By Sean Rudolph
© Michael O'Kane
(November 5, 2010) Teammates will be opponents in Basel. Second-seeded Novak Djokovic will square off against Serbian Davis Cup teammate Viktor Troicki in the Swiss Indoors semifinals on Saturday. Defending champion Djokovic dismissed Dutch qualifier Robin Haase, 6-2, 6-3, in one hour, 18 minutes to set up a US Open rematch with Troicki.
World No. 32 Troicki took down Richard Gasquet, 6-4, 6-2, in the 67-minute quarterfinal that opened today's play. Troicki threw down 12 aces, won 31 of 35 first-serve points and did not face a break point against the 27th-ranked Frenchman.
In their last clash, the childhood friends and junior rivals went the distance. Djokovic was in deep trouble facing a two-sets-to one deficit against Troicki before coming back to score a 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 win in the opening round of the US Open.
Djokovic and Troicki will play for a spot in the final tomorrow; they will play for a place in history next month. Djokovic and Serbian teammates Janko Tipsarevic, Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic have led Serbia to its first Davis Cup final in history. Serbia hosts France in the December 3-5th Davis Cup final in Belgrade and Djokovic says Davis Cup brings a sense of unity to what is largely a solo sport.
"Davis Cup is a very unique competition where you get to feel the team spirit that you don't get to feel that often," Djokovic said. "We are individuals, so we mostly perform for ourselves. In Davis Cup, it's about the team, it's about supporting each other, winning for your country. That's why it's a big pleasure and an honor for me and for all my teammates playing in this competition. It's why we always try to give the last piece of energy for our country."
Djokovic raised his record in Basel, to 8-0 lifetime. He beat former Basel ball boy Roger Federer in the 2009 final and is 2-0 so far this week. In the only previous meeting
with Haase, Djokovic rolled to a 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 win in the first round of the 2007 US Open.
In the rematch, the Dutchman's inability to locate his first serve cost him. Haase served just 48 percent against one of the game's best returners. Djokovic converted four of 12 break-point chances.
Three of the world's top 10 are in action as World No. 1 Roger Federer continues his quest for a fourth Basel title when he takes on Radek Stepanek in the quarterfinals of his hometown tournament.
Ninth-ranked Andy Roddick is 3-2 lifetime against quarterfinal opponent David Nalbandian, but the burly Argentine has won their last two meetings, including a 7-5, 7-5 win in the 2003 Basel semifinals. This marks their first meeting since the 2006 Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai. Nalbandian won that match, 6-2, 7-6(2).
The winner of the Roddick-Nalbandian match will face the Federer-Stepanek winner in Saturday's semifinals.
Two weeks ago, the 24-year-old Troicki claimed his first career title with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over fourth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis in the Moscow final.
Troicki capped a week in which he took out two of the top four seeds — he beat third-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the second round — to make a career breakthrough.
Last month, Troicki held match points against World No. 1 Rafael Nadal in the Tokyo semifinals. He did not close the match vs. Nadal and wound up suffering a heart-wrenching, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-7(7) loss to the nine-time Grand Slam champion.