Soooooooooooo that's another ATP tour season over with as today the World Tour Finals drew to a close with a showdown for the third week running between Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
The match itself was one that we would hope would live up to its billing, and thankfully it did as Federer had to battle with Tsonga in order to get his hands on another finals title. Tsonga in the first set came out firing well, but was in trouble after broke at 3-3 on Tsonga's serve and took the set at 6-3. The second set also threatened to be a similar affair as Federer again broken server early on, however on serving out for the championship at 5-4, Federer uncharacteristically dropped his own serve, to let Tsonga back in the match, which lead to a tense tiebreak, which Tsonga won to take it in a deciding set. But in the final set, it was Federer who delivered the goodies and broke Tsonga at 4-3, and had no such trouble closing out the match this time, winning his record 6th ATP world tour finals title in 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-3.
For a year end championship this was a really good match, and Tsonga deserves a great deal of credit not only for his contribution to the match, but also for his great achievement in getting to the final of such as big title. Tsonga really has proved that he is a special talent, and while he had his chances in the match, he did really well to push the Swiss maestro into a decider, and for another thing it certainly was a better match than last year's final with Nadal and Federer. Tsonga is also back where he belongs in the top 10, and if he carries on like this, he could even break into the top 4, so Andy Murray better watch himself. As for Federer, while he didn't play his best, he certainly showed once again that he is a real champ and has what it takes, even when he is under the cosh, although it was surprising that he dropped his serve in the second set, as normally its something Fedora wouldn't do, even on a championship serve. Regardless Federer has ended the year as the world number 3, and unfortunately for Andy, who worked really hard to try and finish at that spot, its kind of backfired for him, however Federer definitely deserves credit for making such a solid comeback, picking up an impressive hattrick of titles himself on the way.
On a side note regarding Djokovic and Nadal, I was quite surprised to see the manner in which they exited the tournament, as Rafa just struggled right through as did Djokovic. I think their season really came to an end after that US Open 2011 final, as after that they never really recovered, physically or emotionally. And its amazing the difference between Djokovic at the beginning of the year and at the end, at the start he was invincible, and by the end he was fatigued, exhuasted and burnt out. The same with Rafa, who has been on the receiving end of Djokovic, six times over, and has since struggled badly to win any titles since the French Open. But I'm sure next year the two of them will be back strong as ever, but it was ironic to see the world's top two players play so badly. But as I said I'm sure that next year Djoko and Rafa will gear up for action, I also hope the same for Andy too. Andy of course has at least not ended the year burnt out, quite the opposite, just injured, which was a great shame, as I really think he missed a trick by not taking time out for Basel and Paris, as he could have used that time to really get ready for the year end finals. But what's done is done and 2012 is not far away, and I hope next year that Andy will make that breakthrough, whether it be in Melbourne, Paris, London or New York.
Soooooooooooo while ATP tour season has finished, there is still the Davis Cup final between Spain and Argentina, with Rafa and David Ferrer up against David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro in the singles. Its on the clay in Seville, so hopefully going back to his favourite surface might inspire Rafa, if he wins, maybe he can have another great year next year.
Anywayyyyyy that's the 2011 ATP tour season over with, which again ended with Federer as the year end champion, with 70 titles and counting. It was a great year for tennis and no doubt 2012 will provide more great stuff to come.
So that's it for now, adios.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Saturday, 26 November 2011
I'm gonna Kill Bill!!
OK time for another change of post, after all that sporty yellow balls bouncing around a square court game taking up too much blog space (almost 85% I'm sure!). This one is about another modern day classic: Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2, but for the sake of argument its all the same film, so I'm covering them together, so none of this, vol 1 is better than vol 2 because they are both the same film! And forgive me but THIS DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS!
Anyway with that out the way here's a bit more about the plot, which starts with the blood spattered "bride" (Uma Thurman) who lies on the floor of a church in El Paso Texas, after her groom to be and her friends have been ruthlessly gunned down, by her former lover Bill (David Carradine) and his team of assassins, the Deadly Viper squad (Lucy Lui, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah). Just before Bill puts a bullet in his bride's head, she tells him that she is pregnant with his baby. The bride however miraculously survives the bullet, as she lies in a coma for four years in a hospital where one night just after that, she finds a big redneck trucker straddling her. The bride instantly kills the trucker and then kills the hospital worker "Buck" who has been pimping her out during her comatose state to people he knows for money. The bride then travels to Okinawa to find the legendary swordsmith Hattori Hanzo (Sonny Chiba) and she asks that he make her a sword, which he eventually does after she drops Bill's name. After a month or so, Hanzo finishes the sword and the bride leaves with it, to start her bloody revenge against the Deadly Viper squad, starting with O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) who is by now the leader of the Tokyo yakuza. What ensues is a very bloody (not to mention very spurty!) fight sequence as the bride takes on O-Ren's bodyguards, her crazed 17 year associate Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama) and also the "crazy 88" who are O-Ren's hit squad, and ultimately O-Ren herself. So cue part two....
And the bride carries on in the second part of the film in her journey to kill bill, where she seeks out Bill's brother, Budd (Michael Madsen), who shoots her full of rock salt and buries her alive in a coffin. But of course with the luck of a handy straight razor tucked away in her boot, and her incredible punching skills she learned from her former master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu), the bride manages to break free of her coffin and crawl her way up out of the earth back up to the surface, ready for more revenge. After this Budd calls up one of his ex-viper squad members Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah, complete with cool eye patch) and asks if she would want to trade the bride's Hanzo sword for a million dollars. Elle comes along to Budd's cabin the next day and secretly stashes a black mamba snake in the suitcase of money, which kills of Budd. Then the bride, who by now, Elle has given away her real name as Beatrix Kiddo, confronts Elle in an intense fight, which Beatrix eventually wins by plucking out Elle's only remaining eye (the other one was plucked out by Pai Mei during her instruction). This now only leaves Bill and well you can imagine what goes on there........
For me Kill Bill has to be Quentin Tarantino's best film, as it is such a brilliant combination of different styles of film, from action to thriller, to western, to eastern to anime and so on. And at the centre of it is a terrific performance from its lead actress Uma Thurman, who plays the part of the Bride (or Beatrix) so brilliantly. In fact one of the interesting aspects of the film is how the character of the bride develops, as in the first volume, we see her as a remorseless killing machine, who is purely on a mission of revenge, but in the second film, we get to see her become more human as a person. And in a way if I had to pick a favourite part it would be volume 2, simply because it is more character driven, and it helps to humanise Beatrix as well as rationalise Bill as a person too (well perhaps not rationalise but we do get where he was coming from in his actions). But both volumes add up to the same film and overall it is some achievement from Quentin Tarantino.
