WTF Draw Is Out

Federer
Murray
Nishikori
Raonic

Djokovic
Wawrinka
Berdych
Cilic

What does one think?

Federer got the toughest group.

A decent-ish draw for Andy. Key matches will be against Roger and Kei. A win against Roger and I would expect him to go through but that wont be easy given Andy's results against the top three in the past year. If it is a loss V Federer then yje Kei match becomes just that - key. I am quietly confident if Andy returns serve to a high standard V Raonic he will have too much for him.

I do worry about Andy vs Raonic. I think that could be a bogey match for Andy. Raonic having beaten Roger and Andy in their last encounters must have the bit between his teeth.

Hard to see past Djokovic and Wawrinka coming through the other group.

I would not be surprised to see Djokovic/Cilic and Murray/Federer, with Murray v Cilic and Federer v Djokovic.

Faster O2 should help Federer a bit.

legendkillarV2 wrote:Hard to see past Djokovic and Wawrinka coming through the other group.

I think Berdych probably has a better chance than Wawrinka.

At first glance it looked Fed got the tougher draw but given the dangers of underdogs I feel both the draw will be equally difficult.

Wawinka, Berdych has given Fed enough trouble this year and if Cilic of USO turns up he could trouble anybody, given its a fast court he will be super threat.

So Fed would be quite happy they are on the other side, however Kei has be very dominant of late, he is one of those guys like Rafa enjoying either a positive h2h or a tied h2h against all of them in the draw I guess, not sure about Kei vs Murray h2h, so he is a danger in lurking. Murray and Raonic can easily beat Fed, so yes he got a tougher draw.

Fed for me might not even make the semi's, his interest might have died down a bit as he cannot end as the No.1 for the year, for me I would put Kei and Murray making the semi's from the top half and Djoko and Stan making the semi's from the bottom half.

Djoko vs Kei
Stan vs Murray

Djoko vs Murray Finals
Djoko the winner.

I would like to see kei win a big one, he certainly deserved this year but unfortunately unluck stuck him on various stages starting from the masters finals against Rafa.

HM Murdoch wrote:Federer got the toughest group.

Raonic's is tougher.

The only thing I am going to confidently predict is that the final will be Djokovic v ?

Federer loves the O2, the courts seem to really suit him.  I think I have seen him thrash Murray at least twice on my previous visits, it might even be 3 times, I can't remember.  

So I think my prediction will be Djokovic v Federer in the final.  With Djokovic winning.  

But I will be overjoyed to be wrong.  

I must have posted my similar article about 5 seconds after LK - now deleted

As I said in my article, I like Murray's draw. I think Fed and Kei have gone slightly off peak

It's easily the closest group, for me Kei and Raonic have as much chance of qualifying as the usual suspects

legendkillarV2 wrote:I do worry about Andy vs Raonic. I think that could be a bogey match for Andy. Raonic having beaten Roger and Andy in their last encounters must have the bit between his teeth

If you'd swapped Cilic for Raonic, then I'd have been doing handstands

The one glimmer for both Roger and Andy is that O2 is slightly faster than most circuits that the other two will have been used to

Feasible, given Andy's better serving (note this only means it's 6 rather than 5!!) that he can protect than and as we know when he's on - he can return any serve

I think it will be the likely Top 4 seeds for Aus - Nole, Roger, Stan and Andy (assuming Rafa doesn't make it)

I think it's a good draw for Djokovic. Murray obviously is more of a threat at the moment than Warwinka, and Djokovic tends to dominate Berdych more than Nishikori in the head to head. Djokovic's group is full of players that do the same side to side flat hitting as he does, just not as well. They all match up well to him. Of course, any of them in theory can have a hot day and hit through him, but it's not that likely. Djokovic to win the group and then I'll take a punt on Cilic but I think it will be very close with the others and all of them will struggle to get 2 wins.

Federer has had more trouble with Berdych in the past so won't mind avoiding him. In current form and record on this surface he has to be the favourite for the group.

It's hard to look past Federer or Djokovic for the title at the moment, but you never know. We could certainly see a dark horse finalist if not actual winner.

All of them are more than capable on this surface, no clay courters this year.

Raonic chances are over-rated for me. Just played his best against Federer at Paris, but does certainly not have a killer record against top 10 players, and no reason for him to produce his best form at an event and in an atmosphere he's not familiar with. His serve might not fly off the corners of the service box at quite the same speed here that it did in Paris. (?)

If Wawrinka wakes the fudge up, I'd put him as a dark horse. When does he face Djokovic? If the tournament is still winnable for him by the time he faces Nole, I'd back him to get hot and take it all. Challenging the absolute big dogs hasn't been his problem this season. It's been seeing off other players to get there.
#WARwinka

Im feeling Cilic for some reason. Djoko Cilic, and Fed Murray for the other group, on the basis that Kei seems to be tiring, and Fed will want Raonic based revenge I feel.

For a second, reading the title I thought wtf is the WTF draw.

Then it clicked