ATP World Tour Finals 2017, London, UK

[the AntiPusher]

Obi wan will be a good test for Rafa

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Sasha breaks Cilic at love in the last game to win the match.

That might be the deciding match for the second place. Assuming that Roger can beat both Sasha and Cilic and assuming that
both Sasha and Cilic can beat Sock, the match between Sasha and Cilic would decide who will be the second place finisher
in this group. Assuming that is the case, which is highly probable, Sasha's victory over Cilic is Crucial.

 

[DarthFed]

That might be the deciding match for the second place. Assuming that Roger can beat both Sasha and Cilic and assuming that
both Sasha and Cilic can beat Sock, the match between Sasha and Cilic would decide who will be the second place finisher
in this group. Assuming that is the case, which is highly probable, Sasha's victory over Cilic is Crucial.

That's assuming a lot. I think if Roger wins tomorrow in straights he already qualifies and that would make the match vs Cilic interesting because he could choose to treat it as a glorified practice session if he wanted to. I also don't think he can take Zverev lightly though no reason he shouldn't take care of the youngling. Since Roger plays the day before Rafa he can relax with the last match if he already qualified because I think Rafa will react to what Fed does; ie if Fed is the 2 seed then Rafa may want to lose the third match on purpose so he won't face Roger in the semis. If Roger is 1 seed then Rafa will have to go all out to be the 1 seed in his group.

 

[Federberg]

That's assuming a lot. I think if Roger wins tomorrow in straights he already qualifies and that would make the match vs Cilic interesting because he could choose to treat it as a glorified practice session if he wanted to. I also don't think he can take Zverev lightly though no reason he shouldn't take care of the youngling. Since Roger plays the day before Rafa he can relax with the last match if he already qualified because I think Rafa will react to what Fed does; ie if Fed is the 2 seed then Rafa may want to lose the third match on purpose so he won't face Roger in the semis. If Roger is 1 seed then Rafa will have to go all out to be the 1 seed in his group.

Say what you want about Rafa, but I don't think he does that. His out would have been not to turn up at all. Now he's here, I think he'll try to win all his matches. That's what Fedal does

 

[DarthFed]

I think if he had the choice to play Roger in the semifinals or get an extra chance to see him knocked out before having to face him in the finals he will take the latter.

 

[DarthFed]

Just to be clear I'm not saying Rafa would ever purposely get eliminated from a tournament to avoid playing someone. What I said for YEC is entirely different, if he is in a position where he can choose a seeding based on playing Roger in the finals instead of the semis I think he will.

 

[Federberg]

Possibly. I just think that Fedal in particular are less calculating than that. Or perhaps it's more. They would see qualification as their primary focus. Perhaps your scenario might come into play if Rafa wins his first 2 matches and he has the luxury of figuring out how he wants to qualify

 

[Federberg]

haha! ok. Seems like I caught up to your speculation a bit late

 

[Federberg]

Goffin is balling

 

[Fiero425]

Goffin is balling

Here we go again with the chances to win by an "also-ran!" A match point saved by Nadal, but Goffin really could have done more with that short midcourt FH! He's allowed Nadal to break and draw even in the 2nd! "Thanks a lot!" o_O :spank:

 

[DarthFed]

Long match against someone he should beat like a drum. Not a good sign for Ralph. He will probably come back to win but it's quite the effort. I do think seeds be damned though as Thiem is the extra cream-filled donut of that group. Goffin should take him.

 

[Haelfix]

This is not a good surface for Rafa. It's not just that he isnt' playing well (he isn't), but there is fundamentally a point construction issue at work here that just doesn't suit his style.

 

[Fiero425]

Long match against someone he should beat like a drum. Not a good sign for Ralph. He will probably come back to win but it's quite the effort. I do think seeds be damned though as Thiem is the extra cream-filled donut of that group. Goffin should take him.

Another 3 MP's saved! Good grief; finish this mess! :sleep:

 

[DarthFed]

Goffin is refusing to win. 7 DF's in 2 sets is extreme

 

[Haelfix]

Nerves are setting in.. Hes about to drop a set that he had full control off.

 

[DarthFed]

The decider has 6-0 or 6-1 written all over it. Too bad.

 

[atttomole]

How is the Mallorcan soldier doing?

 

[Fiero425]

The decider has 6-0 or 6-1 written all over it. Too bad.

Typical! Just gutless! This is why I don't watch these early matches! The top come in there rusty and allow some nobody to stretch them to the limit before getting warmed up! :cuckoo:

 

[Front242]

Shut the f**k up you tards. Commentators moaning about Nadal's f**king knee and Goffin has serious knee strapping himself. What a load of tards.

 

[atttomole]

Typical! Just gutless! This is why I don't watch these early matches! The top come in there rusty and allow some nobody to stretch them to the limit before getting warmed up! :cuckoo:

You seem to prefer the 80's and 90's when there were epic battles every round.