Tracking the Race to London - 2014 WTF

[GameSetAndMath]

What groups would you guys want to see?

Here is what I would like:

Nole, Berdych, Cilic, Kei
Roger, Milos, Stan, Murray

The dust will settle tomorrow. Only then we will know the seedings of the eight players
involved. Remember that they put seeds 3 and 4 in different groups, 5 and 6 in different
groups and 7 and 8 in different groups.

If Djoker wins: 3-Stan 4-Nishi 5-Andy 6- Bird 7-Milos 8-Cilic
If Milos wins: 3-Stan 4-Milos 5-Nishi 6-Andy 7-Bird 8-Cilic

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Grigor is planning to turn down a pay check of $85,000 for hanging around in London for a week. :nono

 

[Kieran]

Grigor is showing false pride. He should be thinking of gaining experience and seeing these higher-end things at first hand. I think it's a form of cowardice. His mind should be hungry to learn and compete and take a possible opportunity to face the very best in the world once more, before hibernation.

It's also a wrong thinking for him to believe he hasn't earned his place. He's being asked to be an alternate, and he's certainly earned that. It's not to be sniffed at, and if he makes the main draw, it's all opportunity. Wrong thinking, all round... :ras:

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Please Grigor get over yourself and grow Up.

 

[kskate2]

Please Grigor get over yourself and grow Up.

And yet, there were WTA players killing themselves in the last few weeks to qualify as an alternate.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

What groups would you guys want to see?

Here is what I would like:

Nole, Berdych, Cilic, Kei
Roger, Milos, Stan, Murray

The suggested grouping is possible given the current seedings of the players.
I will take this grouping. This is the best possible grouping for Roger on paper.
But, then Roger also had a best possible draw at USO on paper.

 

[Billie]

What groups would you guys want to see?

Here is what I would like:

Nole, Berdych, Cilic, Kei
Roger, Milos, Stan, Murray

The suggested grouping is possible given the current seedings of the players.
I will take this grouping. This is the best possible grouping for Roger on paper.
But, then Roger also had a best possible draw at USO on paper.

Wouldn't you want Cilic in Roger's group so that he can avenge his loss to him at the USO?

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I am OK with Cilic if I can deal Murray

 

[Billie]

I am OK with Cilic if I can deal Murray

Isn't Wawrinka the other guy in the pairing? Nole and Andy played 4 straight tournaments where Nole participated, you want to see them together in the same group again??:cover

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

^Probably not.

 

[DarthFed]

Can't worry too much about Cilic right now unless he's popped a few hundred cough drops to recover from injury. Definitely prefer Stan over Kei, definitely prefer Murray over Berd, and I don't care if it's Milos or anyone else. I wouldn't mind seeing Fed vs. Milos and not having him lay a golden egg this time.

 

[Billie]

^Probably not.

You've always been one of the most reasonable posters here.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Nobody posted the final official standings with point count; here it is with a few observations following that.

1 Novak Djokovic SRB 10010
2 Roger Federer SUI 8700
3 Rafael Nadal ESP 6835
4 Stan Wawrinka SUI 4895
5 Kei Nishikori JPN 4625
6 Andy Murray GBR 4475
7 Tomas Berdych CZE 4465
8 Milos Raonic CAN 4440
9 Marin Cilic CRO 4150

The race for #1 is being discussed elsewhere and I am not going to repeat that here.
Even though Rafa is out of action, his place as #3 is secure independent of what happens
in London (even if Stan becomes the undefeated champion, he cannot overtake Rafa).
However, who ends up as number 4 is wide open. Actually, any of the six players
numbered 4 through 9 above can end up as #4. There are only 745 points separating
number 4 Stan from number 9 Cilic. #4 rank give a huge draw advantage at AO and
so every one of these six people would hope to end up as #4 after London WTF is over.
The upshot is that we can expect a very competitive WTF.

 

[herios]

There is also another incentive for the players ranked 4-9, to avoid the # 9 position, because that will give that player a tougher draw comes AO. But let's not forget one thing, the ranking after the YEC will not give us the definite ranking for the AO, because the first week events next year: Doha, Brisbane, Chennai will also count towards it.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

There is also another incentive for the players ranked 4-9, to avoid the # 9 position, because that will give that player a tougher draw comes AO. But let's not forget one thing, the ranking after the YEC will not give us the definite ranking for the AO, because the first week events next year: Doha, Brisbane, Chennai will also count towards it.

But, people ranked this high usually do not play multiple events before AO. They just
play one event. With that event being a 250 event, I don't see much of a huge shake up
from year end to beginning of AO (unless of course if there is less than 100 point diff
between 4 and 5 or 8 and 9, which is probably unlikely).

 

[masterclass]

There is also another incentive for the players ranked 4-9, to avoid the # 9 position, because that will give that player a tougher draw comes AO. But let's not forget one thing, the ranking after the YEC will not give us the definite ranking for the AO, because the first week events next year: Doha, Brisbane, Chennai will also count towards it.

But, people ranked this high usually do not play multiple events before AO. They just
play one event. With that event being a 250 event, I don't see much of a huge shake up
from year end to beginning of AO (unless of course if there is less than 100 point diff
between 4 and 5 or 8 and 9, which is probably unlikely).

Exception: David Ferrer, and at #10, I'm pretty sure he'll be in Doha and Auckland to get into the top 8, and if he could squeeze another in, he probably would.

Respectfully,
masterclass

 

[Denis]

^ I think he is already defending those points lol.

 

[herios]

There is also another incentive for the players ranked 4-9, to avoid the # 9 position, because that will give that player a tougher draw comes AO. But let's not forget one thing, the ranking after the YEC will not give us the definite ranking for the AO, because the first week events next year: Doha, Brisbane, Chennai will also count towards it.

But, people ranked this high usually do not play multiple events before AO. They just
play one event. With that event being a 250 event, I don't see much of a huge shake up
from year end to beginning of AO (unless of course if there is less than 100 point diff
between 4 and 5 or 8 and 9, which is probably unlikely).

You did not get entirely what I wanted to say:
1. Only the events in that first week of the season count towards the draws for AO,. second week they do not, those end after the draw is out (Sidney and Auckland)
2. The gap between 4 and 5 and between 8 and 9 respectively could be very slim so it could be easily tipped by how they perform in that week.

 

[Front242]

^ I think he is already defending those points lol.

He'll probably play 5 challengers before Christmas!