On a technical level I don't think Tarantino has made a better film either, as his mix of skilfull camera work, and brilliant use of Japanese anime, and superb photography from Robert Richardson all add up to a visual treat for the viewer as well. And without a doubt, his choice of soundtrack is as ever terrific, especially in volume 1 where it opens up with Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang", the cheesy but highly effective use of the theme from "Quincy", and in volume 2 his effective use of Ennio Morricone's western music, and "About Her" by Malcolm McLaren which is used to great effect also. I also can't forget to mention the infuriatingly catchy 5, 6, 7, 8's "Woo-hoo" which is annoying but at the same time you can't help but listen to it. In general Tarantino has a like for 1970s funk music, and plenty of it permeates throughout the whole film, abd he uses it very well, especially tracks like Ray Fan Ray by Isaac Hayes in the anime scene with O-Ren killing one of her targets as an assassin. I also love the way Tarantino particularly in the scene where Beatrix receives the cruel instruction from her kung-fu master Pai Mei, how uses the typical camera zoom-ins like you get in the old martial arts films. Its a great touch.
The film also has several harrowing scenes which stick in the mind also, and while the over the top bloody scenes in Volume 1 are never disturbing, in fact they are quite silly if nothing else, its the scenes where we see Beatrix suffer so much herself. A couple of scenes in particular are firstly the one where she wakes up from her coma, she looks down at her stomach at a wound where presumably her aborted child was taken from, and she screams and sobs uncontrollably. Its a great moment in Uma's performance, and for that brief moment she has to deal with her grief all at once, before she is interrupted, by the scumbag hospital worker, who has used her inert body for sex. Which I have to say is one of the film's more disturbing aspects is the misogyny that it occassionally displays particularly in this scene, it reminds me of the scene from Pulp Fiction where Marcellus Wallace is being raped in a basement by hillbillies. Its almost like Quentin is going for the shock effect once again, just by making you think of the unthinkable. Another harrowing moment is when the bride, after she has been put in a coffin by Budd, we see her reaction from the inside as her coffin is trundled into the grave, and we hear the heavy sound of the dirt crash against the outer side of the coffin itself, with Beatrix panicking and crying each time she hears the dirt being shovelled on top. Its probably the film's most potent and distressing sequence, and it definitely captures that sense of intense claustrophobia too. One of Uma's best scenes though is when she enters Bill's house near the end of Volume 2, armed with a gun and she finds Bill, much to her amazement with their daughter, she almost falls to her knees, with shock, its a great moment in her performance.
But that's not to say that Kill Bill doesn't have any fun moments in it, of course it does, its a Tarantino film! The action sequences in particular a spectacular to watch, especially the bloody showdown at O-Ren's House of the dead leaves, with Beatrix/The Bride slicing and dicing her way through her enemies, and her fight with Elle in the second film is a particular highlight also. Another favourite for me is Beatrix's training under the cruel old Kung-fu master, Pai Mei, as he rides her hard in instructing her on the ways of kung-fu. There are some amusing characters along the way and plenty of enjoyable and crude dialogue, one of me favourite lines from the Bride is "As I sat in the back of Buck's truck, trying to will my limbs out of entrophy I could see the faces of cunts that did this to me and the dicks responsible!".
Performance wise there are plenty of good ones, David Carradine is especially good as Bill, the man himself, who has a world weary charm but also shows that he's a killer and a vicious bastard through and through. Michael Madsen puts in a decent performance also as Bill's younger brother Budd, who once a high paid assassin, is now subjected to working in a third rate strip bar as a bouncer. And Daryl Hannah also is very good as the evil and sly Elle Driver, and after seeing Daryl give some pretty so-so performances in films from the 1980s such as Roxanne, and Wall Street, what she does do really well in this film is ham it up, and shows that she is a capable actress. Lucy Liu is also great as the deadly and foxy O-Ren Ishii, and her best scene is where she stampedes down the table in her conference room and beheads one of her impertinent associates (complete with blood fountain spurting!) and calmly tells her people that if you have problem with her, tell her so, before she shouts "so if any of you sonsabitches has anything else to say NOW'S THE FUCKING TIME!!!". Sonny Chiba's cameo appearance is also very entertaining as Hattori Hanzo, once a great swordswith, who vowed never to make another sword again, and now spends his time as a Sushi chef, arguing with his suborindate employee ("lazy bastard, get your ass out here!").
Perhaps though the only poor scene in Kill Bill is the end credits with Robert Rodriguez's fairly annoying Mexican music playing in the background, and how it shows all the character's over the music and his final caption for Beatrix's charcater that says "Beatrix Kiddo, aka Black maba, aka the bride, aka Mommy". Its just a bit cheesy. But its just one scene out of the film, the rest is grand.
However Kill Bill is definitely one of my favourite films and one of the best films in recent times of modern cinema. Tarantino has definitely contributed a great deal to American cinema over the years and here he gave it his masterpiece.
Anyway with that out the way here's a bit more about the plot, which starts with the blood spattered "bride" (Uma Thurman) who lies on the floor of a church in El Paso Texas, after her groom to be and her friends have been ruthlessly gunned down, by her former lover Bill (David Carradine) and his team of assassins, the Deadly Viper squad (Lucy Lui, Vivica A. Fox, Michael Madsen and Daryl Hannah). Just before Bill puts a bullet in his bride's head, she tells him that she is pregnant with his baby. The bride however miraculously survives the bullet, as she lies in a coma for four years in a hospital where one night just after that, she finds a big redneck trucker straddling her. The bride instantly kills the trucker and then kills the hospital worker "Buck" who has been pimping her out during her comatose state to people he knows for money. The bride then travels to Okinawa to find the legendary swordsmith Hattori Hanzo (Sonny Chiba) and she asks that he make her a sword, which he eventually does after she drops Bill's name. After a month or so, Hanzo finishes the sword and the bride leaves with it, to start her bloody revenge against the Deadly Viper squad, starting with O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu) who is by now the leader of the Tokyo yakuza. What ensues is a very bloody (not to mention very spurty!) fight sequence as the bride takes on O-Ren's bodyguards, her crazed 17 year associate Gogo Yubari (Chiaki Kuriyama) and also the "crazy 88" who are O-Ren's hit squad, and ultimately O-Ren herself. So cue part two....
And the bride carries on in the second part of the film in her journey to kill bill, where she seeks out Bill's brother, Budd (Michael Madsen), who shoots her full of rock salt and buries her alive in a coffin. But of course with the luck of a handy straight razor tucked away in her boot, and her incredible punching skills she learned from her former master Pai Mei (Gordon Liu), the bride manages to break free of her coffin and crawl her way up out of the earth back up to the surface, ready for more revenge. After this Budd calls up one of his ex-viper squad members Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah, complete with cool eye patch) and asks if she would want to trade the bride's Hanzo sword for a million dollars. Elle comes along to Budd's cabin the next day and secretly stashes a black mamba snake in the suitcase of money, which kills of Budd. Then the bride, who by now, Elle has given away her real name as Beatrix Kiddo, confronts Elle in an intense fight, which Beatrix eventually wins by plucking out Elle's only remaining eye (the other one was plucked out by Pai Mei during her instruction). This now only leaves Bill and well you can imagine what goes on there........
