Week 46 - ATP World Tour Finals, London (hard)

thejester · Satellite level

2017 ATP World Tour Finals

indiana · Tennis legend

Jack Sock through to the final 7-5 6-2.

From Sock starting the week #24 in the race, qualification most certainly not in his own hands and then 5-1 down to Kyle in the final set of his first match, he comes to Sunday where a win in the final against qualifier Krajinovic gets him to the finals. Would no doubt be a tad annoying to him if he doesn't make it now.

Spectator · All-time great

And massively annoying to PCB if he does! It's actually quite an odd year. Because Nadal and Federer ate up quite a lot of points, and then more were taken early in the year by three top people who then left the field, the 8th place in the race is (I think - I could be getting dates wrong) 300 points below last year and more than 1,000 points below 2015 and 2014. Hence a single good win can alter the equation. Almost half of Kevin Anderson's points, for example, come from the USO Final - and Anderson was a contender in Paris.

In PCB's case, his large points hauls come from a 250 ATP win, a 500 final, SF runs at the USO and Indian Wells and a Roland Garros QF ... which is quite an even spread. For what it's worth, looking at others in the race, Sam Querrey is almost, but not quite, as strong a case: Wimbledon SF, USO QF, a 500 win and a 250 win. He, however, didn't do as well at the Masters. JMDP as had a good run at the end of the year: USO SF, the Shanghai Masters SF, Basel final and Stockholm win (also Rome QF) but missed a lot. JWT has an evenly spread year: AO QF, Rotterdam 500 win, Vienna 500 final, and three 250 wins.

But Sock, whose play I quite like, so this is not a negative comment about him, has had - for a top-level player - a fairly dismal year thus far: not beyond the 3rd round in any GS, one Masters SF, two Masters QFs, a 500 SF, and two 250 wins. If he were to win the tournament, it would be done fair and square ... but he would get into the World Tour Finals on the back of receiving 1,000 points without playing a single top 15 player. And while PCB's US Open run was similar, I'd feel for him nonetheless.

-- Edited by Spectator on Saturday 4th of November 2017 10:00:43 PM

JonH · All-time great

JonH wrote:
Sock and Isner facing a shoot off for the last slot if they bothwin one more match. Who'd have thought that!
In a remarkable last 4 Julien Benneteau will be the home favourite and have the crowd behind him to stop them. Something tells me (without writing off krajinovic) that an Isner and Benneteau final is on the cards. But in this event Sock v krajinovic would not be a surprise!

-- Edited by JonH on Saturday 4th of November 2017 10:30:39 AM

thankfully I was right to say I wouldnt be surprised!

JonH · All-time great

So, Jack Sock got the last place. Well done to him - have to say it was a shock but he got the points and thus deserves it. Lets hope Jack can do well at the Finals, which to be honest looks like it could be a shoot out behind Rafa and Roger, that is of course if they make it to London.

JonH · All-time great

Not sure If it is worth moving this thread into the men's forum, given Jamie is playing doubles? Not sure if one of the mods wants to try and do that?

indiana · Tennis legend

Week 46 - ATP World Tour Finals, London (hard)

indiana · Tennis legend

(4) Jamie & Bruno are in Group Woodforde/Woodbridge. The Woodies Group is completed by (1) Kubot & Melo, (5) Bryan & Bryan and (7) Dodig & Granollers.

They are first on at noon on Monday vs the Bryans.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Brilliant time there today - the French were dead lucky to win the doubles - didn't really deserve it but hey....

And Zverev/Cilic was just super. Tons of empty seats though (hence, cheap prices online which is why I went in the first place).

JonH · All-time great

Good to see a decent match, last year was a dud. The empty seats no doubt reflects all the top guys missing but maybe there's also a sense London has had its day with this event?

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it!

wolf · Tennis legend

I doubt this is the reason people are not going, but the reason I'm not is the setup is similar to the Manchester Arena. All those people streaming out all at once into a foyer, just ripe for a terror attack.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

wolf wrote:
I doubt this is the reason people are not going, but the reason I'm not is the setup is similar to the Manchester Arena. All those people streaming out all at once into a foyer, just ripe for a terror attack.

Seriously? I find Oxford Street and any busy high street to be far more vulnerable. Far less protected. No security. Far easier for attackers to get away.

(Although it doesn't worry me at all - statistically there seem to me so many other things, far more likely, to worry about - but everyone views things differently).

Stircrazy · Tennis legend

RR1: (5) Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan (USA/USA) CR 22 (11+11) defeated (4) Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares CR 19 (9+10) by 7-5 6-7(3) [10-8]

They could easily have wrapped it up in straight sets! bleh

JonH · All-time great

A lot of tight matches so far, much closer than last season. Dimitrov won against thiem

Spectator · All-time great

Yes, it's a good tournament so far, isn't it. And I'd say (barring Andy Murray's absence, of course) a super mix of old and new. It feels exciting. And they're also such a decent lot that it's easy to be happy about victories, whoever wins. (Incidentally, for Francophones and Belgophiles, there's a lovely piece on David Goffin by Carole Bouchard; www.dhnet.be/sports/tennis/david-goffin-encense-par-ses-rivaux-au-masters-federer-impressionne-par-son-ethique-de-travail-5a0884ffcd707514e8b6743c) Inter alia, it talks about how mutually supportive a lot of the top players have been)

As for the empty seats, concern about large events may well be a part of it. Then, too, Mr Murray's drawing power is missing: while Federer/Nadal are certainly huge draws, the local lad will have brought in fans of his own in years past. And while cheap seats may be available, the event has a reputation for being hugely expensive ....