World Tour Finals Thread - Match & Prediction Thread

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

So the ATPs premier showpiece event hits the O2 on Sunday. The sixth showing at the O2 and yielded only 3 different winners. Very interesting this year. 3 virgin qualifiers in Cillic, Raonic and Nishikori. Can we see a new winner? Can Nishikori and Raonic win the biggest title of their careers to date? Federer will have an eye on the DC like his compatriot Wawrinka, though he is woefully out of form of late. Has Murray much left in the tank to win his first title here at the O2? Can Berdych do a Davydenko and strike out of nowhere? Will it be a routine Djokovic victory?

For me the 2 that qualify from each group will be:

Group A

1) Djokovic
2) Raonic

Group B

1) Murray
2) Federer

Djokovic/Murray final

Winner: Djokovic

[summerblues]

I sense some jinxing going on around here.

Probably that bastardly Amritia upto her hold tricks.

Hehe. Maybe jinxing is contagious?

Anyway, let's finish it off, Kei.

[It Must Be Love]

Nishi's baseline game is so strong... but he's been so poor at the net today.

[Jahu]

Ninja melting like the Japanese spring snow.

[LuvSports!]

[Jahu]

Andy breaks back, Kei should stay away from the Net.

[temporary21]

You do need HUGE raquet head acceleration to get speed on this court, Nish has it, Murrya would have it if he wasnt playing like a boiled egg. My worry is what on earth anyone is gonna be able to do about Novak on this. Federer had best have been practising his net play

[It Must Be Love]

Andy breaks back, Kei should stay away from the Net.

+1

[summerblues]

Back on serve we are.

[Guest]

Please not a 3 set slugfest!

[Jahu]

Andy getting his legs waxed, can he keep it up?

I think Kei is going downhill.

[temporary21]

Oh Nish... you dont need to miss those.

[Jahu]

Kei gifting points like a challenger tour boy.

[summerblues]

oh dear.

[Guest]

I love Fleming. The response to that missed BH from Murray: "ehhhhhh?"

[Jahu]

Where is CC? He's a London guy now, no care for Andy anymore

[Jahu]

Fleming is a peach, better then Rusedski.

[Guest]

I think he lost the will and is giving the GP some attention. Can't say I blame him.

[Jahu]

8 DF from Kei?

[CaledonianCraig]

What a weird match by Murray. Very sluggish stuff for a set and a half but showing signs of life now but it is that inconsistency again that is bugging me. Kei will kick himself if he doesn't get it done in straight sets.

[Jahu]

Yeah, going to 3, Andy takes it.

[Jahu]

2 poins away from the Match for Ninja!!

[Jahu]

MP MP, holy shushiii

[Jahu]

Ninja winsssss

[Guest]

All I can say is Andy get your arse back to Miami with Mauresmo and work out a plan for 2015.

Also ask Santa for a second serve.

[Jahu]

What a poor show from Andyz and hes had 10 days off.

Kei was good, but not at his best either.

[Guest]

Nishi doing enough to get the win. In 2 as well.

Puts him in a great position.

[summerblues]

Yes! Not the best of matches but we have the happy ending.

Well done Nishi.

[It Must Be Love]

Nishikori not serving at his best due to his back, his net play was dodgy; but his ability to generate pace from the baseline was superb and he fully deserved the win.

[Jahu]

Cilic - Ninja final, again!!

[temporary21]

trash, is what that last game was. Federer is going to destroy him, ill be surprised if he wins 3 games...

[Danny_1982]

Well done Nish. Rubbish from Andy to be frank.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well played Kei. The better player won today. Big win for him but Murray looked lost today (largely).

[It Must Be Love]

trash, is what that last game was. Federer is going to destroy him, ill be surprised if he wins 3 games...

It wasn't that bad from Andy, give Nishi some credit.
I see Federer beating Andy by a similar scoreline.

[summerblues]

Nishi is good, when playing well he can take out anyone.  However, he was not playing so great today, so a bit surprised how easily he took out Andy.

[temporary21]

Nish played very well, but served badly. To be fair to Andy thats the best a boiled egg has ever played. Nish MUST get more serves in

[Guest]

Seriously I have to question if the back surgery has helped Andy.

Since the comeback I Haven't seen him use the BHDTL. Serve looking more fragile. Looks a step slower.

Lots of work ahead in the close season. Can't come soon enough.

[summerblues]

Nishi is closing in on Stan at No. 4.

[Jahu]

So whats with Andy then?

Unless his back, he just looked like he came into a training session.

[summerblues]

Nish played very well, but served badly.

