2011 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals-London

[stotty]

Tsonga

I just watched Tsonga v Berdych. I don't get to see much live world-class tennis...but from TV, it looks like Tsonga hits the ball harder than anyone else on the tour? The man is as strong as a horse....?

[GeoffWilliams]

Nobody's going to beat Federer. Just goes to show you how much Joker misses Igor Cetkovic and his SCIO machine. Energy is missing in his game.. The doc left after Wimbledon. I say, pay him to come back. Joker needs his psychological nutritionist.

[don_budge]

The Finals in London...Goodnight Irene.

Tsonga serving with new balls plays a very poor game highlighted by a couple of marginal volleys and loses serve at love...Swiss Maestro leads 5-3, serving for the set. A Federer ace at 30-30 gives Federer his first set point. Tsonga saves. Another unreturnable serve at deuce...set point number two. Another Tsonga save. Five or six slice backhands and Federer gets the advantage and finishes the point with a slashing forehand off of a ball that clips the net and sits up for him. He converts the third set point...6-3.

Early in the set...1-1. In a game where he double faults twice...and aces twice, Tsonga manages to hold for 2-1. Roger breaks the Tsongan serve...with a blistering return off a second serve for 3-2. He has that "diamond hard look of a cobra" about him now. One of Roger's big strengths throughout the years has been his ability to serve out the set. This comes with experience.

Federer holds for 5-3 and so does Tsonga for 5-4. Federer on the brink of victory...serves for the championship. But Tsonga hasn't thrown in the towel...0-40, triple break point. First serve save, 15-40. Another save...30-40, Tsonga falls down awkwardly. Tsonga breaks...it's Roger who has stumbled. Steady Roger.

Both players hold and it's tie-breaker time. Roger immediately scores a mini-break...then turns around and double faults for 1-1. He converts a winning volley off a drop shot for a 2-1 advantage. Tsonga splits for 3-2 to Federer. Two volley winners...one classic and one swinging, for a 5-2 advantage. Tsonga holds on for 5-4 to Roger. The match on his racquet now. Ooopps, double fault...5-5. Ace for championship point. Tsonga misses the first serve but nails a forehand winner after a three shot exchange for 6 all. 137 mph service winner...set point for Tsonga, 6-7. Set to Tsonga...Federer failed to serve it out. Will that come back to haunt him?

Deep in the third now...Tsonga saves a break point at 3-4 with a great forehand volley that is somehow less than convincing to my eye, but he misses another more routine forehand volley and Federer converts the break point to serve for the set...again. He wins the first two points off of two first serves for 30-0. Two points away...now an ace for triple match point. What was once a foregone conclusion is now the conclusion.

Game, set and match to Federer. Six time winner of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals! Eclipsing Sampras and Lendl in the process.

[don_budge]

Strange Tourney...

All in all, it is a bit odd that the numbers 1, 2 and 3 players in the world did not make the semifinals...don't you think? The Supersonic Djokovic, The Gladiator Nadal and the Disappearing Act Murray. And Roger...fit as a fiddle. Strange days indeed.

[stotty]

All in all, it is a bit odd that the numbers 1, 2 and 3 players in the world did not make the semifinals...don't you think? The Supersonic Djokovic, The Gladiator Nadal and the Disappearing Act Murray. And Roger...fit as a fiddle. Strange days indeed.

Just makes you realize the only things that really matter to the top guys are slams...maybe not to Murray because he has yet to win a slam...but Nadal, Djokovic...do they really care?