Roger Federer Wins Swiss Indoors Championship Over Kei Nishikori

Saturday night in Switzerland, for the fifth time in his career, Roger Federer won the Swiss Indoors Championship in Basel, Switzerland. After Nishikori shocked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals, Federer dispatched him easily, winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3 in his hometown.

It was Federer’s eighth time in the final in Basel and he made quick work of his opponent. Though tennis’ leader in all-time Grand Slam finals may have lost a step in the past few years, but he’ll never lose the killer instinct he has to smell blood and put the hammer down on a lesser opponent. With Djokovic dispatched, after the first few minutes when Federer got a few breaks, this one was never in doubt.

On Saturday morning, Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori were practice partners. On Sunday afternoon, they will become opponents.

Federer admitted to being Nishikori’s warm-up partner before the 21-year-old played Novak Djokovic. Nishikori upset the World No. 1 player. He handed Djokovic only his fourth loss of the 2011 season.

“I don’t feel unbeatable,” Novak Djokovic admitted last week. He was right.

Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 ranked player, fell 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-0 to No. 32 Kei Nishikori of Japan in the Swiss Indoors semifinals on Saturday. The Serbian started strong by winning the first set before faltering, perhaps in part due to a right shoulder injury that required attention from a trainer multiple times.

Just one game was played before Mardy Fish decided to withdraw from the Swiss Indoors with an injury.

Fish laid on the blue courts receiving treatment on his hamstring while playing against fellow American James Blake in their opening round match. Fish, the No. 5 seed, had held serve in the first game. He had lost the first point of the second game when he decided to pull from the tournament in Basel, Switzerland.

After a six-week break, a match in his hometown tournament, the Swiss Indoors, was the first thing scheduled for the ATP’s top ranked Roger Federer. He is search of his fifth title in his hometown tournament. In the opening round of the tournament on Monday, Federer beat Itayl’s Potito Starace, 7-6 (3), 6-4.

As the score indicates, Federer struggled in the opening set against his No. 54-ranked opponent. The World No. 4 had a difficult time finding the rhythm of his ground strokes but was able to easily dominate the tiebreaker. He opened the second set by breaking Starace’s serve.