2017 Nitto ATP Finals...ATP points award...London, Great Britain

[don_budge]

The Draw...

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/scores/current/nitto-atp-finals/605/draws

Rafael Nadal in the top...Roger Federer in the bottom. Anybody see any reason why the two wouldn't meet in the final? I think Grigor Dimitrov can think of a couple. While Nadal holds a pretty convincing 10-1 head to head record against Dimitrov, Dimitrov hasn't been the type of player that will roll over for Nadal. Right from the beginning of their rivalry back in 2009 Dimitrov has been competing and competing hard against Nadal. It seems that he isn't intimidated by him and he believes that he can beat him. If the conditions are right the edge just might swing in Dimitrov's court...but he is going to have to be ready to seize the moment. If Nadal shows up to play and he is healthy he isn't going to concede anything. Somehow I have a feeling that Dimitrov would love to showcase his year with a win over Nadal. But the problem is a win over Nadal is not going to seal the deal...he has to deal with Dominic Thiem and David Goffin as well.

In the other half it appears to be all Roger Federer. Sure Marin Cilic shows flashes of brilliance here and there but it might talk a lot more to defeat Roger at the O2 this year than a flash in the pan. It is going to take a sustained attack from start to finish. Federer has had a historic year and he is looking to end it with an exclamation point. He will be fighting tooth and nail for a showdown with his nemesis in the top half...not the lesser facsimile. Federer has brought the head to head with Nadal to 23-15. That certainly sounds a lot better than 23-10 which it was before Federer has reeled off five wins in a row this year. A sixth in a row at this stage of their career might do a lot to change some peoples minds as to where the two stand in terms of their rivalry. Particularly if you count the 13 victories of Nadal on clay.

Whatever the outcome here one thing is for certain. It should be a lot more entertaining than the Next Generation Finals in Milan, Italy. If for only one reason...Roger Federer is in the house.

[bottle]

Why do I get the feeling I'm reading kapok? Could somebody say something new, please?

[klacr]

Roger is ready, willing and able. I already know this will be better than the NextGen finals in Milan.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Roger is ready, willing and able. I already know this will be better than the NextGen finals in Milan.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Here is Next Generation Glamor Boy Alexander Zverev. Zverev sort of hit a bump on the road as of late. His two ATP 1000 titles were well deserved but the field being what it is this year, lacking, anybody with knowledge and experience knows he is a bit over rated. How much remains to be seen. His early successes have been a little dubious at this point. But we shall see. From this article he gives some indications that he is starting to believe his own hype. He sounds just a little entitled which doesn't fly very far on the tour. When the opponent gets a whiff of said entitlement attitude it usually lights a fire in them and they come out smoking. The "entitled" one gets a little surprised that the opponent doesn't respect their higher ranking and that little miscue is enough to swing a match.

It will be very, very interesting to see how Alexander performs here. His comments about Federer in the article are only going to set the Swiss Maestro's jaw a bit tighter when he faces the "Golden Child" when he faces him. For Zverev to differentiate Federer's year into the faster surfaces and others is going to bite him in the ass at the O2. Hopefully. I don't care for him. He's spoiled. Prone to temper tantrums when it isn't going his way. Smashing racquets...where are the stats here? Just how many did he smash this past year?

[arturohernandez]

It should be really interesting. Federer loves indoor matches and Zverev will need more time and space to stay in the rallies. He has firepower.

Should be fun assuming that we don't get a repeat of Halle.

It is a bit early in the tournament for Federer to play at that level.

[don_budge]

Roger Federer vs. Anybody 7-6, 5-7, 6-1

I know that there are Alexander Zverev lovers out there and that's great. The Next Generation star that was too big for the Next Generation tournament in Milan. He's a real handful. The announcers work nonstop to hype this completely one dimensional player and it was a wily and cagey Roger Federer that toyed with the Golden Hair Golden Boy from Russian/Germany all night long.

Stotty's right about the round robin format...it detracts from the moment somehow. The sense of urgency is lost. Maybe as John Yandell suggests...no-add scoring might help to restore that sense of urgency. But for me...Roger vs. Anybody is just fine. Enjoy it while it lasts, I say to myself, because we are running out of time boys and girls. Kiddies. The sand if draining out of the Federer Hour Glass by the moment...by the match. Savor these moments. Memorable moments. There's that sound in my head...you know the one. The air being sucked out of a balloon.

Federer toyed with Boy Toy last night. I don't think he had his A game in hand so he merely resorted to a bit of shuck and jive. Street tennis. A slice here...a volley there. A bunch of mistimed forehands. Mediocre serving. But he had a game plan in spite of all of his "ineptitude". Federer ineptitude...can you imagine? It's all relative. But the tactic was to confuse...to not let the Golden Child get into any sort of rhythm. It worked like a charm. Federer has that sort of impish quality in his interviews. A wee bit of a Leprechaun. He used that slice backhand to perfection and he drop shotted further to confuse the poor little hyped up next wonder of the tennis world to expose him for what he is. A one trick pony. The one trick? The backhand. Federer played away from it and when he did play to it more often than not he gave the kid nothing to hit. Just a bunch of junk and off speed stuff. He dictated play. He wasn't going to have it any other way. It's going to be my way...this is what he says to himself.