For me Kill Bill has to be Quentin Tarantino's best film, as it is such a brilliant combination of different styles of film, from action to thriller, to western, to eastern to anime and so on. And at the centre of it is a terrific performance from its lead actress Uma Thurman, who plays the part of the Bride (or Beatrix) so brilliantly. In fact one of the interesting aspects of the film is how the character of the bride develops, as in the first volume, we see her as a remorseless killing machine, who is purely on a mission of revenge, but in the second film, we get to see her become more human as a person. And in a way if I had to pick a favourite part it would be volume 2, simply because it is more character driven, and it helps to humanise Beatrix as well as rationalise Bill as a person too (well perhaps not rationalise but we do get where he was coming from in his actions). But both volumes add up to the same film and overall it is some achievement from Quentin Tarantino.
On a technical level I don't think Tarantino has made a better film either, as his mix of skilfull camera work, and brilliant use of Japanese anime, and superb photography from Robert Richardson all add up to a visual treat for the viewer as well. And without a doubt, his choice of soundtrack is as ever terrific, especially in volume 1 where it opens up with Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang", the cheesy but highly effective use of the theme from "Quincy", and in volume 2 his effective use of Ennio Morricone's western music, and "About Her" by Malcolm McLaren which is used to great effect also. I also can't forget to mention the infuriatingly catchy 5, 6, 7, 8's "Woo-hoo" which is annoying but at the same time you can't help but listen to it. In general Tarantino has a like for 1970s funk music, and plenty of it permeates throughout the whole film, abd he uses it very well, especially tracks like Ray Fan Ray by Isaac Hayes in the anime scene with O-Ren killing one of her targets as an assassin. I also love the way Tarantino particularly in the scene where Beatrix receives the cruel instruction from her kung-fu master Pai Mei, how uses the typical camera zoom-ins like you get in the old martial arts films. Its a great touch.
The film also has several harrowing scenes which stick in the mind also, and while the over the top bloody scenes in Volume 1 are never disturbing, in fact they are quite silly if nothing else, its the scenes where we see Beatrix suffer so much herself. A couple of scenes in particular are firstly the one where she wakes up from her coma, she looks down at her stomach at a wound where presumably her aborted child was taken from, and she screams and sobs uncontrollably. Its a great moment in Uma's performance, and for that brief moment she has to deal with her grief all at once, before she is interrupted, by the scumbag hospital worker, who has used her inert body for sex. Which I have to say is one of the film's more disturbing aspects is the misogyny that it occassionally displays particularly in this scene, it reminds me of the scene from Pulp Fiction where Marcellus Wallace is being raped in a basement by hillbillies. Its almost like Quentin is going for the shock effect once again, just by making you think of the unthinkable. Another harrowing moment is when the bride, after she has been put in a coffin by Budd, we see her reaction from the inside as her coffin is trundled into the grave, and we hear the heavy sound of the dirt crash against the outer side of the coffin itself, with Beatrix panicking and crying each time she hears the dirt being shovelled on top. Its probably the film's most potent and distressing sequence, and it definitely captures that sense of intense claustrophobia too. One of Uma's best scenes though is when she enters Bill's house near the end of Volume 2, armed with a gun and she finds Bill, much to her amazement with their daughter, she almost falls to her knees, with shock, its a great moment in her performance.
But that's not to say that Kill Bill doesn't have any fun moments in it, of course it does, its a Tarantino film! The action sequences in particular a spectacular to watch, especially the bloody showdown at O-Ren's House of the dead leaves, with Beatrix/The Bride slicing and dicing her way through her enemies, and her fight with Elle in the second film is a particular highlight also. Another favourite for me is Beatrix's training under the cruel old Kung-fu master, Pai Mei, as he rides her hard in instructing her on the ways of kung-fu. There are some amusing characters along the way and plenty of enjoyable and crude dialogue, one of me favourite lines from the Bride is "As I sat in the back of Buck's truck, trying to will my limbs out of entrophy I could see the faces of cunts that did this to me and the dicks responsible!".
Performance wise there are plenty of good ones, David Carradine is especially good as Bill, the man himself, who has a world weary charm but also shows that he's a killer and a vicious bastard through and through. Michael Madsen puts in a decent performance also as Bill's younger brother Budd, who once a high paid assassin, is now subjected to working in a third rate strip bar as a bouncer. And Daryl Hannah also is very good as the evil and sly Elle Driver, and after seeing Daryl give some pretty so-so performances in films from the 1980s such as Roxanne, and Wall Street, what she does do really well in this film is ham it up, and shows that she is a capable actress. Lucy Liu is also great as the deadly and foxy O-Ren Ishii, and her best scene is where she stampedes down the table in her conference room and beheads one of her impertinent associates (complete with blood fountain spurting!) and calmly tells her people that if you have problem with her, tell her so, before she shouts "so if any of you sonsabitches has anything else to say NOW'S THE FUCKING TIME!!!". Sonny Chiba's cameo appearance is also very entertaining as Hattori Hanzo, once a great swordswith, who vowed never to make another sword again, and now spends his time as a Sushi chef, arguing with his suborindate employee ("lazy bastard, get your ass out here!").
Perhaps though the only poor scene in Kill Bill is the end credits with Robert Rodriguez's fairly annoying Mexican music playing in the background, and how it shows all the character's over the music and his final caption for Beatrix's charcater that says "Beatrix Kiddo, aka Black maba, aka the bride, aka Mommy". Its just a bit cheesy. But its just one scene out of the film, the rest is grand.
However Kill Bill is definitely one of my favourite films and one of the best films in recent times of modern cinema. Tarantino has definitely contributed a great deal to American cinema over the years and here he gave it his masterpiece.
Friday, 25 November 2011
An actual job, whoddaa thunk it???!!
Well some good news to post to myself as this week I went for an interview with Virgin Media out in Airdrie, and after a group assessment, I got news back that I passed, and then I got another call asking if I would like to come in and do a test for another job, which is more techy based. So on Wednesday there I went back over to Airdrie, took the IT tech test, which was basically 10 questions, 2 or 3 of which were pretty tricky, and today I finally got word that I passed the test, and I can start on Monday!!!
So very good news, as it will be the first proper job I will (or attempt to at least!) hold down since Clydebank College, as Whitebox Digital was only for 6 months it doesn't quite count. So I'm looking forward to getting started, the only snag though is the location, as its out in Airdrie, its not exactly close by for me. But the train ride is quite direct so that's so much a problem, although there is quite a long walk to the actual building (which is owned by the company Teleperformance) from the station, so all in all it might take me about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to the front door, also getting up early in the morning is bound to be a bit of a killer, as there are shift patterns, with two shifts between 8am and 4pm and 2pm to 10pm (so I will get both extreme ends of the spectrum!). So naturally it will take some getting used to, and my body clock will be well out of kilter for a while.
But on the upside it is a job in IT, which is something I've been trying to get into for ages, and another plus is that there is no strict dress code, so I can go in casually dressed (no nipple tassels allowed I'm sure though!). It will also be good to be back in paid employment again, although it will be a bit duff having to wait a full month before I get any wages! (no advances of course lol!). However it is a real opportunity to finally get my foot in the door and get some experience in the industry, so I'll see how it goes from here.
So I might as well try and enjoy my last weekend of freedom before I start the early morning rises, which means I will need to get to bed early from now on (after midnight will be no more during the week :-().
