The search for the match of the ATP World Tour Finals continues
Whilst it is easy to ridicule the Group A score-lines, surely Wednesday will yield at least one match with a more complex score-line?
Let’s take a look at the candidates as the winners and losers do battle.
First up will Be Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic, both of whom succumbed to 6-1 6-1 scores on a day that tickets holders will no doubt come to refer to as early-to-dinner-tube-queue Tuesday.
Pre-tournament, Berdych knew that in reality there was just one spot to fill as World No. 1 and two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic is all but certain to advance. But in the cold light of day, does it feel a bit like hubris to come right out and say it, when everyone else gives the stock in trade “I come here and I will try my best” type of answer?
To give credit to Berdych, he was in unusually good form in press afterwards, and perhaps talked a little more than normal about how he still has a chance to redeem himself.
Take nothing away from Stan Wawrinka – he was on fire after some very shaky form, and let’s be honest Marin Cilic lost to a guy who is now on a 28-match winning streak and full of the joys of fatherhood.
So what can we expect from Wednesday’s line up? Well if we are going for the benefit of the doubt, the match up between Berdych & Cilic is close – 5-4 ion the Czech’s favour.
He also has the pedigree of doing better second time out, and he has the experience to know it is not over until the calculators come out on round three.
“This is a very unique tournament. You come up, starting to play group matches, you started with the best players in the world. You have no time to start up or play first round with, you know, someone who is little bit lower on the ranking, get some rhythm and find the way.”
Add to that the fact that Cilic was rusty out of the blocks on Monday night, and also talked about the peculiarity of the round robin format.
“[There are] these other things to adjust to, you are playing top guys, and you have to start from the first point. Like today, you know, playing Novak, from which I’m not used to already in the first match. To put up my game already on a high level, that was difficult for me to adjust on.”
Purely on experience of this tournament alone should give Berdych the edge, but with both men hunting for a win and their chance to stay in contention in the tournament. He plays a cleaner game compared to Cilic’s awkwardness and who ever gets on the dictating end of the rallies will pick up their first win.
The night slot is again reserved for the resident star, Djokovic, who will take on the newly confident Wawrinka, who ha the small matter of the Australian Open quarter-final to avenge from their last meeting. Stan may have come out on fire, but facing a 3-15 deficit in their head to head, it feels a tough ask for the Swiss No. 2 to down Djokovic on his current run. Wawrinka has not been anywhere near the form of the start of the year, and as great as it is to have seen him play with confidence on Monday, the most he can hope for is pushing or taking a set off the World No. 1.
Berdych and Cilic are scheduled for 2pm with Djokovic and Wawrinka scheduled for 8pm, all times GMT.
Topics: 02 Arena, Atp World Tour, global chick, London, Marin Cilic, Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Tennis News, Tomas Berdych
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