* Murray closes in on London berth with tough win over Ferrer
* Will take on Robredo after Spaniard earns career win #500
* Federer to face Goffin in Basel
BASEL
Singles – Semifinal: (1) R Federer def. (8) I Karlovic 7-6(10-8) 3-6 6-3
Ivo Karlovic’s serve was humming — you don’t hit 33 aces against Roger Federer otherwise! Federer’s serve was pretty good, too — he faced only two break points, whereas Karlovic faced four. But Karlovic managed to convert on one chance, and in the second set, Karlovic’s serve was untouchable — 13 aces in the set, 78% of first serves in, 88% of points won on first serve. So Federer needed three sets. But, with that three set win, he moves to within 850 points of Novak Djokovic in the contest for year-end #1. As long as Federer doesn’t run out of steam, this could be really interesting.
He also reaches his ninth straight final at this event, and eleventh overall.
Karlovic will probably be #27.
Singles – Semifinal: (7) D Goffin def. (WC) B Coric 6-4 3-6 6-3
No matter what happened here, this was going to be a big breakthrough for someone. Given the way it turned out, it’s arguably a breakthrough for both players. David Goffin has made two previous finals, but this tournament is bigger and tougher. And just by getting this far, he rises to #22. A title would make him #21. Borna Coric doesn’t make his first final, but he increases his points by about a third; he’ll rise from #124 to around #95, so he’ll get direct entry into the Australian Open.
Doubles – Semifinal: Draganja/Kontinen def. (1) Dodig/Melo 6-3 2-6 10-4
This appears to mean that Dodig/Melo will go to Paris still at #7 in the Race. So they will have more work to do in Paris.
Doubles – Semifinal: (2) Pospisil/Zimonjic def. Inglot/Mergea 7-6(8-6) 4-6 10-4
This marks twice the team of Pospisil/Zimonjic makes life interesting this week. The first was because Vasek Pospisil plays Davis Cup doubles with Daniel Nestor, who usually plays with Nenad Zimonjic. But the fact that they’re in the final makes things even more interesting, because it appears that this will take Zimonjic ahead of Nestor in the rankings. Which probably means that he will be the year-end #3.
Valencia
Singles – Semifinal: (3) (WC) A Murray def. (1) D Ferrer 6-4 7-5
All right, this may not be the craziest thing ever recorded, but it has to come close. The organizers had a match between David Ferrer and Andy Murray — and they made it the day match, not the night match? Maybe they didn’t want a prime time audience to watch Ferrer suffer. It took almost two hours, but Murray took out last year’s finalist. That means that Ferrer will fall from #5 to #6 in the rankings. But the news is even worse in the Race, where we show Ferrer as #10. He still has a shot at London, especially with Rafael Nadal out, but a win here would really have helped.
Murray is still at #9 in the rankings, but he’ll make it to #8 if he wins the title. More to the point, he’s already up to #6 in the Race, and if he wins the title, he’s #5. With Rafael Nadal not playing, we’d say the title would clinch for him. We currently show the Race as follows:
1..Djokovic………9010 MAX:.10010 * CLINCHED
2..Federer……… 8170 MAX:..9520 * CLINCHED
3..Nadal……….. 6835 MAX:..6835 * CLINCHED (but will not play)
4..Wawrinka………4805 MAX:..5805 * CLINCHED
5..Nishikori……. 4265 MAX:..5265 *
6..Murray………..4185 MAX:..5685 *
7..Cilic……….. 4150 MAX:..5150 * CLINCHED
8..Berdych……… 4105 MAX:..5105 *
9..Raonic………..3840 MAX:..4840 *
10..Ferrer………..3805 MAX:..4835 *
11..Dimitrov………3555 MAX:..4965 *
12..Tsonga………..2650 MAX:..3650 * OUT
13..Gulbis………..2455 MAX:..3455 * OUT
14..Lopez……….. 2040 MAX:..3065 * OUT
15..Bautista Agut… 2020 MAX:..3020 * OUT
Singles – Semifinal: T Robredo def. J Chardy 7-6(9-7) 7-6(7-2)
It’s not the Spaniard we expected in the final, but at least it’s a Spaniard in the final, so the locals have someone to cheer for. Tommy Robredo is up to at least #17; Jeremy Chardy will have to settle for #30.
This has been quite a place for milestones. Earlier this week, David Ferrer won career victory #600. For Tommy Robredo, this was career win #500. He conceded, “It is only a number, but it is a special number. If somebody told me I would win five hundred matches at the beginning of my career, I’d take it. Well, I’m here. Now I should go for six hundred.” There are only seven active players with 500 career wins — and three of them are Spaniards: Robredo, Ferrer, and Rafael Nadal.
Doubles – Semifinal: (4) Rojer/Tecau def. L Mayer/J Sousa 6-4 7-6(7-3)
Rojer/Tecau are still at #6 in the Race, but their grip on that spot is now strong enough that they look like pretty good bets for London.
