This match is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and will be on BBC 2 from 2.15. Hopefully no masts will be blown over this time and service will be uninterrupted.
Be interesting to see how Andy comes out for this, his body language was not good at the end of the Federer match, but I do tend to think that he does make it look as if he's suffering more than he is, so I can see him being perfectly fresh again. Still, it will be a new expereince to see him come out again in a tournament after one of his occasionally disappointing subsidences.
Re the match, Verdasco is one of his favourite victims and Andy has a 7 -1 record against him, often winning pretty easily. The "1" is of course the Australian Open when the best Andy was not there and a better than normal Verdasco was. Verdasco has to be fair been a better all round player since the end of last year, but I take Andy to win in straight sets.
Scenarios for semi final qualification :
Wins 2 - 0 : Through
Wins 2 -1 : Through unless Delpo later wins 2 - 1, in which case Andy, Delpo and Fed will all be level on matches won and sets and it will come down to overall games.
Loses 1 - 2 : Out if Delpo beats Fed. If Fed wins, will again come down to compare overall games against Verdasco and also Delpo if he wins a set against Fed.
Loses 0 -2 : Out
Yes, he could win and later go out, and lose and later go through
2 - 0 would simplify things greatly and leave Fed and Delpo to fight over the other spot.
-- Edited by indiana on Wednesday 25th of November 2009 08:16:32 PM
Could someone with access to a table showing the number of sets and games won for each player please post the details on here, I'm surfing on my phone right now, otherwise I wouldn't be asking. Thanks.
ATP World Tour Finals standings Latest standings from the round-robin singles, Wed 1200 GMT:
Group A P W L F A Federer 2 2 0 4 2 Murray 2 1 1 3 3 Del Potro 2 1 1 3 3 Verdasco 2 0 2 2 4
Group B P W L F A Soderling 2 2 0 4 0 Davydenko 2 1 1 3 2 Djokovic 2 1 1 2 3 Nadal 2 0 2 0 4
Copied this from the BBC site but it's gone a bit out of line. Just tried to line it up but it seems to have gone back. Maybe someone has a more readable version and also one that shows games won as well as sets.
Thank goodness today's match is on the BBC - last night my computer (which is nearly as decrepit as I am!) crashed at the start of the Nadal/Donkey match and I missed the end.
I'm hoping for an Andy win, of course, but the way he disintegrated against Fed was worrying. Normally I would be confident of him beating Nando, despite the AO loss as then he had the virus problem. Frankly, to me he has never seemed the same since that darn virus.
Ah well, good luck Andy, I'll see how it goes!
-- Edited by Madeline on Thursday 26th of November 2009 10:20:01 AM
If Verdasco has one of those once-in-a-year-matches where he swings and hits the lines then Muzza could well get beat....Andy has t serve much much better....my feeling is Andy to win in 2 but my head says...
Well, that was tense, my cushions are in tatters. . .
Well done on the win, Andy, at least it is another 200 points.
Even if tonight's match goes the right way and he gets through to the semis, I'm not very confident of him winning there unless his first serve % improves. In fact if he were to meet Soderling, if the Sod keeps up the level of his earlier matches, I'm not confident in any case.
I hope we can trust that Juan Martin and Roger don't come to an "arrangement" for a 2-1 win to jmdp of between 5 and 9 games in which case Andy is probably out.
Well at least his first serve % was much better at 59% and 18 aces is good, does though seem to be suddenly throwing in more double faults than his normal.
Did look the better player for much of the match. Overall points were 135 - 120 to Andy, and sometimes a more significant story 144 points played on Verdasco's serve to only 111 on Andy's. 13 break points ( only 1 converted ) to Andy, mostly it has to be said saved by Vertdasco's good play. Only 1 break point ( a set point ) to Verdasco, not converted, although he did take that set.
All that said, Andy's body language was pretty appalling much of the time. How not to help get the crowd on his side, actually not a total wonder at times they almost seemed more enthusiastic for Verdasco. It also can't help such as his movement when he even starts a receiving point hangdog and not on his toes.
Sue Barker has now left me slightly confused about about how things stand now.
Clearly Andy is through if Roger wins tonight, all agreed on that. And it seems agreed that it gets highly complicated if Delpo wins 2- 1 ( I assume comes down to games and Andy seems to have left a window there for a certain Delpo win to put him out ).
But if Delpo wins 2 - 0, Sue said Andy is out. Me non comprendez. I can't see how Roger is through on Head to Head. I'm not sure if and when H - H applies but on this case Roger would have beaten Andy who would have beaten Delpo who would have beaten Roger, 1 win each among the 3 of them in H - H. On set difference, Delpo would be 5 - 3, Andy 5 - 4, and Fed 4 -4, so no ties there, so surely Fed out ? ? Unless someone knows differently. I've just noticed Drew thinks the same, I reckon we're right and Sue ( and this Piers Newbury chappee ) was talking tosh
Anyaway re the Delpo winning 2 - 1 situation, if it is then pure games difference. Andy is now 44 - 43 ( + 1 ). Roger is currently 32 - 22 ( + 10 ) and Delpo 27 - 31 ( - 4 ) so my Maths says a Delpo win by 2 -1 and by 6, 7 or 8 games overall would put Andy out. Re the by 5 or 9 situation that would put one of them eqaul with Andy, no idea !
Anyway, Fed just win and all's simple
Position, now, anyway :
P W SETS GAMES
Federer 2 2 4 2 32 22
Murray 3 2 5 4 44 43
Del Potro 2 1 3 3 27 31
Verdasco 3 0 3 6 45 52
I actually feel a little sorry for Verdasco, who has fought well in all his matches, he might well end up winning more games than anyone !
-- Edited by indiana on Thursday 26th of November 2009 06:34:36 PM