Ricky’s Tennis Preview • Picks For The Nitto ATP Finals “Semis” • Djokovic vs. Anderson and Federer vs. Zverev

Written by: Staff on 16th November 2018

Ricky's Tennis Preview • Picks For The Nitto ATP Finals "Semis" • Djokovic vs. Anderson and Federer vs. Zverev |

By Ricky Dimon

Semifinal Saturday is set at the Nitto ATP Finals. It’s Novak Djokovic vs. Kevin Anderson and Roger Federer vs. Alexander Zverev. That’s right; the top four seeds. Following six days of round-robin action, we’re rounding the home stretch.

Ricky previews the action and makes his predictions.

(1) Novak Djokovic vs. (4) Kevin Anderson

Djokovic is two wins away from completing perhaps the most resurgent second halves of a season in recent tennis history. Of course, Djokovic will do that regardless of what transpires the rest of the way in London; but he would like to finish it off on a high note.

The Serb, who had plunged to as low as No. 23rd in the rankings this spring, will hope to continue his hot streak at Anderson’s expense on Saturday. Djokovic and Anderson will be squaring off for the ninth time in their careers, with the world No. 1 dominating the head-to-head series 7-1. He has won seven straight against the South African since losing their first-ever meeting 10 years ago in Miami. They have faced each other twice this year; Djokovic prevailed 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3) in the Wimbledon final and 7-6(1), 6-3 in the Shanghai S.F.’s.

Both of those wins are part of a remarkable hot stretch that has seen the 31-year-old compile a 33-2 record in his last 35 matches. That includes a 2-0 record through his first two round-robin matches at the O2 ( 6-4, 6-3 success against John Isner and a 6-4, 6-1 defeat of Alexander Zverev).

Like Djokovic, Anderson took the guesswork out of the semifinal equation prior to his last round-robin contest. It hardly mattered that the world No. 6 fell to Roger Federer 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday night–except that Anderson is now the No. 2 seed out of Group B and therefore has to face Djokovic instead of Zverev; no small consequence, it has to be said.

The Wimbledon runner-up his loss to the Swiss by taking care of both Dominic Thiem and Kei Nishikori in straights. Anderson is now 48-18 for the season.

Unfortunately Anderson, Djokovic is second to none on tour both in ranking and returning serve. He can neutralize opponents’ biggest weapons better than anyone else, just as he did to Isner and Zverev earlier this week. It will go down as a great season and a solid week for the underdog, but the end is probably near.

Pick: Djokovic in 2

(2) Roger Federer vs. (3) Alexander Zverev

Federer and Zverev will be meeting for the sixth time in their careers and for the first time since this same event in 2017 when they square off inside the O2 Arena once again on Saturday.

Federer is leading the head-to-head series 3-2 following a 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-1 round-robin victory last year in London. They have alternated wins dating back to their first meeting at the 2016 Rome Masters, where the Swiss maestro emerged with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. It is all tied up at one win each on hard courts, as Zverev beat Federer for the second time via a 6-3, 6-4 triumph in the 2017 Montreal Masters final.

Neither players was officially through to the semis after two group-stage matches, but both took the drama out of uncertainty right away. Needing to take just five games against Kevin Anderson on Thursday night, Federer rolled 6-4, 6-3. The 20-time major champion preceded that result with a 7-6(4), 6-3 setback against Nishikori and a 6-2, 6-3 rout of Thiem. He has now reached at least the semis in all four of his fall-swing appearance, a stretch highlighted by a ninth Basel title and a third-set tiebreaker loss to Djokovic in Shanghai.

Already making his third London appearance, Zverev will be a part of semifinal Saturday for the first time. The 21-year-old put himself in good shape for that with an opening 7-6(5), 7-6(1) defeat of Cilic. Although that was followed by a 6-4, 6-1 loss to Djokovic, Zverev recovered to take down John Isner 7-6(5), 6-3 on Friday.

Zverev has been solid this entire fall and has played well for the most part through three matches at the O2 Arena, but Federer is once again getting better and better each time he takes the court. Fed has gotten accustomed to the conditions and is suddenly thriving in them.

Pick: Federer in 2

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @TennGrand.

Editors Note : We are posting later than usual. April gave Team TennisBalls (Yes we got that url too) Team 10sBalls were her guests at THE Queens Club this morning for breakfast. What an amazing treat that was. More on the LOB ( LJ)

•Love this semi line up. Wow. It’s as if the tennis GODS gave it to us.

•Also. note To other Tennis Events •

•See how much the writers write if the tourneys make them feel welcome and wanted and needed and appreciated. And in Rickys case feed him. Ice cream for Bfast. Hot meals for lunch and dinner.

• I just remembered this year at Queens. The great new sponsor “FEVER TREE ” hosted a nightly happy hour with great drinks and yummy Food.

•The media people all pay their own way to every single tennis event. The press flies at their own expense. They pay for their own rental cars. They pay for their own hotels or accommodations.

•It’s all changed so much from GLADYS Heldman years. Being a tennis journalist is a really hard life. No costs are covered by the individual events.

•Back in the day. Every cost was covered by the tourney. What an interesting concept…

(LF)

Topics: 02 Arena, 10sballs, London, Nitto ATP Finals, Sports, Tennis, Tennis10sBalls

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