britbox wrote:
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Calitennis127 wrote:
If Djokovic is going to run the table, winning Shanghai may be the toughest to win. Paris suits his game perfectly over the top players and in London he has a distinct advantage over Federer. In Shanghai the court is a bit faster and his opponents can really hit through the court. He could be in for major battles the next two days. He and Murray always have drawn-out matches, Tsonga’s serving and forehand would make their match complicated as always, and Nadal is not going to give away the H2H lead without a major fight. I should add as well that I think Federer will have a good week in Paris. He has never won there and I think the Shanghai disappointment will give him extra motivation. That could be a complicating factor for Djokovic there.
I think Djoker takes Nadal if they meet in the final… the Murray semi-final is the tougher assignment for Novak. Murray is having a great week – he put on a clinic v T-Bird. But… I think Nadal has a good chance of beating Murray, so we’re kind of at the rock, paper, scissors scenario.</blockquote>
I agree that this match with Murray will very possibly be a royal pain in the neck for Djokovic, as most of their Ping-Pong encounters are. However, Nadal is not going to give away his H2H advantage without a major fight in the final. I agree that Djokovic would probably win but it will be a battle, especially with the crowd being as wild as it will be. And Nadal has a tough match-up with Tsonga on his hands. Tsonga, of course, can serve the hell out of the ball in key moments and also go toe-to-toe with Nadal in rallies, especially if the forehand is on. If the forehand is clicking, Nadal’s improved energy level and passing shots this week might not matter, sort of like the semifinal two years ago against Delpo.