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of October 25, 2014
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….11510
2..(2) Federer…………9080
3..(3) Nadal…………..8195
4..(4) Wawrinka………..5385
5..(6) Berdych…………4485
6..(5) Ferrer………….4465
7..(7) Nishikori……….4355
8..(8) Cilic…………..4105
9.(10) Murray………….4095
10..(9) Raonic………….3930
11.(11) Dimitrov………..3645
12.(12) Tsonga………….2660
13.(13) Gulbis………….2465
14.(15) Lopez…………..2085
15.(14) Bautista Agut……2065
16.(16) Isner…………..1970
16.(21) Robredo…………1970
18.(17) Anderson………..1945
19.(18) Simon…………..1810
20.(19) Fognini…………1790
21.(20) Monfils…………1735
22.(28) Goffin………….1566
23.(22) Gasquet…………1485
24.(23) Kohlschreiber……1460
25.(24) Dolgopolov………1455
26.(25) Mayer…………..1404
27.(31) Karlovic………..1355
28.(26) Benneteau……….1330
29.(30) Rosol…………..1245
30.(34) Chardy………….1205
Basel — Week of October 20, 2014
…………..QF………….SF……….F
1 Federer…..(1)Federer…..Federer…..Federer
5 Dimitrov….(5)Dimitrov
3 Wawrinka….Becker
8 Karlovic….(8)Karlovic….Karlovic
7 Goffin……(7)Goffin……Goffin……Goffin
4 Raonic……(4)Raonic
6 Gulbis……Coric(WC)……Coric
2 Nadal…….(2)Nadal
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Federer
2 Nadal…….lost QF (Coric)
3 Wawrinka….lost 1R (Kukushkin)
4 Raonic……lost QF (Goffin)
5 Dimitrov….lost QF (Federer)
6 Gulbis……lost 1R (Coric)
7 Goffin
8 Karlovic….lost SF (Federer)
Valencia — Week of October 19, 2014
………………QF………………SF………F
1 Ferrer……….(1)Ferrer………..Ferrer
6 Bautista Agut…Bellucci(Q)
3 Murray (WC)…..(3)Murray(WC)…….Murray…..Murray
7 Anderson……..(7)Anderson
8 Simon………..Chardy…………..Chardy
4 Lopez………..Carreno Busta(WC)
5 Isner………..Robredo………….Robredo….Robredo
2 Berdych (WC)….Andujar
STATUS OF SEEDS:
1 Ferrer………lost SF (Murray)
2 Berdych (WC)…lost 1R (Andujar)
3 Murray (WC)
4 Lopez……….lost 2R (Carreno Busta)
5 Isner……….lost 1R (Robredo)
6 Bautista Agut..WITHDREW from 2R
7 Anderson…….lost QF (Ferrer)
8 Simon……….lost 1R (Dolgopolov)
Basel — Week of October 27, 2014
1 Djokovic
–bye
Kohlschreiber
Roger-Vasselin (WC)
Sousa
Monfils
–bye
13 Isner
9 Dimitrov
–bye
L Mayer
Cuevas
Lu
Benneteau
–bye
8 Murray
4 Ferrer
–bye
Rosol
Goffin (SE)
Qualifier
Verdasco
–bye
15 Simon
10 Tsonga
–bye
Melzer (PR)
Garcia-Lopez
Robredo
Pospisil
–bye
6 Nishikori
5 Berdych
–bye
Herbert (WC)
Mannarino (WC)
Janowicz
Qualifier
–bye
12 Lopez
14 Anderson
–bye
Youzhny
Giraldo
Thiem
Dolgopolov
–bye
3 Wawrinka
7 Raonic
–bye
Qualifier
Andujar
Gasquet
Qualifier
–bye
11 Bautista Agut
16 Fognini
–bye
Karlovic
Qualifier
Qualifier
Chardy
–bye
2 Federer
SATURDAY
Basel
Singles – Semifinal
(1) R Federer def. (8) I Karlovic 7-6(10-8) 3-6 6-3
(7) D Goffin def. (WC) B Coric 6-4 3-6 6-3
Doubles – Semifinal
Draganja/Kontinen def. (1) Dodig/Melo 6-3 2-6 10-4
(2) Pospisil/Zimonjic def. Inglot/Mergea 7-6(8-6) 4-6 10-4
Valencia
Singles – Semifinal
(3) (WC) A Murray def. (1) D Ferrer 6-4 7-5
T Robredo def. J Chardy 7-6(9-7) 7-6(7-2)
Doubles – Semifinal
(4) Rojer/Tecau def. L Mayer/J Sousa 6-4 7-6(7-3)
***
CONTENT VIA Bob LARSON TENNIS NEWS.
Topics: Andy Murray, Atp, Basel, Borna Coric, David Ferrer, David Goffin, Federer is betterer, Ivo Karlovic, Roger Federer, Tennis
#ATP #TENNIS FROM #BASEL, #SWITZERLAND @rogerfederer IS IN THE FINAL @ HOME, THE BARCLAYS #LONDON FINALS RACE HEATS.. http://t.co/79v6oIcYSL