MONACO: Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka will play the first all-Swiss final since 2000 as both won straightforward semi-finals at the Monte Carlo Masters on Saturday.
Federer who has never won the trophy in the principality, beat Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-2 as the holder suffered with a right wrist injury which limited his serving to the 150 kph range.
Federer, who has lost three finals in Monte Carlo to Rafael Nadal, will be making his first title bid here since 2008.
Earlier Wawrinka, the Australian Open winner, booked his spot at the expense of David Ferrer 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) a day after the Spaniard stunned eight-time champion compatriot Rafael Nadal.
The last all-Swiss ATP final was in Marseille in 2000 when Marc Rosset beat a teenaged Federer.
Federer and Djokovic had struggled into a semi-final showdown on Friday. Former world number one Federer, seeded fourth, got off to a sluggish start but saw off local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 in their last-eight clash.
Djokovic, looking to achieve an unprecedented Indian Wells-Miami-Monte Carlo treble, was then taken to three sets by unheralded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain before the Serb second seed finally won 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 on his fourth match point and more than two hours of battle.
The much-awaited clash lived up to expectations early on, with 17-time Grand Slam champion Federer saving two set points on serve at 5-4.
Federer broke in the following game and pocketed the set with an ace before Djokovic went to his chair holding his right wrist.
The second set was a stroll for the Swiss who produced a series of forehand winners as he moved 18-16 up in his head-to-head record against Djokovic.
Ferrer had ended Nadal’s 30-match claycourt winning streak ended when he stunned the world number one 7-6 (7-1), 6-4 but Wawrinka, who dismissed Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in the quarter-finals, produced a ruthless display to beat the Spaniard.
“It was the perfect start for me. I played very well in spite of the wind,” Wawrinka told Canal Plus TV. “He changed tactics in the second set, being more aggressive, and I became more hesitant but I played tougher then.”—Agencies
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