ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS- LIVE MATCH THREAD

[User 774433]

First topic message reminder :

WIll be updated each day with new schedule:
THE FINALE:

Evening: 8:00 PM Start
NOVAK DJOKOVIC (1) vs ROGER FEDERER (2)


Group standings:
Group A:
Djokovic- 3-0
Murray- 2-1
Berdych- 1-2
Tsonga- 0-3

Group B:
Federer- 2-0
Ferrer- 1-1
Del Potro- 1-1
Tipsarevic- 0-2

Semis:
Djokovic bt Del Potro
Federer bt Murray

[laverfan]

No-one beats David Ferrer 14 times in a row!

Oh hang on, Marcus Buckland just said it as I was typing...

Federer just might.

[time please]

Bravo Ferrer!

Delpo once again manages to swing from wildly exciting to mind bogglingly tedious in a nano second!

[invisiblecoolers]

Great match by Ferrer, inspite of being a Del Po fan I did enjoy the match for the way Ferrer out gunned Del Po.

Ferrer is certainly the dark horse of the tournament similar to Davydenko of 2009.

[LuvSports!]

Great match by Ferrer, inspite of being a Del Po fan I did enjoy the match for the way Ferrer out gunned Del Po.

Ferrer is certainly the dark horse of the tournament similar to Davydenko of 2009.

Does outgunned mean outhit?
Because if it is I strongly disagree, I'm not sure Ferrer can outhit anyone.
If you didn't mean this I apologise.

Also I think we differ on the dark horse topic as for me Davy had weapons and ferrer doesn't and he isn't good enough to grind down a federer, djoko or murray when they are playing well, he isn't able to take it away from them by his own play like davy could.

[invisiblecoolers]

@LuvSports, Ferrer did play some ferocious shots, I don't agree he doesn't have power and he cannot outhit anyone, the problem with Ferrer is that he has limited amount of shots but he makes that up with running all day long, but he can play some powerfull shots on the off-forehand side if it falls on his exact location, which generally the likes of Fed/Djoko avoid.

Anyways thats just my view, up to anybody to agree or devoid.

[Haddie-nuff]

Atta boy Daveeed... if you could put that energy of yours in bottles... Ill have a couple please-

[barrystar]

Atta boy Daveeed... if you could put that energy of yours in bottles... Ill have a couple please-

Dangerous thing to say about a Spanish athlete at the moment

[lydian]

I read in the off season he cycles 90 miles per day...hope he's not been training with Lance!!!

[Haddie-nuff]

Atta boy Daveeed... if you could put that energy of yours in bottles... Ill have a couple please-

Dangerous thing to say about a Spanish athlete at the moment

And some that arn´t Spanish I daresay-

[barrystar]

Atta boy Daveeed... if you could put that energy of yours in bottles... Ill have a couple please-

Dangerous thing to say about a Spanish athlete at the moment

And some that arn´t Spanish I daresay-

Quite so - that's part of the unfairness for any clean Spanish athlete about the continued obfuscation relating to Operacion Puerto. Were I a clean Spanish athlete I'd want the names on the list out there for all to see, and I'd make no public show of supporting drug cheats such as Contador who screw it up for everyone else.

[Haddie-nuff]

I agree Barry-- there is not a Nation in the world that has not had ?marks over some of their athletes and Im not saying that all Spanish are squeeky clean. But I cant help thinking that something to do with the remarkable fitness of the Spanish teams is that Spain was voted the second (dont ask me the first) most healthy place to live by the WHO. The health care here is second to none. plus the mediteranean diet (wine a plenty). it must have some bearing on their fitness.

With regard to Ferrer I did not know Lydian that he did that much cycling .. very interesting helps his short legs I daresay.. also when he is not practicing he is an avid reader and is always deep in a book (concentrates the mind I daresay)
Interestingly and a bit of trivia.. is that he keeps every book he has ever read.

[laverfan]

Ferrer's work ethic should put all drug cheats to shame, because he seems to be the hardest of hardest workers, the Valencia/del Moral allegation, notwithstanding.

@H-n... very interesting trivia re Ferrer and the books.

[lags72]

Apparently Tipsarevic is a real bookworm (and some of it is pretty serious stuff by all accounts ....)

