ATP World Tour Finals 2017, London, UK

[DarthFed]

Doesn't the court at the O2 tend to play fast? I agree it's wrong to dismiss Goffin. He's a tricky player. Played Rafa tight on clay, earlier in the year, though this would be completely different. Goffin has been up and down since the mishap with his ankle at RG this year.

London is typically pretty slow. I know some seem to think it's a great court for Roger but I'd say it's mediocre for him and the results show it since the change in 2009. It's also a pretty poor court for Nadal due to a dead bounce and being indoors. London Is tailor-made for Djokovic.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Yep, that is correct. O2 is slow court but has low bounces.

 

[El Dude]

Hmm...not sure I agree that Roger has the easier group. Thiem has beaten Rafa twice, and Grigor has held his own against Rafa this year: lost all three matches, but won sets in each, losing 7-4 in sets overall. As some have said, Goffin is tricky.

As for Roger's group, obviously Zverev and Cilic both can play big, but neither has played well of late. And the other guy? Despite what scoop says, I don't see him as a problem.

 

[DarthFed]

Thiem is nothing on hard courts and people are seriously overrating Mcfly here. I can see Roger losing a match in his section and if he isn't sharp for some reason he could even drop 2. Fed at a C level would likely cruise to 3-0 in the other section. I'm not complaining, by the way, as it always figured to be a case where there'd be one laughable group this year.

 

[Moxie]

Thiem is nothing on hard courts and people are seriously overrating Mcfly here. I can see Roger losing a match in his section and if he isn't sharp for some reason he could even drop 2. Fed at a C level would likely cruise to 3-0 in the other section. I'm not complaining, by the way, as it always figured to be a case where there'd be one laughable group this year.

One laughable group? How about both? Given who hasn't shown up, it's not like it's a world-beating YEC. If either Roger or Rafa doesn't win, it's going to be a great "meh."

 

[Carol]

Let’s go to wait match by match and see how those “monsters” (Federer’s opponents) will play......

 

[DarthFed]

One laughable group? How about both? Given who hasn't shown up, it's not like it's a world-beating YEC. If either Roger or Rafa doesn't win, it's going to be a great "meh."

I look at it like this, in a typical year Thiem, Goffin and Dimitrov are probably ranked somewhere between 10-15 whereas Zverev and Cilic are legit top 8 players in the world. Sock would be lower than #15.

 

[mrzz]

^One thing for sure is that it is slower than it used to be. I would say it was pretty fast until 2012 or 2013, and that since it is medium hards. If you remember, we are having players saying that the conditions are slow in the YEC in the last few years -- obviously these guys are always relatively speaking and we use to take them literally -- but anyway that simply wouldn't happen back in 2010, for example.

But seeing what happen to Paris (they just changed the color and the court became quite faster again), and in fact in other tournaments this year, where organizers would say that speed wasn't supposed to change -- and it did -- I'll wait to see how it plays out.

 

[mrzz]

Let’s go to wait match by match and see how those “monsters” (Federer’s opponents) will play......

Federer's group is a much harder one:

Group Goran

Godzillla
Roger Federer
Gamera
Zabangi

Nadal in his place only got Pikachu, Pinocchio and a before-midnight-snack Gremlin.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Rafa’s Tennis Yoda ( Mr K)has convince me Rafa will finally win this thing..he says he trounced Roger in 2013..however we all know this is a different Roger with a “juiced up” backhand ..

So Miss Carol I am back on board and it’s time to give the Federerettes Hell..Just win Baby ..No pun intended BB

 

[DarthFed]

Rafa’s Tennis Yoda ( Mr K)has convince me Rafa will finally win this thing..he says he trounced Roger in 2013..however we all know this is a different Roger with a “juiced up” backhand ..

So Miss Carol I am back on board and it’s time to give the Federerettes Hell..Just win Baby ..No pun intended BB

2013...how cute. Fed's worst ever season since becoming relevant and perhaps Rafa's best. Anyways "I admire a man with confidence" but you "won't see no sweat on my brow neither"

Rafa can easily win this event if he doesn't have to go through Roger. Also I love Mr. K's use of juiced up. I've said it once...ehh...a hundred times, that any Rafa fan suspicious of another player's "extra-curricular" training is laughable at best. There is no one who has been more suspicious...

 

[Carol]

Federer's group is a much harder one:

Group Goran

Godizllla
Roger Federer
Gamera
Zabangi

Nadal in his place only got Pikachu, Pinocchio and a before-midnight-snack Gremlin.

Oh yeah, Federer probably is scared to dead looking his opponents how well are playing, oh wait! Sock has won Bercy, my goodness!!!!!:lulz2:

 

[brokenshoelace]

The surface at the O2 is very low bouncing and dead, but it's also very slow, which is in a lot of ways the worst combination for Nadal. It is too slow, meaning he struggles to penetrate the court as his top spin has little effect and even when he puts more on the ball, it doesn't necessarily do much.

 

[DarthFed]

The surface at the O2 is very low bouncing and dead, but it's also very slow, which is in a lot of ways the worst combination for Nadal. It is too slow, meaning he struggles to penetrate the court as his top spin has little effect and even when he puts more on the ball, it doesn't necessarily do much.

True but the slowness of the court can help him defend his way past some people especially this year. It's not a good court for Roger either but if it comes down to it he'd have to be really off a ton to lose to Nadal at London. I think Cilic if in decent form is Roger's biggest threat in the event

 

[the AntiPusher]

2013...how cute. Fed's worst ever season since becoming relevant and perhaps Rafa's best. Anyways "I admire a man with confidence" but you "won't see no sweat on my brow neither"

Rafa can easily win this event if he doesn't have to go through Roger. Also I love Mr. K's use of juiced up. I've said it once...ehh...a hundred times, that any Rafa fan suspicious of another player's "extra-curricular" training is laughable at best. There is no one who has been more suspicious...

yes, to still a line from the fantastic movie SEvEN.."John Doe has gotten the upper hand
We all know Who John Doe is in this encounter..Kieran sees something so I am gonna role with my top DAWG, Rafa

 

[DarthFed]

I bet Kieran has seen something the four times they met this year already. I'm hoping for some more blood. They've been good arsephuckings so far.

 

[El Dude]

Well there would be something poetic about the year starting with a surprise win by Roger, and then ending with an upset by Rafa at the WTF. But let's hope it doesn't come to that - if for no other reason then we don't have to deal with Carol's I-told-you-sos.

 

[DarthFed]

Nothing poetic about it. Roger still has a pathetic H2H against Rafa unless he wins 9 more in a row. There should be no mercy, make the balding man cry.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I am afraid Fedal won't happen in London.

 

[Moxie]

Well there would be something poetic about the year starting with a surprise win by Roger, and then ending with an upset by Rafa at the WTF.

I'll cosign that. (I knocked off the end bit as unnecessarily unkind. )