London ATP Tour Finals

[britbox]

I missed the match, but the reports I've read pretty much underlined your post.  Stan didn't really show up today.  Nothing new with Stan - he's always been a very hot and cold character.

 

[ClayDeath]

stan is off his game. 35 errors is too many in a 2 set match.

rafa hit short. there is still insufficient depth and pace on his shots.

12 unforced errors is good but he is playing a bit too safe.

nothing is going to get corrected in such a short period of time. especially on the indoor hard courts.

we can just call these baby steps that are being taken for 2016 as long as there is no injury.

you are most certainly  not going to be able to fix the consistency issues, fitness issues, and the physicality issues in a matter of 3-4 weeks.

that is going to take some time. monte carlo buys Rafa some time. he has to go and make the most of it after  the ATP finals.

 

Rafa's movement is horrible at best at the moment but that is to be expected after so much inactivity.

 

 

[MikeOne]

stan is off his game. 35 errors is too many in a 2 set match. rafa hit short. there is still insufficient depth and pace on his shots. 12 unforced errors is good but he is playing a bit too safe. nothing is going to get corrected in such a short period of time. especially on the indoor hard courts. we can just call these baby steps that are being taken for 2016 as long as there is no injury. you are most certainly not going to be able to fix the consistency issues, fitness issues, and the physicality issues in a matter of 3-4 weeks. that is going to take some time. monte carlo buys Rafa some time. he has to go and make the most of it after the ATP finals. Rafa’s movement is horrible at best at the moment but that is to be expected after so much inactivity.

inactivity? He made finals in Beijing, finals of Swiss indoors, semis of Shanghai, did ok at Paris and now at EOY masters looking solid.

Rafa has been playing quite well lately, significantly better than his level earlier in the year. When you look at his results during the indoor season, even back in 08, 10, 13 (his best seasons ever), he has never done particularly well. I think compared to his best years, he has been doing quite well since Beijing tournament, playing at a high level.

I completely disagree that Stan just gave him he match, Nadal played very well. He hit good winners and made Stan run. btw, Nadal has always hit short, even at his best, you should know that. Look up Nadal in 08 during his clay court devastation and you will see that even then he was regularly hitting short. Rafa's game is not depth, it's angles and spin. Even at his best, he oftentimes hits short but the spin makes ball jump off the court, making his short balls somewhat effective. His strength has been use of angles, often short acute angles and ability to hit down the line, always keeping opponents on the run and guessing. Novak is the master of depth and Nadal is the master of angles and spin.

I think he's playing quite well, this is just his worst part of the year...

 

[brokenshoelace]

Nadal is playing decent, which is better than he's been all year. It's kind of unfortunate that he seems to be playing his most relaxed tennis of the year on the surface that suits him least so he won't have much to show for it, but this is all just something to build on for next year regardless. I wouldn't say he's playing quite well though, at least not compared to how he usually plays "quite well," but yeah, I guess by this year's standards he is.

 

[isabelle]

Both Stan and Ferrer played poorly

 

[ClayDeath]

congrats to Nishikori and his fans. he derails Berdych in 3.

 

[Federberg]

Is Roger nabbing Novak's seat on purpose? This is the second time! I'm sure it's not, but jeepers!

 

[ClayDeath]

good start for Federer.

 

[ClayDeath]

I did say that Federer is the only player here who has the game to derail Djokovic. but he has to do it in straights.

so if anybody was going to get by the mighty djokovic, it would have to be Federer.

Stan is just off his game right now. a little too inconsistent.

 

[ClayDeath]

roger simply has to seal the deal in straights otherwise it will become a long night for him.

 

[britbox]

Good win for Roger 7-5 6-2.

Edges back in front on the head to head.

Both will qualify and I think we'll end up with Nadal and Murray making it to the semis too.

 

[ClayDeath]

Fed alone has the guts and the experience to dazzle Djokovic with his varied and multi dimensional game but he almost always has to do it in straights.

he did say that he was here to win this event.

I am happy for Federer and his fans. the man is 35 with no less than 4 kids and a wife at home. what has he not accomplished.

still out there on the battlefields giving his all to win his battles.