Aaaaaannnnd well there is not much more to say than that so more will follow once I get a feel for the job and what its like, although I will try not to say too much just in case.
OK the end.
So very good news, as it will be the first proper job I will (or attempt to at least!) hold down since Clydebank College, as Whitebox Digital was only for 6 months it doesn't quite count. So I'm looking forward to getting started, the only snag though is the location, as its out in Airdrie, its not exactly close by for me. But the train ride is quite direct so that's so much a problem, although there is quite a long walk to the actual building (which is owned by the company Teleperformance) from the station, so all in all it might take me about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to the front door, also getting up early in the morning is bound to be a bit of a killer, as there are shift patterns, with two shifts between 8am and 4pm and 2pm to 10pm (so I will get both extreme ends of the spectrum!). So naturally it will take some getting used to, and my body clock will be well out of kilter for a while.
But on the upside it is a job in IT, which is something I've been trying to get into for ages, and another plus is that there is no strict dress code, so I can go in casually dressed (no nipple tassels allowed I'm sure though!). It will also be good to be back in paid employment again, although it will be a bit duff having to wait a full month before I get any wages! (no advances of course lol!). However it is a real opportunity to finally get my foot in the door and get some experience in the industry, so I'll see how it goes from here.
So I might as well try and enjoy my last weekend of freedom before I start the early morning rises, which means I will need to get to bed early from now on (after midnight will be no more during the week :-().
Aaaaaannnnd well there is not much more to say than that so more will follow once I get a feel for the job and what its like, although I will try not to say too much just in case.
OK the end.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Rrrrright who's it gonna be????
Although the AWTF is far from over yet, I'm already wondering just who is going to be in with the biggest show of winning the event, so here is some of my thoughts on the matter, and on each of the remaining players in the groups:
Tsonga - it has to be said that without a doubt that Tsonga has had a great season this year so far, having made the Wimbledon semis, defeating Federer in the process, and reaching the US Open quarter finals (but losing to Federer in that one!). And his match against Federer on the first day at the o2 was quite a good one, but he dropped the ball and serve at the crucial moment, so I don't know how his chances will stack up. But when he's on top of his game, he is very tough to beat, and right now he is on top of his game. Next up for Tsonga will be Rafa, does he stand a chance? Actually yes he does, because he beat Rafa back in June at Queens, and Rafa hasn't been a 100% at all this season, more like 60% there ever since losing at the US Open. But do I think Tsonga will win the title????? To be honest no, I think there are a couple of players in there that could definitely get past him, but then there is always a chance.
Berdych - Berdych has just won his first match against Janko Tipsarevic who filled in the for injured Andy Murray who pulled out of the tournament, so that will give him a much needed boost after suffering such a defeat at the hands of Djokovic in a very close match. Next up for Berdy will be David Ferrer, who plays Novak Djokovic later on, but what chance does he stand against Ferrer when they meet?? Welllll actually I'm surprised in a way to learn that Ferrer actually leads their head to head, 5-2, so it really will be a tough one to decide, based on that I'd have to go with Ferrer. But overall how does Berdy's chances stand???? Overall I'd say not too good, he's a contender and a dangerous player, but again he always falls that little bit short against the very top players.
Ferrer - without a doubt Ferrer is a really talented player, and probably one of the gutsiest fighters in the sport, who has incredible stamina and athletic prowess on court, and while he has no big weapons in his game, he knows how to punish players into playing long rallies and his return game is virtually second to none. So far Ferrer has beaten Andy Murray in his only match, and next up he has Berdych and he leads the head to head as stated above, but does he stand a chance of winning the ATPWTF??? Again no, because while he is a terrific player, he lacks the big serve, the weapons and ability to outfox the big three guys left in the draw. But..... tonight's match against Djokovic showed a different player altogether, as Ferrer took a lacklustre Djokovic apart in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, if he carries on like that there is no reason he can't get to the final.
Nadal - well last year I would have said that Rafa would have been the flat out favourite to win this event as he had such an incredible year, just like Djokovic has had this year. But that was last year, and this year Rafa has had to endure defeat many times, particularly at the hands of Novak Djokovic, who has beaten him six times in a row now, and if they were to meet in the final here, I'm positive it would number seven. Rafa who was once like a feral lion, is now like a neutered dog, who has lost his bite, and coming into this tournament he has played very poorly by his standards, narrowly avoiding defeat at the hands of the now out Mardy Fish, and getting crushed by Federer in his second match. But Rafa still stands a chance of staying in as he faces Tsonga next, and while it will be no easy match, if he can defeat Tsonga then it will give his confidence a big boost, so its way too soon to write him off yet, but to ask if I see him as the overall winner of the title, I'd really have to say no.
Djokovic - what can you saw about the Djokster???? He has had the year of his life on the tennis court and most very likely off the court as well in 2011. Three grand slams, five Masters titles, and wins in Dubai and Serbia, has seen Djokovic put on a winning streak that ranks as one of the most impressive in the modern era of the game. Earlier this year Djokovic was indomitable, however as the year has gone on after having played so many matches, fatigue and injury have caught up with him a bit, and his level had dropped a little somewhat. Regardless of his level Djokovic can still dish out the winners when he really needs them, and with an amazing win loss match record of 70-4 so far this year, is quite something in itself. So the question has to be asked, does he stand a chance to win the title and end his year's achievements in style????? Absolutely yes, but he will be most likely up against one man who will prove to be the sternest test in the event, and more on him in just a bit. But to dismiss Djokovic's chances would be insane, he is the current World No.1 and with very good reason, and if anyone knows how to win a match and overcome adversity, its this man.
However.... tonight, his match against David Ferrer was a real shocker, as Djokovic tonight played what was easily the worst match of his season, with Ferrer gubbing him in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, which marks his 5th defeat of the year. This again raises the question of Djokovic's fitness, and it looks like his possible shoulder injury has come back to haunt him, even Djokovic himself said in his post match press conference that he felt tired and drained, due to the long season he has had, and judging by this performance, its tough to see him come through, but then again it was just one match, maybe Djokovic will yet bounce back (no pun intended).
Federer - I left Federer to last because to be quite frank, he is the absolute favourite to win this title, after coming back into the game after taking time out last month, Federer has displayed some incredible tennis. Despite the occassional dip here and there, Federer's level of tennis has been quite extaordinary and he is currently stuff that belongs to his heyday back when he was unstoppable, and that's the way I see him in this tournament. The same as last year, Federer was utterly incredible at the o2 arena, in fact I think he only dropped one set against Rafa in the final, and in that final Federer taught the Spaniard a lesson in how to play. So this year he has done the same and then some, as he crushed Rafa in their match last night, putting on a masterclass display. But for my money, Federer is already the champion of the ATP World Tour Finals, he's saved his best for last and is peaking just at the right time. And if Djokovic can beat him then I'd be very impressed, he's about the only one who can, but it most likely will be the Swiss maestro who will use his Fed express powers to pick up that nifty trophy on Sunday.
So that's it for now, more posts to follow on this subject, oh and I will finally post up some entries that are nowt to do with tennis. Its long overdue!!