Stuff the tired old golden / weak debates ...... is this in fact the Literate Era of world tennis ..... ??

[hawkeye]

Ferrer may live in a healthy climate and have a training regime second to none but what really makes him stand out from the crowd is his smoking habit...

Tipsarevic has lofty ideas about himself but when he opens his mouth he gives the game away...

[JuliusHMarx]

Ferrer no longer smokes, does he?

[Haddie-nuff]

David smokes ????? wow where did you get that piece of info HE??

[hawkeye]

Ooh I don't know. I thought it was fairly common knowledge...

[JuliusHMarx]

Yes, but he gave up ages ago I think.

[Haddie-nuff]

I know Marit Safin did I have seen pictures of him smoking. But my word that makes Daveeed even more remarkable .. he runs like a greyhound.

[Chydremion]

Ferrer's work ethic should put all drug cheats to shame, because he seems to be the hardest of hardest workers, the Valencia/del Moral allegation, notwithstanding.

@H-n... very interesting trivia re Ferrer and the books.

If you think drug cheats are lazy bums then think again.

And how can you be certain Ferrer doesn't use drugs?

[lags72]

I know Marit Safin did I have seen pictures of him smoking. But my word that makes Daveeed even more remarkable .. he runs like a greyhound.

Indeed he does.

Which makes you wonder what it is exactly that he smokes ......

[Haddie-nuff]

Ferrer's work ethic should put all drug cheats to shame, because he seems to be the hardest of hardest workers, the Valencia/del Moral allegation, notwithstanding.

@H-n... very interesting trivia re Ferrer and the books.

If you think drug cheats are lazy bums then think again.

And how can you be certain Ferrer doesn't use drugs?

And how can you be certain that other playrers dont either including Federer you cant so its a pointless question.

[Mad for Chelsea]

a really solid first set of tennis from Andy there, losing just 3 points on his own serve after breaking Djokovic in the first game, and taking it 6-4.

must have been a while since Djokovic last won just three points on return in a set...

[slashermcguirk]

Novak doesn't seem to have shown up today. Very poor

[lags72]

...............................................................
must have been a while since Djokovic last won just three points on return in a set...

True enough .... although perhaps not too far back .....

I would imagine his return stats in the first set of the Cincy Final in August (when he was bagelled by Federer) would have been little better - if indeed at all.

[sportslover]

Novak doesn't seem to have shown up today. Very poor

He turned up OK - just being outplayed!

[lags72]

Novak doesn't seem to have shown up today. Very poor

I beg to differ.

To me he looks really up for it for today, striking the ball well, but Murray has been dictating throughout (so far at least) and Novak is playing as well as he's being allowed to play.

Novak has never the fastest of starters but has so often shown his best when disaster looms, so can still turn this around.

[The Special Juan]

I don't like to post during matches but I saw the best poster in the crowd.

"ALMAGRO: Where are you?"

[Mad for Chelsea]

so Murray's turn to be a bit loose at the end of that set, and Djokovic returning much better levels up at one set all.

Into a decider we go...

[slashermcguirk]

Murray serving 77%, can't argue with that.

[Mad for Chelsea]

nope the intensity from Murray simply isn't there, that's a horrible game with four pretty poor errors to gift Djokovic the break...

[Mad for Chelsea]

Murray spraying errors all over the place, what on earth is happening?

[Mad for Chelsea]

4 more errors, Djokovic to 4-2 in the final set.

[Mad for Chelsea]

another good hold for Murray from BP down, but Djokovic will be kicking himself for missing an easy second serve return on BP there. Djokovic 4-3 up with the break, but Murray needs to stop gifting cheap points if he's to get back into this...

[Mad for Chelsea]

wow! what a difference a couple of centimetres make. Murray challenges a Djokovic ace at 15-30, and it's just out. Murray wins the point to bring up double BP, but Djokovic catches the line on the first. Then on the second, Murray stops the point to challenge, and it's half an inch wide. Murray breaks back.

Couple of loose FHs from Djokovic in the next game and Murray has a nervy hold for 5-4...

[User 774433]

[laverfan]

TB, methinks.

PS: 2 VMPs for Djokovic.

