The Big Shootout

Big matches tend to decide such things as Slams, Masters and even careers. We have seen Rafa knock off Federer and Djokovic knock off Nadal in Slam finals.

This Friday however is different. Never at a stage in a Slam has one match decided so much. Federer v Djokovic is the biggest match of the year. Not your Nadal/Djokovic matches, but this match. So much riding on it. No.1 ranking and place in the Wimbledon final. Yes Djokovic and Federer have won Wimbledon, but this match has so much for the winner to gain and so much for the loser to lose.

Djokovic has been out of sorts this year. Not been his 2011 and it must start to sound like a cliche. Like when Federer fans say it's not the Federer of 2006. It becomes old hat. Form its temporary and class is permanent and all that.

Federer has been on a tear for the last 8 months. Swept up at the back end of 2011 with wins in Basel, Paris and London. This year an Australian Open semi, success in Dohs and then Indian Wells success. Then came and then the title in Madrid. You probably have to go back to yesteryear for such a flurry of titles. He was then knocked out in another Slam semi at the French Open. It is hard to argue that Federer is playing well and is on top form.

The other side of the net we have Djokovic. Another Australian Open title followed by a Miami title. He made the final of Monte Carlo and Rome and suffered a personal tradegy with the passing of his grandfather. He was knocked out in Madrid and then he made the final of the French Open. History beckoned and despite a stop start peformance, he really did buckle under the pressure and I think the emotional stress he was recovering from made it an almighty task for him. He made the decision to skip Halle or Queens and it looks like a decision that has paid dividends. In another Slam semi and is looking to retain his Wimbledon crown.

Now for me the biggest match personally would be a Brit in the final of Wimbledon.......

As a tennis fan...Djokovic v Federer all on the line is the biggest match. Should Federer win, I can't see him losing in the final. Should he lose, then I hope he doesn't fade into the 3rd in the world wilderness.

It is a great matchup, in my mind the most intriguing of all the rivalries in tennis right now. I hope Novak can win it will be a tough match. But I think if he serves well and plays clean on the forehand he will be tough to stop. Roger needs a high percentage of effective first serves and the use of slice and volleys to inject variety. He can not win the match from the back of the court most likely.

Interesting Novak and Roger will now have played in every single slam. Novak has played both Roger and Rafa in every slam. Meanwhile Rog and Rafa have played in every slam but the US open.