GLOBAL CHICK UPDATES US FROM THE ATP BARCLAYS MEN’S TENNIS @THE 02 ARENA IN LONDON

The Tournament finally catches alight with two great semis to savour

 

The watching crowds have been willing the tournament to catch light, and for the briefest of moments, the clouds that have settled on the East of London this week lifted momentarily to bring a three-set semi-final that had promise.

 

We say had, because it started much the same way as most of Novak Djokovic’s other matches as the Serb broke in the fourth game and ran away with the first set.

 

When he broke again at the start of the second, the ever-so-polite London natives rustled their umbrellas restlessly, plotting as a single body to descend upon the O2 Avenue, working out if it would be better to sprint to the hostelries at the end in a time that Usain Bolt wouldn’t sniff at or settle for an overpriced hotdog on the concourse.

 

In the blink of an eye though, Nishikori foiled all these plans for an early high tea, by breaking back immediately, not without its own drama as the hungry crowd roared their appreciation for a break point. Unfortunately it came at the behest of a Djokovic double-fault so cue a less-than-subtle handclap. Come on, Novak – they just wanted a match!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nishikori continued to have all manner of potions, powders and colourful sticking plaster applied to his wrist, but mercifully it did not stop him from taking advantage of some very wobbly play from Djokovic, and for the first time some cracks started to appear in his game this week.

 

Would that he had the momentum to carry on. Two break points up on the defending champion, the chances came and went, and with it a return to the same kind of confidence we have seen from Djokovic all week as he sprinted for the line.

 

It is always a sad end when a match ends on a double-fault as Nishikori called time on his week, but he should feel very proud of his achievements, and they have been plentiful.

 

It has been a long season for him and he knows he needs to pack in the training and more importantly the conditioning in the off-season if he wants to maintain his position.

 

“[The] US Open was first experience to go final and play seven matches, five sets. But I think physically I show that I could, you know, play seven matches, play two times five sets. I think physically I’m getting strong.

 

“I think it’s going to be very important I do well this December, a lot of train, good practice, try to prepare for next year.”

 

Meanwhile winner of the ironic press conference of the year had to go to a tetchy Djokovic who sullenly refused to articulate any more about the angry full-stop he had written on the camera after his win, before acting as though the season could not finish fast enough for him!

 

“Honestly, today I found it a little bit difficult mentally to stay concentrated throughout the whole match. After emotional three matches I had, especially yesterday when I achieved the goal to finish as No. 1 of the world, knowing that, I felt a little bit, I would say, flat emotionally today. I needed a little bit more time to kind of give myself a boost.

 

“So tomorrow is the last match of the season. Of course, it’s one of the biggest tournaments in the world, aside of the Grand Slams. This is already the biggest possible motivation. I will try to give everything I have.”

 

If his reaction to the crowd was anything to go by for their support to Nishikori the underdog, he may need to pop to the nearest well known British pharmacy (other retail chemists are available) and invest in some earplugs; if he does face Roger, he will need to shut all that out if he wants to finish the year on a high. Not to mention the press want the chocolates (gluten free, though) that he tends to bring in when he wins!

 

Meanwhile the evening proved to be a complete humdinger of a show. An all Swiss-affair, for many it was going to be a foregone conclusion – but no-one thought to tell Stan Wawrinka that. Of course the Swiss in the crowd were hardly going to be stunned into silence, but there was a kind of reverential hush in the media centre as Wawrinka built up a double break cushion. Then again this is a Swiss love-affair sweeter than a box of Lindt bunnies, and that cushion became split but before all the stuffing could come out Stan edged the first set.

 

The quality of this match, and the slinging back and forth with the double-handed backhands was the best match of the tournament, and perhaps even the best for quite some time in Old London Town. While Djokovic was no doubt putting up his exhausted feet and settling in with some popcorn, Wawrinka kept up the pressure as Federer poked and prodded for opportunities to cage the Stanimal. A single break sent us into thriller of a decider.

 

The pair were game for game until Wawrinka came to serve for the match at 5-4, and by the time they got to the tie-break the atmosphere was akin to a firework display with ooohs and aahs filling the stadium. As Wawrinka edged in front, Federer has to stave off more match-points – saving four in total before final getting the win and having a suitably muted celebration for having defeated a stalwart compatriot, alongside whom he will be doing battle in the Davis Cup against France next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes the semi-finals can be worthy of the final itself – here’s hoping tomorrow’s can live up to the hype.

Topics: 02 Arena, ATP Barclays, global chick, Kei Nishikori, London, Novak Djokovic, Tennis, tennis update, World Tour Finals

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