[Mad for Chelsea]

poor service game from Murray, just too many errors there.

[CaledonianCraig]

Andy got off to a very good start against Novak today and took the first set 6-4 but towards the end of the second set somewhat surrendered initiative and Djokovic upped his game to strike back. After that Murray leaked too many errors and Djoko went on the attack whilst Murray went into his shell. Broken early in the third set and Murray looked a beaten man but showed balls of steel to dig in and battle his way back from the brink and drew level at 4-4 in the deciding set. His serve wasn't firing plus Djoko was returning fabulously but he hung tough. In a nailbiting finish it was a matter of whose nerve held in the third set and it was the world No.1 Novak Djokovic who got the job done winning 4-6 6-3 7-5. Novak as good as through to the next stage whilst Andy MUST now beat Tsonga on Friday to reach the next phase. This is further proof to me that these two are very closely matched at the moment as their encounters are always very close. Well played Novak - hard lines Andy.

[Mad for Chelsea]

give Djokovic some credit, clutch serving there (though how he doesn't get a time violation will remain one of life's greatest mysteries ) and he holds on. Murray will be disappointed with that, had the beating of Djokovic today but just made too many errors...

[Mad for Chelsea]

Andy MUST now beat Tsonga on Friday to reach the next phase.

not quite true. Berdych winning today but losing Friday to Djokovic allied to Tsonga beating Murray would have all three tied on one win, and if say Tsonga vs Murray and Berdych vs Tsonga went the distance while Djokovic beat Berdych in straight sets Murray would go through on sets won (anything else and it goes to games won which gets potentially messy).

Similarly Murray winning on Friday may not be enough to get through (depending on other results), though anything other than a straight sets win for Berdych this evening would mean a straights set win for Murray is enough regardless.

Of course, if Tsonga wins this evening the Tsonga-Murray match becomes a virtual QF, so no need for calculators at all.

[HM Murdock]

The stats tell us that Novak is one of the best ever at closing out matches but, my goodness, he makes hard work of it sometimes! I really thought Andy was going to break straight back.

Decent match, could have gone either way, but I thought both players looked a little weary at times.

The most surprising thing was that Novak won something like 19 out of 27 net points. Even playing 27 net points is unusual for Novak but to win 19 of them?! I'm stunned!

[CaledonianCraig]

Well I am looking it as a must win match and feel it is. If he wants to have hopes of winning the touurnament those are the kind of matches he has to win. Should he, by some freak, lose and still sneak through I wouldn't give him a hope of beating Roger Federer on the back of two defeats.

[The Special Juan]

I think the better player on the day won. That 3rd set was tense!!

[Josiah Maiestas]

Awful Murray you can tell he really doesn't give a shxt unless he's playing outdoors in a slam these days what an absolute pigeon an absolute mental headcase for indoors tennis.

[lags72]

CC - excellent, objective summary of the match in your 4.34 post

Players often say after matches ending in a decider that it could have gone either way, but they don't always mean it. On this occasion there was no doubt that Djoko knew it to be true.

A disappointing loss for Andy, sure ; but making the World Number One work this hard for a win shows there's not too much wrong with his game.

[Silver]

The most surprising thing was that Novak won something like 19 out of 27 net points. Even playing 27 net points is unusual for Novak but to win 19 of them?! I'm stunned!

That really is surprising, colour me impressed. He probably hasn't come to the net that often all year!

Not the best of matches, they both looked a bit leggy. Well done Novak.

[laverfan]

Makes the RR group a tad more interesting.

[hawkeye]

Only saw a tiny bit at the beginning of the third set but probably quite significant. Murray was doing his usual ranting and raving at his friends, family and paid help when the camera switched to Novak. He was taking a peak at what Murray was up to and raised his eyebrows before checking himself. For a moment he looked just like Nadal when his opponent loses it. Seriously why isn't anyone brave enough to talk to Murray about his outbursts. Does he really have no idea what he's doing?... Makes for a little fun viewing though. More fun than the rallying up and down the center of the court anyway. In their defence I did only see a tiny bit of the match and it could have been some sort of tactic?

[LuvSports!]

we get it you don't like murray

[Sponsored content]