But toodly pipsky for now.
Tsonga - it has to be said that without a doubt that Tsonga has had a great season this year so far, having made the Wimbledon semis, defeating Federer in the process, and reaching the US Open quarter finals (but losing to Federer in that one!). And his match against Federer on the first day at the o2 was quite a good one, but he dropped the ball and serve at the crucial moment, so I don't know how his chances will stack up. But when he's on top of his game, he is very tough to beat, and right now he is on top of his game. Next up for Tsonga will be Rafa, does he stand a chance? Actually yes he does, because he beat Rafa back in June at Queens, and Rafa hasn't been a 100% at all this season, more like 60% there ever since losing at the US Open. But do I think Tsonga will win the title????? To be honest no, I think there are a couple of players in there that could definitely get past him, but then there is always a chance.
Berdych - Berdych has just won his first match against Janko Tipsarevic who filled in the for injured Andy Murray who pulled out of the tournament, so that will give him a much needed boost after suffering such a defeat at the hands of Djokovic in a very close match. Next up for Berdy will be David Ferrer, who plays Novak Djokovic later on, but what chance does he stand against Ferrer when they meet?? Welllll actually I'm surprised in a way to learn that Ferrer actually leads their head to head, 5-2, so it really will be a tough one to decide, based on that I'd have to go with Ferrer. But overall how does Berdy's chances stand???? Overall I'd say not too good, he's a contender and a dangerous player, but again he always falls that little bit short against the very top players.
Ferrer - without a doubt Ferrer is a really talented player, and probably one of the gutsiest fighters in the sport, who has incredible stamina and athletic prowess on court, and while he has no big weapons in his game, he knows how to punish players into playing long rallies and his return game is virtually second to none. So far Ferrer has beaten Andy Murray in his only match, and next up he has Berdych and he leads the head to head as stated above, but does he stand a chance of winning the ATPWTF??? Again no, because while he is a terrific player, he lacks the big serve, the weapons and ability to outfox the big three guys left in the draw. But..... tonight's match against Djokovic showed a different player altogether, as Ferrer took a lacklustre Djokovic apart in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, if he carries on like that there is no reason he can't get to the final.
Nadal - well last year I would have said that Rafa would have been the flat out favourite to win this event as he had such an incredible year, just like Djokovic has had this year. But that was last year, and this year Rafa has had to endure defeat many times, particularly at the hands of Novak Djokovic, who has beaten him six times in a row now, and if they were to meet in the final here, I'm positive it would number seven. Rafa who was once like a feral lion, is now like a neutered dog, who has lost his bite, and coming into this tournament he has played very poorly by his standards, narrowly avoiding defeat at the hands of the now out Mardy Fish, and getting crushed by Federer in his second match. But Rafa still stands a chance of staying in as he faces Tsonga next, and while it will be no easy match, if he can defeat Tsonga then it will give his confidence a big boost, so its way too soon to write him off yet, but to ask if I see him as the overall winner of the title, I'd really have to say no.
Djokovic - what can you saw about the Djokster???? He has had the year of his life on the tennis court and most very likely off the court as well in 2011. Three grand slams, five Masters titles, and wins in Dubai and Serbia, has seen Djokovic put on a winning streak that ranks as one of the most impressive in the modern era of the game. Earlier this year Djokovic was indomitable, however as the year has gone on after having played so many matches, fatigue and injury have caught up with him a bit, and his level had dropped a little somewhat. Regardless of his level Djokovic can still dish out the winners when he really needs them, and with an amazing win loss match record of 70-4 so far this year, is quite something in itself. So the question has to be asked, does he stand a chance to win the title and end his year's achievements in style????? Absolutely yes, but he will be most likely up against one man who will prove to be the sternest test in the event, and more on him in just a bit. But to dismiss Djokovic's chances would be insane, he is the current World No.1 and with very good reason, and if anyone knows how to win a match and overcome adversity, its this man.
However.... tonight, his match against David Ferrer was a real shocker, as Djokovic tonight played what was easily the worst match of his season, with Ferrer gubbing him in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, which marks his 5th defeat of the year. This again raises the question of Djokovic's fitness, and it looks like his possible shoulder injury has come back to haunt him, even Djokovic himself said in his post match press conference that he felt tired and drained, due to the long season he has had, and judging by this performance, its tough to see him come through, but then again it was just one match, maybe Djokovic will yet bounce back (no pun intended).
Federer - I left Federer to last because to be quite frank, he is the absolute favourite to win this title, after coming back into the game after taking time out last month, Federer has displayed some incredible tennis. Despite the occassional dip here and there, Federer's level of tennis has been quite extaordinary and he is currently stuff that belongs to his heyday back when he was unstoppable, and that's the way I see him in this tournament. The same as last year, Federer was utterly incredible at the o2 arena, in fact I think he only dropped one set against Rafa in the final, and in that final Federer taught the Spaniard a lesson in how to play. So this year he has done the same and then some, as he crushed Rafa in their match last night, putting on a masterclass display. But for my money, Federer is already the champion of the ATP World Tour Finals, he's saved his best for last and is peaking just at the right time. And if Djokovic can beat him then I'd be very impressed, he's about the only one who can, but it most likely will be the Swiss maestro who will use his Fed express powers to pick up that nifty trophy on Sunday.
So that's it for now, more posts to follow on this subject, oh and I will finally post up some entries that are nowt to do with tennis. Its long overdue!!
But toodly pipsky for now.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Is it over???? It is now.
OK the title of this post is a little misleading, the world finals is far from over yet, but unfortunately for one man it already is, and that one is the British number uno, Andy Murray, who regretfully withdrew from the tournament today due to a groin injury.
Andy already said that after his loss to David Ferrer that he had injured himself prior to coming into the event, a few days after the Paris Masters he pulled a groin muscle while training. And even when he reached the o2 and practised on the Sunday there, he still said he didn't feel good on court, so it was a bad omen for sure. In retrospect it seems to be a bit of a mistake for Andy to have aimed to finish as the World No.3 this year, as it looks like the hard work he put into that, especially during his success on the Asian swing of the tour, has been in vain. Because with Federer still going strong at the o2, who is also with a strong shout of getting to the semi finals, if he does get to that stage, he will reclaim his World No.3 ranking, and if he wins the title he will almost certainly get it back. So it feels like Andy once again has peaked at the wrong time of year, as he really did play some great tennis during the Asian leg of the tour, its a shame he didn't hold back a little and try and make sure he peaked at the right time.
Andy even admitted himself in the press conference after his announcement, that perhaps he should rethink his schedule for next year, and it would be a good idea to definitely prioritise around the big events and miss out on some of the smaller ones, so that way he will be in good shape for the year end championships next year. But he did make the right decision in withdrawing as he said himself that he still felt sore in the morning, and there is no way he could have gone out on court and taken on Tomas Berdych in that condition, it would have been a write off. Andy also wisely made the decision so it would allow him ample time to recover for next year, as he has already put his name forward for the Brisbane Open in Australia at the very beginning of next year (starts on New Year's day of all days!) and he will need that crucial time to get ready for Melbourne.