 

 

[Moxie]

Wow...impressive from Federer.  Djokovic was pretty sloppy and defocused, though.  I don't think he's played so poorly all year.

 

[ClayDeath]

Good win for Roger 7-5 6-2. Edges back in front on the head to head. Both will qualify and I think we’ll end up with Nadal and Murray making it to the semis too.

Federer just introduced a little bit of doubt. he just made it interesting also.

he gave Djokovic something to think about. lets see how this plays out now.

 

[ClayDeath]

here is what Djokovic said:

 

“You have those days as well when you're not feeling your best — not even close to the best," said Djokovic, the reigning three-time champion. “Credit to Roger for mixing up the pace, giving me always a different ball. He used the slice and spin very wisely. He served very efficiently. I made a lot of unforced errors [22]. Just handed him the win, especially in the second set.

 

and here is what Federer said:

 

"I didn't think I mixed it up that crazy, to be honest," Federer asserted. "I didn't play any insane tactics. It was pretty straightforward, in a way I've played him many times in the past. My game is to mix it up, change up the spins. His game is to press you away. I think we both played our regular game, and it was a good outcome for me tonight."

 

[MikeOne]

Federer will always have his days against Djokovic, especially on fast hard courts and indoors, where i think it's 50/50. This year Roger has beaten Novak at fast courts of Dubai, Cinci and now indoors. Novak has beaten Roger at Wimbledon, Rome and US Open. I think today Roger was very sharp and Novak was a bit sloppy in second set. If they make finals, i expect Novak to win. I think it's pretty even on this surface when both are at their best but i think novak at his best will edge Roger in 3 sets.

 

btw, i read somewhere that Novak was undefeated at WTF since 11? he swept all 5 matches in 12,13,14 and had a 15 match winning streak, this is how good he is here. This was a major effort by Roger but i don't think he will beat Djokovic if they make finals.

 

[MikeOne]

i'm very interested about Murray v. Nadal. Nadal is playing solid tennis, i wouldn't be surprised if he beats Andy. It's unpredictable cause Andy is also playing well.

 

[Moxie]

i’m very interested about Murray v. Nadal. Nadal is playing solid tennis, i wouldn’t be surprised if he beats Andy. It’s unpredictable cause Andy is also playing well.

Agreed that this one is a hard one to predict, given that Nadal is just finding his way to a better level, and the intangible of Murray having Davis Cup on his mind.  If Andy can blow Rafa out in 2 straights, which will probably long, in any case, then he'll be happy.  If Nadal wins the first, and it's looking like a long day, I wonder how much Murray will be willing to invest in the match.  I don't think it's any coincidence that Murray/Nadal is the early match tomorrow, (even though it's the marquee contest,) given that the organizers are British, and they want him to have the maximum recovery possible to encourage him stay optimistic for the tournament at hand, and still win DC for Britain.  That's no criticism, mind you.  I think it's practical, and within their power to control.

Any predictions for which Wawrinka shows up v. Ferrer?  He took a pretty big pounding from the press for how he performed v. Nadal.  Personally, I'd love to see Ferru prove that he will win a match here, and not offer Wawrinka the redemption.

 

[ClayDeath]

I am hearing that Roger is angry and not happy with this remark:

 

"I just handed him the win, especially in the second set," said Novak Djokovic.

 

[ClayDeath]

Roger has changed the landscape--at the O2 arena-- with this 77 minute straight sets win.

I am going to have to pick him for the title now.

Bercy results showed why Djokovic was the frontrunner and still is but I think I am going to move Roger up.

this win changes a few things. Fed knows he has the game, the fitness,  and confidence for this best of 3 sets format indoor event. he proved it today. he just gave his confidence some added boost.

also I don't think the burden of proof and pressure is on Roger's shoulders. it is Djokovic who is heavily favored by the whole planet to win this going away.

finally Djokovic just gave Roger an added incentive in my estimation. he said he "handed" Roger the match.

I think Roger will take this event.

 

Roger was handed nothing. he believed in his abilities and he believed he had the game, the experience, and the fitness. he was focused on winning this match. he earned this win with his game and his heart.