Nishi served horrible.  He played quite well otherwise, except for the first half of the first set, but still not his own very best - especially some of those missed points at the net were really bad.

[Jahu]

WTF can be won, either by super baseline play, or super net play.

Not a place to muck about with half-@ss play on either front.

[Calder106]

Well done to Nishikori. Deserved win. Nothing seemed to be working consistently for Murray today apart from getting trashed on his second serve. He had plenty chances on Nikishori's second serve to put him under the same sort pressure but made too many errors.

[summerblues]

For tonight's match, good luck to Roger.

Last time Kei caused an upset in the first match of the day, Roger did not fare so well in the second one, so let's make sure Roger the history does not repeat.

[Jahu]

[Danny_1982]

Seriously I have to question if the back surgery has helped Andy.

Since the comeback I Haven't seen him use the BHDTL. Serve looking more fragile. Looks a step slower.

Lots of work ahead in the close season. Can't come soon enough.

Agreed. I would add that his strategy was poor today. He allowed Nish the initiative. He's not playing on the front foot anymore. It's all reactive. It's like going back to pre Lendl days.

[Silver]

All I can say is Andy get your arse back to Miami with Mauresmo and work out a plan for 2015.

Also ask Santa for a second serve.

+1, that was abysmal. And after such a prolonged run of good form, too.

He's pretty much out if Federer beats Raonic later. And even on this slow court, Andy's going to get steamrolled if he plays like that against Fed.

Well done to Kei on his first win, great start

[temporary21]

Kei-Djokovic and Federer-Wawrinka would be some tasty semis.

[Haddie-nuff]

All I can say is Andy get your arse back to Miami with Mauresmo and work out a plan for 2015.

Also ask Santa for a second serve.

After he won Valencia, and he did play well, I thought he had worked out a plan..why  try to improve on a winning formula. If it aint broke dont fix it. It doesnt seem to take much these days for Andy to lose focus and Im left asking does he really have the hunger to get back into the BIG FOUR. It takes more than desire its the passion that appears to be missing.

[Guest]

Seriously I have to question if the back surgery has helped Andy.

Since the comeback I Haven't seen him use the BHDTL. Serve looking more fragile. Looks a step slower.

Lots of work ahead in the close season. Can't come soon enough.

Agreed. I would add that his strategy was poor today. He allowed Nish the initiative. He's not playing on the front foot anymore. It's all reactive. It's like going back to pre Lendl days.

I would say it was worse than the pre Lendl days. Least he had consistency in his groundstrokes. Not sure what I would call the current Murray. It's like there is nothing in his shots. He is not playing with any freedom whatsoever. That's why I question the health of his back. Even a basic mid court FH looked a big effort for him to get the ball over the net.

If his back is still the issue, he needs to look at what Agassi did and become a much more aggressive player even if it is against his nature. At 27 it's going to be difficult to adapt your game if the talent isn't there to work with.

[Guest]

All I can say is Andy get your arse back to Miami with Mauresmo and work out a plan for 2015.

Also ask Santa for a second serve.

After he won Valencia, and he did play well, I thought he had worked out a plan..why  try to improve on a winning formula. If it aint broke dont fix it. It doesnt seem to take much these days for Andy to lose focus and Im left asking does he really have the hunger to get back into the BIG FOUR. It takes more than desire its the passion that appears to be missing.

I was never carried away with the results in Valencia or elsewhere due to the quality of his opponents. Not the aggressive kind like he was going to face here in London. There was never going to be anything left in the tank for the WTF. Not an ounce. Now he has 2 more matches and then fly to India.

He needs a lot of time with Mauresmo to get a groove going for next season.

[Haddie-nuff]

All I can say is Andy get your arse back to Miami with Mauresmo and work out a plan for 2015.

Also ask Santa for a second serve.

After he won Valencia, and he did play well, I thought he had worked out a plan..why  try to improve on a winning formula. If it aint broke dont fix it. It doesnt seem to take much these days for Andy to lose focus and Im left asking does he really have the hunger to get back into the BIG FOUR. It takes more than desire its the passion that appears to be missing.

I was never carried away with the results in Valencia or elsewhere due to the quality of his opponents. Not the aggressive kind like he was going to face here in London. There was never going to be anything left in the tank for the WTF. Not an ounce. Now he has 2 more matches and then fly to India.

He needs a lot of time with Mauresmo to get a groove going for next season.

Lk I think thats a bit harsh on Robredo.. I thought it was a great final and Robredo played out of his skin:
Ill maintain what ive always believed to be the problem... its not physical, its mental  He never plays two matches the same it depends on what side he gets out of bed.

[Sponsored content]