Soooo that is the end of Andy Murray's 2011 season, sadly it ended on a sour note, with a straight set loss, unlike last year where he played one of the best matches of his career despite losing to Rafa also at the o2. But overall he has had a great year and he has reached all four grand slam semi finals, and one final for that matter, won 5 titles, beaten Djokovic, beaten Rafa, not Federer however, as they never played each other this whole year, for once! And yes ok he still hasn't won that elusive major, but as 2011 has been Djokovic's year, just maybe 2012 could be Andy's year. But next year, you get the feeling that things have to happen for him, and it is crucial that he tries his absolute best to win in Melbourne for starters. However that's a bit off yet, for now, Andy, take heart in that you've had a great season, regardless of how its ended, and all the best to you for next year.
And just briefly an update on tonight's match between Roger and Rafa, which was another hugely anticipated showdown, but once again it didn't live up to its hype. So far to my knowledge this year, Roger hasn't beaten Rafa, but Roger drastically turned that around and made mince meat out of the Spaniard, by producing an exceptional display of tennis of the likes that heralds back to his glory days, crushing the World No.2 in 6-3, 6-0. Even I was surprised to see just how little Rafa got involved in this match as Roger ruthlessly dismissed virtually every shot he made, it wasn't that Rafa played bad, it was just the Swiss maestro was on absolute fire. In that regard I think Andy totally made the right decision to withdraw, as there is no way he could have lived with Federer in that mode, nor anyone else! So that is Roger safely through to the semi finals, and if I were Djokovic, I would be quaking in my tennis shoes by now, cos Roger means business!
But I have to say I do have a bone to pick regarding Federer, as he made a comment in the press about how Andy overtook him in the rankings, and depsite his impressive run in Asia, the only reason he won there was because he and Djokovic weren't playing there. Which basically is Roger's way of saying there is no way Murray would have beaten me if I was playing. This again really does bring up what I dislike about Roger Federer, that he can be an arrogant egotistical twat at times, and he can also be a sore loser when he loses out to some players too. Mind you after winning 16 grand slams I guess your ego inflates until its the size of a zeppelin, and then you almost look down upon everyone else. It doesn't take away from the fact that the man is a magnificently talented player, one of the all times greats without question. But when Federer makes comments like that, that's when I'd like to see Andy stick it to him, and it would be great to see him gub Federer sometime next year in a slam. Andy also wisely refused to rise to the comment as he simply said he doesn't pay much attention to stuff like that and he'll let the tennis do the talking (unfortunately though Andy as we know didn't get that far). Further to Federer's comment Andy also said "Well for Roger in Paris, I was injured, Rafa didn't play, Novak withdrew, and at the end of the day, you can only play against what's in front of you." Very well said. And that's the great thing about Andy Murray, he is reassuringly down to earth, and he doesn't have the arrogant ego of some other players (one of whom I just mentioned!).
Anyway more will follow on the remaining ATP World Tour Final matches, and with Andy now gone, Janko Tipsarevic takes his place, so again we have two Serbs in a big event, and yes they shall meet, and lets hope this match is another cracker, like the one they had at the US Open. One thing is for sure, that match is getting taped!
Aaaaaaand that's it for now.
Andy already said that after his loss to David Ferrer that he had injured himself prior to coming into the event, a few days after the Paris Masters he pulled a groin muscle while training. And even when he reached the o2 and practised on the Sunday there, he still said he didn't feel good on court, so it was a bad omen for sure. In retrospect it seems to be a bit of a mistake for Andy to have aimed to finish as the World No.3 this year, as it looks like the hard work he put into that, especially during his success on the Asian swing of the tour, has been in vain. Because with Federer still going strong at the o2, who is also with a strong shout of getting to the semi finals, if he does get to that stage, he will reclaim his World No.3 ranking, and if he wins the title he will almost certainly get it back. So it feels like Andy once again has peaked at the wrong time of year, as he really did play some great tennis during the Asian leg of the tour, its a shame he didn't hold back a little and try and make sure he peaked at the right time.
Andy even admitted himself in the press conference after his announcement, that perhaps he should rethink his schedule for next year, and it would be a good idea to definitely prioritise around the big events and miss out on some of the smaller ones, so that way he will be in good shape for the year end championships next year. But he did make the right decision in withdrawing as he said himself that he still felt sore in the morning, and there is no way he could have gone out on court and taken on Tomas Berdych in that condition, it would have been a write off. Andy also wisely made the decision so it would allow him ample time to recover for next year, as he has already put his name forward for the Brisbane Open in Australia at the very beginning of next year (starts on New Year's day of all days!) and he will need that crucial time to get ready for Melbourne.
Soooo that is the end of Andy Murray's 2011 season, sadly it ended on a sour note, with a straight set loss, unlike last year where he played one of the best matches of his career despite losing to Rafa also at the o2. But overall he has had a great year and he has reached all four grand slam semi finals, and one final for that matter, won 5 titles, beaten Djokovic, beaten Rafa, not Federer however, as they never played each other this whole year, for once! And yes ok he still hasn't won that elusive major, but as 2011 has been Djokovic's year, just maybe 2012 could be Andy's year. But next year, you get the feeling that things have to happen for him, and it is crucial that he tries his absolute best to win in Melbourne for starters. However that's a bit off yet, for now, Andy, take heart in that you've had a great season, regardless of how its ended, and all the best to you for next year.
And just briefly an update on tonight's match between Roger and Rafa, which was another hugely anticipated showdown, but once again it didn't live up to its hype. So far to my knowledge this year, Roger hasn't beaten Rafa, but Roger drastically turned that around and made mince meat out of the Spaniard, by producing an exceptional display of tennis of the likes that heralds back to his glory days, crushing the World No.2 in 6-3, 6-0. Even I was surprised to see just how little Rafa got involved in this match as Roger ruthlessly dismissed virtually every shot he made, it wasn't that Rafa played bad, it was just the Swiss maestro was on absolute fire. In that regard I think Andy totally made the right decision to withdraw, as there is no way he could have lived with Federer in that mode, nor anyone else! So that is Roger safely through to the semi finals, and if I were Djokovic, I would be quaking in my tennis shoes by now, cos Roger means business!
But I have to say I do have a bone to pick regarding Federer, as he made a comment in the press about how Andy overtook him in the rankings, and depsite his impressive run in Asia, the only reason he won there was because he and Djokovic weren't playing there. Which basically is Roger's way of saying there is no way Murray would have beaten me if I was playing. This again really does bring up what I dislike about Roger Federer, that he can be an arrogant egotistical twat at times, and he can also be a sore loser when he loses out to some players too. Mind you after winning 16 grand slams I guess your ego inflates until its the size of a zeppelin, and then you almost look down upon everyone else. It doesn't take away from the fact that the man is a magnificently talented player, one of the all times greats without question. But when Federer makes comments like that, that's when I'd like to see Andy stick it to him, and it would be great to see him gub Federer sometime next year in a slam. Andy also wisely refused to rise to the comment as he simply said he doesn't pay much attention to stuff like that and he'll let the tennis do the talking (unfortunately though Andy as we know didn't get that far). Further to Federer's comment Andy also said "Well for Roger in Paris, I was injured, Rafa didn't play, Novak withdrew, and at the end of the day, you can only play against what's in front of you." Very well said. And that's the great thing about Andy Murray, he is reassuringly down to earth, and he doesn't have the arrogant ego of some other players (one of whom I just mentioned!).
