of my game."
Live Stream of the Men's Singles championship match can be watched on ESPN or Tennis TV, while live streaming feed is available on Tennis TV, ESPN Watch or Stream Hunter. Scores and results can be followed on the tournament's website - Indian Wells Open scoreboard
