RICKY DIMON’S PICKS FOR DAY 2 @ BARCLAYS WORLD TOUR FINALS: WAWRINKA VS. BERDYCH, DJOKOVIC VS. CILIC

Editors Note : 10sballs.com is in London in full force. Global Chick is actually pumping out stories. Lovey was last seen @ the candy dept @ Harrods. Ricky Dimon did amazeballs considering he had no sleep on his flight across the pond. & Dear Pancho is the ringleader keeping the group focused. Anyone who knows Lovey or Global Chick understands that. We had a great time catching up with Greg Rusedski and Robbie Koenig. We also caught up with David Egdes. Thank you tennis channel. Showcasing the entire event. Repeating the awesome doubles action. Enjoy this exciting event. Tickets still available for some sessions.

 

Group B play at the World Tour Finals will begin on Monday after Group A action got started with wins by Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori. Stan Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych will kick off the Day 2 proceedings in the afternoon, to be followed by Novak Djokovic vs. Marin Cilic. Of the four, only Cilic has never previously made a London appearance.

 

(3) Stan Wawrinka vs. (6) Tomas Berdych

 

Wawrinka and Berdych will be facing each other for the 15th time in their careers. The head-to-head series stands at 9-5 in Wawrinka’s favor after he won their only previous 2014 encounter 6-3, 6-7(1), 7-6(3), 7-6(4) in the semifinals of the Australian Open.

 

The fourth-ranked Swiss maintained relative consistency thereafter, but he has been a consistent disaster this fall. In fact, Wawrinka has won just a single tournament match since the U.S. Open, with an overall fall record of 2-4. Berdych is 54-20 for the year, which includes two titles–both on indoor hard courts–in Rotterdam and Stockholm. The seventh-ranked Czech’s recent victory in Stockholm was preceded by a quarterfinal performance in Shanghai and followed by a semifinal run in Paris.

 

Wawrinka and Berdych have squared off once before at the World Tour Finals, with Wawrinka surviving 6-3, 6-7(0), 6-3 during round-robin action. This is only the No. 3 seed’s second qualification for London, having punched a semifinal ticket last season.

 

Berdych is making his fifth appearance and owns a 5-8 lifetime record. The No. 6 seed is more experienced at this event and has been far superior than his opponent this fall, so he will likely have an edge.

 

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (8) Marin Cilic

 

This will be the 11th career meeting (fourth in 2014) between Djokovic and Cilic. Djokovic is sweeping the head-to-head series 10-0, including 8-0 on hard courts. This season has already seen the world No. 1 prevail 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in Indian Wells, 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4 at the French Open, and 6-1, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-2 in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

 

Cilic is making his first-ever appearance at the year-end championship and it has come almost an entirely as a result of a stunning run to his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows. That being said, the ninth-ranked Croat has been a consistent force on tour from start to finish. His 2014 record stands at 54-18 and it also includes winner’s trophies from Zagreb, Delray Beach, and his most recent event in Moscow.

 

Cilic withdrew from the Paris Masters citing an arm injury, but in all likelihood he just wanted some extra rest for his first foray to London.

Even without any physical problems, he would be a heavy underdog for reasons beyond simply his past futility against Djokovic. The Serb is surging into the World Tour Finals on the strength of the Paris title, which was his first tournament as a father. He also triumphed in Beijing earlier this fall. As for Djokovic’s World Tour Finals exploits, he has made seven appearances while collecting an overall record of 19-9 and three titles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: ATP World Tour Finals, Barclays, Marin Cilic, Novak Djokovic, Ricky Dimon, Stan Wawrinka, tennis update, Tomas Berdych

10sBalls Top Stories

• No Key Biscayne, No Problem; New Site, Same Great Miami Open Tennis Event
• 10SBALLS SHARES FAVORITE EPA TENNIS PHOTOS Of 2018
• THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT FOR ANY TENNIS PLAYER & FAN
• ATP MEN’S TENNIS • WILL IT MOVE FROM LONDON TO MANCHESTER OR TOKYO OR SINGAPORE? OR TURIN?
• ALIX RAMSAY WRITES TO “TENNIS SANTA CLAUS” WITH HER WISHES • ANDY MURRAY!
• CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT THE JACK KRAMER CLUB – DECEMBER 15 TO 22 2018 • UTR • ORACLE • AND AN AWESOME NEW TENNIS EVENT
• 10sBalls.com Shares Alix Ramsay’s Rambling On About Tennis and The Holidays
• ROGER FEDERER JOINED BY RAFA NADAL FOR THE 2019 LAVER CUP FESTIVITIES IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
• TENNIS PLAYERS’ UNION – IS IT NEEDED? BY MARK WINTERS
• Tennis News: Wilson’s Revolution Is Here – THE CLASH
• ROTTERDAM TENNIS TOURNEY DIRECTOR RICHARD KRAJICEK ANNOUNCES DAVID GOFFIN TO PLAY IN 2019 ABN AMRO
• JELENA VEMIC’S PHOTO GALLERY
• TENNIS NEWS FROM LONDON • 10SBALLS REPORTS ON THE LAWN TENNIS WRITERS HOLIDAY LUNCHEON AT WIMBLEDON’S DEBENTURE CLUB
• 10sBalls.com Shares a Great Gift For A Tennis Player – The Functional Tennis Match Journal
• BNP PARIBAS TENNIS OPEN NAMED 2018 WTA PREMIER MANDATORY TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.