Anyway more will follow on the remaining ATP World Tour Final matches, and with Andy now gone, Janko Tipsarevic takes his place, so again we have two Serbs in a big event, and yes they shall meet, and lets hope this match is another cracker, like the one they had at the US Open. One thing is for sure, that match is getting taped!
Aaaaaaand that's it for now.
Monday, 21 November 2011
Oooooohhhhh dear
Well this isn't the news I wanted to open this post with, as its to do with the ATP world tour finals matches that have taken place so far.
Quickly an update on the first day's matches, which featured a brief but entertaining 3 setter between Federer and Tsonga, who after a set apiece, Tsonga had a chance to take things further, unfortunately however he dropped his own serve at 4-4, and handed Federer the break to take the match. On the other match of the day (or evening) was a real battle between an ailing Rafa Nadal and the American No.1 Mardy Fish. Rafa right from the start didn't look right, as he apparently had struggled with an upset stomach after apparently having salmon pasta (I must admit I wouldn't like to try that!) prior to the match. Despite that Rafa managed to take the opening set easily, but in the 2nd that's when Fish mounted his fightback, pushing the World No.2 to a decider, which had its share of breaks, but in the end it needed a tiebreak to separate the two men, which Nadal won 7-3. So the final result was 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3).
It has to be said that Rafa definitely does not appear to be in good form, struggling with a bad stomach isn't the way to come into a tournament, but he did get the win, even if it was by the skin of his nads. And his next match will prove to be a real test as he faces Roger Federer on Tuesday, but it all depends on how well Rafa is feeling, hopefully he will get better and be prepared to give us a really good match. But Roger could definitely have the upper hand, but time will tell on that.
Now onto today's opening match which was between Britain's Andy Murray and Spanish No.2 David Ferrer. By reputation we knew that this would be a tough match, but Andy was straight off pegged to be favourite to win it. Unfortunately however things didn't pan out that way, as Andy from the start looked quite drawn and tired, and despite gaining a break of serve early in the first set, he struggled really badly with his own serve and at one point had a medical timeout for his hip. This ultimately allowed Ferrer to break back and before we knew it, the Muzza was a set down. In the second set, Andy started off better with a break, but again he squandered it and let Ferrer back into the match, and toward the end at 6-5, Andy failed to hold serve once more, letting Ferrer win his first match of the group in 6-4, 7-5.
This certainly wasn't the result that we were all hoping for, and I am myself pretty disappointed for Andy as well. After the match Andy revealed that he sustained a groinal injury in training a few days after the Paris masters tournament, and that if it wasn't the season end championships, he would not have played. Andy also has stated that he will decide on Tuesday (22 Nov) whether or not he will quit the event, and given the nature of his injury, it might regretfully be the right decision to withdraw. I sincerely hope he doesn't withdraw as despite his loss, he could still be with a chance, but it is a very very slim one, as he will have to play the loser of the next Group A match, Djokovic vs Berdych, which most likely could be Berdych. And Berdych himself defeated Andy the last time they met in Paris, and it would seem given his current condition far more likely that Berdych would beat him again. But it would all hinge on Andy preparing and getting better for the next match, and it may well be unlikely that he could do so, however it would be great to see if Andy could get revenge on Berdych for his loss in Paris, but again if he does play Berdy it will be a real physical match, and he may just not be up to the task.
Speaking of which as an update Djokovic did indeed defeat Tomas Berdych but it was a very very close match, and Djokovic himself saved one match point before taking the final set to a tiebreaker, which he won. So it will be Berdych, after all, that Andy is scheduled to face, but judging by Berdy's current form, if I were Andy I'd probably save any humiliation, pain and hassel and quit now! As Djokovic had a narrow scrape there, and if Berdych can push the World No.1 that far, then he is sure to punish Andy physically and mentally even further!
So it all hangs in the balance for Andy Murray at the ATP World Tour Finals, and it would be a great shame and a big disappointment if he decided to withdraw, so a big question mark hangs over the Muzza's bonce on this one. But in the end, health has to come first and if Andy has to withdraw, then that's what he'll have to do, and its a great shame to see what has arguably been his best season so far, end on such a sour note. However time will once again soon tell all.
Aaaaaaaaaaaannd I'll leave it there the now.
Quickly an update on the first day's matches, which featured a brief but entertaining 3 setter between Federer and Tsonga, who after a set apiece, Tsonga had a chance to take things further, unfortunately however he dropped his own serve at 4-4, and handed Federer the break to take the match. On the other match of the day (or evening) was a real battle between an ailing Rafa Nadal and the American No.1 Mardy Fish. Rafa right from the start didn't look right, as he apparently had struggled with an upset stomach after apparently having salmon pasta (I must admit I wouldn't like to try that!) prior to the match. Despite that Rafa managed to take the opening set easily, but in the 2nd that's when Fish mounted his fightback, pushing the World No.2 to a decider, which had its share of breaks, but in the end it needed a tiebreak to separate the two men, which Nadal won 7-3. So the final result was 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(3).
It has to be said that Rafa definitely does not appear to be in good form, struggling with a bad stomach isn't the way to come into a tournament, but he did get the win, even if it was by the skin of his nads. And his next match will prove to be a real test as he faces Roger Federer on Tuesday, but it all depends on how well Rafa is feeling, hopefully he will get better and be prepared to give us a really good match. But Roger could definitely have the upper hand, but time will tell on that.
Now onto today's opening match which was between Britain's Andy Murray and Spanish No.2 David Ferrer. By reputation we knew that this would be a tough match, but Andy was straight off pegged to be favourite to win it. Unfortunately however things didn't pan out that way, as Andy from the start looked quite drawn and tired, and despite gaining a break of serve early in the first set, he struggled really badly with his own serve and at one point had a medical timeout for his hip. This ultimately allowed Ferrer to break back and before we knew it, the Muzza was a set down. In the second set, Andy started off better with a break, but again he squandered it and let Ferrer back into the match, and toward the end at 6-5, Andy failed to hold serve once more, letting Ferrer win his first match of the group in 6-4, 7-5.
This certainly wasn't the result that we were all hoping for, and I am myself pretty disappointed for Andy as well. After the match Andy revealed that he sustained a groinal injury in training a few days after the Paris masters tournament, and that if it wasn't the season end championships, he would not have played. Andy also has stated that he will decide on Tuesday (22 Nov) whether or not he will quit the event, and given the nature of his injury, it might regretfully be the right decision to withdraw. I sincerely hope he doesn't withdraw as despite his loss, he could still be with a chance, but it is a very very slim one, as he will have to play the loser of the next Group A match, Djokovic vs Berdych, which most likely could be Berdych. And Berdych himself defeated Andy the last time they met in Paris, and it would seem given his current condition far more likely that Berdych would beat him again. But it would all hinge on Andy preparing and getting better for the next match, and it may well be unlikely that he could do so, however it would be great to see if Andy could get revenge on Berdych for his loss in Paris, but again if he does play Berdy it will be a real physical match, and he may just not be up to the task.
