Reuters
Dubai, Feb 27: Roger Federer trounced Croatian teenager Borna Coric 6-2, 6-1 at the Dubai Championships here Friday and set up a final showdown with World No.1 Novak Djokovic. The Serb after steamrolling Tomas Berdych 6-0 in the first set had to dig in deep to emerge a 6-0, 5-7, 6-4 winner in the other semifinal.
Federer may have failed to win a Grand Slam title since triumphing at Wimbledon in 2012 but he remains a formidable competitor as Coric discovered in their semifinal.
The 18-year-old Coric, who last year became the youngest player to crack the top 100 since Rafa Nadal burst through in 2003, had high hopes of reaching his first ATP final after thumping Andy Murray in the last eight but found himself on the receiving end of a Federer masterclass.
“I remember like yesterday … how it was coming into the tour, being able to play the players I had seen on TV,” Federer, 33, said in a courtside interview. “I never thought I would play so many finals. I keep travelling the world doing what I do, it’s usually to a full house and that keeps me motivated,” Federer added.
Grunting with almost every stroke, Coric fell 0-2 behind in the first set before a careless Federer surrendered his own serve with a double fault and a netted forehand. But from 3-2 up there was no stopping the Swiss, who took advantage of a Coric double fault and a skewed forehand to wrap up the set. He then finished off the match with ease winning the second set easily.But from 3-2 up there was no stopping the Swiss, who took advantage of a Coric double fault and a skewed forehand to wrap up the set.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion’s packed too many punches in the second set for the hapless Coric and won it easily.
