TENNIS NEWS FROM LONDON REPORTS ON RAFAEL NADAL, ROGER FEDERER, ANDY MURRAY AND NOVAK DJOKOVIC AND A PEEK AT WAWRINKA VERSUS FERRER MATCH

Global Chick’s Night (Re)cap: It was a dark and stormy night…

 

Roger Federer def. Novak Djokovic 7-5 6-2

It really was as if this green and pleasant isle turned into a wet grey one, and that was just the rain cloud over Djokovic’s head! It turned out to be just one of those days for the three time defending champion, who has apparently not lost indoors since Noah set sail in the ark that probably was parked just outside the O2, given the continual rain fall.

 

While Global Chick avoided the perennial bout of trench foot caused by such shenanigans, Djokovic was at least spared the infamous SABR, as Federer matched him toe for toe at the back of the court.

 

It always looked as though Federer had the upper hand even I the first set, having wrestled it from Djokovic’s grasp 7-5 with a late but telling break.

 

OK, we all thought, especially when Djokovic broke at the start of the second set. But Federer had not read the script, and when Djokovic’s forehand took a walk off Greenwich pier, Federer was able to play quite within himself and book his spot in the semi-finals.

 

In fairness though, the court speed (which actually suits both these players down to the ground, given the initial quality of the match and the hitting) probably does need to be adjusted for next year.

 

In all honesty given Djokovic’s record against Berdych, this should be a walk in the park to have him slot behind Federer and take on the No. 1 in Group Ilie Nastase.

 

Rafael Nadal def. Andy Murray 6-4 6-1

This was always going to be the big unknown in this group. Had Nadal’s form returned in sufficient enough quantities for him to make a challenge, after both had confident starts (although in truth, Wawrinka made it awfully easy on the Spaniard)!

 

It was going so well at the start for Murray as he broke, with all kinds of tennis luminaries sitting and watching him from the front row. But once Nadal broke back, we seemed to slide down a long chute f the brutally sublime from Nadal to Murray’s faintly ridiculous self-administered haircut in a change of ends in the first set!

 

Maybe cutting his hair was akin to Samson having his locks lopped off, as Murray early on was keeping up a steady flow of chatter to his box. He would appear to building up a point so well and then go forth and a wild and woolly shot.

 

Nadal, to give him credit, swaggered around like a Tapas waiter juggling heavy topspin from the back of the court with some wonderfully deft winners at the net. Murray looked as though he had been run ragged at times, and with the Davis Cup of course coming up, a watching Leon Smith might be relieved that it was a straight sets loss and had not spun out to be a far longer and more grueling affair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course depending on which Wawrinka turns up, it will be all to play for when the pair meet on Friday, while we can expect Nadal to have the measure of compatriot David Ferrer.

 

Wawrinka v Ferrer Preview

After a very lacklustre day at the office for the Swiss No. 2, we can only hope that some of Roger Federer’s magic dust had rubbed off him a little, as he looks to salvage his tournament.

 

To describe his performance as a disappointment is being quite generous. Loudly slated on Twitter for what honestly looked like lack of effort, it is clear from David Ferrer’s trademark scurrying that he will not be giving Wawrinka a free pass.

 

Ferrer was dogged in his match with Murray and at times dished out some beautifully cut winners, from all around the court. Wawrinka, who had been confidence until his first outing, will need to be back to his aggressive best if he wants to get a W on the board. It may come down to the final round-robin match between him and Murray and heaven knows the crowd will ant to see some aheart – from both players.

 

But on first glance? Looks like the Spanish Armada set sail today in the British rain.

Topics: 02 Arena, Andy Murray, ATP Finals, David Ferrer, global chick, London tennis, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, Stan Wawrinka, Tennis News, World Tour Finals

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