Speaking of which as an update Djokovic did indeed defeat Tomas Berdych but it was a very very close match, and Djokovic himself saved one match point before taking the final set to a tiebreaker, which he won. So it will be Berdych, after all, that Andy is scheduled to face, but judging by Berdy's current form, if I were Andy I'd probably save any humiliation, pain and hassel and quit now! As Djokovic had a narrow scrape there, and if Berdych can push the World No.1 that far, then he is sure to punish Andy physically and mentally even further!
So it all hangs in the balance for Andy Murray at the ATP World Tour Finals, and it would be a great shame and a big disappointment if he decided to withdraw, so a big question mark hangs over the Muzza's bonce on this one. But in the end, health has to come first and if Andy has to withdraw, then that's what he'll have to do, and its a great shame to see what has arguably been his best season so far, end on such a sour note. However time will once again soon tell all.
Aaaaaaaaaaaannd I'll leave it there the now.
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
The ATP finals clash
Just when you thought you wouldn't see yet ANOTHER tennis post, another one creeps along and here it is!! Just a quick one about the ATP World Tour Finals, which is coming up next week in London, as the draw for the event has been announced this week and it looks like quite an exciting set up (well we know that anyway).
The format of the event is pretty much the same as the WTA, as there will be two groups, and four players in each group, and it has been announced that in Group A there will be Djokovic, Murray, Ferrer and Berdych, while in Group B we will have Nadal, Federer, Tsonga and Fish. So its a mouth watering set up and without a doubt each player will have their hands full with whoever they play at each stage. But the big question is, who out of those eight players stands the best chance of winning the title? Its a tough one, but for me personally I think the two players that have best chance are Djokovic and Federer, and if I was a betting fella I would probably wager on Federer. I say Federer because since he has come back into the tour, he has been playing some incredible tennis reminiscent of his glory days, and on that kind of form, he is impossible to beat. But on the other hand, Djokovic has had the best year of his life on the tennis court and has played tennis that has been at times out of orbit, especially earlier in the year when he was on that amazing 41 match winning streak. So to dismiss Djokovic would be insane, and if he has recovered sufficiently from his shoulder injury he would be an utterly formidable opponent.
Then we have Rafa, who has taken some time out from the game to get himself prepped for this event and the Davis cup, but I have to say I wouldn't rate his chances quite as strongly as the other two guys, simply because Rafa for one has been beaten by Djokovic six times in a row now, not only that he was defeated by Roger last year. But however given that extra training time, Rafa might just be in with a shout all the same of lifting that elusive year end championship trophy.
Now we get on to Andy Murray, and overall Andy has had a great season, 5 titles, one slam final, and three semi finals, he is also the home favourite, and will get the best support, but can he win what would be the biggest title of his career???? Hmmmmmmmmm, against these other guys it seems doubtful, he can do it for sure if he serves and plays well enough, but it is a mighty big ask. Andy also has to contend with Djokovic and Berdych in his group, and depending on how Djoko is, he could again prove to be very tough. Also there is Berdych who last week defeated Andy in Paris, who again could prove to be a tricky customer, so there is a danger that Andy could go out early from the tournament. For Andy's sake I hope he doesn't and hopefully he will get revenge on Berdych for his loss at Paris, it would also be perfect place to do it. In fact out of those players, Ferrer should be the easiest for Andy to play, but having said that, Ferrer is no pushover either, so all round it will be tough for him. But just maybe with the home crowd behind him, it might prove possible for Andy to move to those later stages.
After that we also have Tsonga and Fish, but I have to say I don't rate either of those players chances quite as much, particularly Fish, who despite being a very talented player, hasn't quite got the chops to win a big title. Tsonga on the other hand does have the chops, but he can appear to fall that bit short on the big occassions, regardless though, he could do very well as he has already beaten Federer and Rafa this year, but with the year end championships, it is a bigger deal, and the big guys will bring their A-game to the proceedings.
So there's not long now before the event starts, its going to be a great one, and plenty of terrific tennis awaits, till then that'll do for now.
The format of the event is pretty much the same as the WTA, as there will be two groups, and four players in each group, and it has been announced that in Group A there will be Djokovic, Murray, Ferrer and Berdych, while in Group B we will have Nadal, Federer, Tsonga and Fish. So its a mouth watering set up and without a doubt each player will have their hands full with whoever they play at each stage. But the big question is, who out of those eight players stands the best chance of winning the title? Its a tough one, but for me personally I think the two players that have best chance are Djokovic and Federer, and if I was a betting fella I would probably wager on Federer. I say Federer because since he has come back into the tour, he has been playing some incredible tennis reminiscent of his glory days, and on that kind of form, he is impossible to beat. But on the other hand, Djokovic has had the best year of his life on the tennis court and has played tennis that has been at times out of orbit, especially earlier in the year when he was on that amazing 41 match winning streak. So to dismiss Djokovic would be insane, and if he has recovered sufficiently from his shoulder injury he would be an utterly formidable opponent.
Then we have Rafa, who has taken some time out from the game to get himself prepped for this event and the Davis cup, but I have to say I wouldn't rate his chances quite as strongly as the other two guys, simply because Rafa for one has been beaten by Djokovic six times in a row now, not only that he was defeated by Roger last year. But however given that extra training time, Rafa might just be in with a shout all the same of lifting that elusive year end championship trophy.
Now we get on to Andy Murray, and overall Andy has had a great season, 5 titles, one slam final, and three semi finals, he is also the home favourite, and will get the best support, but can he win what would be the biggest title of his career???? Hmmmmmmmmm, against these other guys it seems doubtful, he can do it for sure if he serves and plays well enough, but it is a mighty big ask. Andy also has to contend with Djokovic and Berdych in his group, and depending on how Djoko is, he could again prove to be very tough. Also there is Berdych who last week defeated Andy in Paris, who again could prove to be a tricky customer, so there is a danger that Andy could go out early from the tournament. For Andy's sake I hope he doesn't and hopefully he will get revenge on Berdych for his loss at Paris, it would also be perfect place to do it. In fact out of those players, Ferrer should be the easiest for Andy to play, but having said that, Ferrer is no pushover either, so all round it will be tough for him. But just maybe with the home crowd behind him, it might prove possible for Andy to move to those later stages.
After that we also have Tsonga and Fish, but I have to say I don't rate either of those players chances quite as much, particularly Fish, who despite being a very talented player, hasn't quite got the chops to win a big title. Tsonga on the other hand does have the chops, but he can appear to fall that bit short on the big occassions, regardless though, he could do very well as he has already beaten Federer and Rafa this year, but with the year end championships, it is a bigger deal, and the big guys will bring their A-game to the proceedings.
So there's not long now before the event starts, its going to be a great one, and plenty of terrific tennis awaits, till then that'll do for now.
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