Roger Federer the value at Indian Wells

Novak Djokovic has really come to the fore of men’s tennis and he will surely be number one in the world within the next 12-months. Unbeaten this year, his confidence is understandably high after a comfortable victory over Richard Gasquet in the quarter finals, a semi-final against Roger Federer awaits. The match has added interest as the winner will emerge as the world number 2. Djokivic spoke to reporters after his quarter final victory;

“I try to get out of trouble, that's for sure,” said Djokovic. “He started off really well both sets.  I was behind, break down, but I managed to make the crucial break and come back to the match. I felt the ball well, especially on the return games.  First serve percentage was quite a little bit low, and then towards the end of the match was better. Confidence plays a very important role in the life of a tennis player.  If you can roll on that run and try to use that confidence, then you can have a lot of success and you can really play well. That's what it's all about, my game these days. I do feel really comfortable on the court and am trying to use that confidence because I know that it can easily change. It's a very mental game.”

In the other semi-final, Rafael Nadal has to face a resurgent Juan Martin Del Potro;

“He's one of the best of the world, for sure,” Nadal said. “He's coming back after one year outside of competition almost. When you are in a difficult situation like he was last year and you come back and you start to win, you are stronger than before because you’re motivated and you want to recover the time that you lost for one year.”

Neither match is the easiest to call. Nadal should progress, despite a fairly sapping quarter final, and Djokovic is favourite to see off Federer. My bet for the tournament is based on value rather than a strong feeling but the 4/1 offered by Victor Chandler on Roger Federer is more than fair so that’s the recommendation