Zverev was stumbling all over himself. Sure he took a set but look at the third. Wham, bam...thank you m'am. Good bye...see you never. Roger brought him forwards to keep the big lug off stride. The kid is sort of amazing at chasing down the deep stuff. I was impressed with his ability to catch up to balls...particularly on the forehand side. Balls that looked to catch him off guard and seemingly sure to get behind him he was able to run down and play aggressively. But moving forwards? A completely different deal. He's a runaway train more often that not when he is rambling forwards and when he gets to the ball he is pretty damn clueless as to what to do with it. Cagey Federer. He exploited this to the power of ten. Logarithmically.

Roger qualifies for the semifinals. That's news. Rafa Nadal was a stumble bum against David Goffin. I watched a bit of that. Maybe Roger gets Nadal in the semifinal. Wait a minute! That's if the Italian Pre-Serve Machine can get there. He has a big match coming up against Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov has a reputation of playing Nadal tough. Go get him Grigor. No prisoners.

Federer vs. Anybody (Marin Cilic) next. Poor Marin. My only question is Roger going to make him wish his mommy never had him again...or is he going to treat him with kid gloves. Get him Roger...sic!!!

[don_budge]

Fafa Nadal retires...

The myth of Rafael Nadal being a great "warrior" was lost on me a long time ago. There has never existed a more ego centric, self serving, narcissistic idiot on the tennis planet ever. His "knee is not perfect". Good riddance...on one hand. On the other it would have been sweet to watch Roger Federer play pin the tail on the jackass one more time this season.

[don_budge]

I wonder if it will be "The Real Thing" versus "The Clone". Dimitrov versus Thiem next in the "Pete Sampras" group. Federer versus Cilic. Hang on folks. The semifinals gets interesting. It's a tournament...a four man tournament.

[bottle]

I wonder if it will be "The Real Thing" versus "The Clone". Dimitrov versus Thiem next in the "Pete Sampras" group. Federer versus Cilic. Hang on folks. The semifinals gets interesting. It's a tournament...a four man tournament.

"Hang on folks." "That's all folks." Also sprach Elmer Fudd.

[gzhpcu]

Dimitrov looked impressive against Goffin today.

[arturohernandez]

We keep hearing about the decline of the one handed backhand. And here we have again the ability to mix it up on a fast court. The way in which tactically the short ball and the change in angles and spins throws the two handers off is interesting. Of course, we don't have Djokovic, Nadal or Murray here.

I keep seeing people glued to the baseline rather than stepping in and hitting an aggressive shot.

Is there any particular reason that I keep thinking that players should step in when a ball is floated from a defensive position?

[bottle]

We keep hearing about the decline of the one handed backhand. And here we have again the ability to mix it up on a fast court. The way in which tactically the short ball and the change in angles and spins throws the two handers off is interesting. Of course, we don't have Djokovic, Nadal or Murray here.

I keep seeing people glued to the baseline rather than stepping in and hitting an aggressive shot.

Is there any particular reason that I keep thinking that players should step in when a ball is floated from a defensive position?

A good idea.

[don_budge]

Dimitrov looked impressive against Goffin today.

Too bad Nadal took a powder today...that was a match I was thinking of. Possibly watchable. It figures that it wasn't meant to be. Goffin looked like he was pretty spent and Dimitrov took advantage of it exactly the way he should. He rolled him.

[don_budge]

Too bad Nadal took a powder today...that was a match I was thinking of. Possibly watchable. It figures that it wasn't meant to be. Goffin looked like he was pretty spent and Dimitrov took advantage of it exactly the way he should. He rolled him.

Yeah...too bad about Nadal. Too bad about Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka. Let's see, that's three of the "Big Four" out of action. Various and sundry injuries. Issues. Nadal has started two tournaments in a row only to quit in the middle of them. Was it game of him to make a showing or was it just a sham? We are left guessing.

It's strange. All of a sudden these guys are taking extended time away from the tour. Are they recycling their PED's. Somehow gearing up for a run at 2018. The big show in London is diminished to a smaller spectacle now. It's only Roger that the tennis audience is seriously anxious to see. How can you make a case for the rest of the players. Possibly for Dimitrov...but that is mainly because he is a curiosity as a clone of Federer. Thiem isn't a draw. Neither is Cilic. Zverev is getting the benefit of the ATP hype machine but how far can he run with it.

The most interesting scenario that the tournament can likely muster is a semifinal with Golden Boy versus Bulgarian Playboy and Roger Federer versus Anybody. Somehow though this business of "Anybody" loses some of it's sheen when none of the major competitors are present and accounted for. The Rolex Paris was a disaster. Sock and Nobody in the finals. Ditto for the last event of the year in London. Roger alone cannot carry the tournament. He needs a supporting cast and it just isn't there. Well...it is winding down. The Federer Era is drawing to a close.

The one positive that I take from all of it is my teaching paradigm withstood the acid test right to the end. Thanks to a racquet change and some kind of metamorphic reinvention of the self...the drive backhand. Ala Don Budge...afterall remember the model is Richard Gonzales with the Don Budge backhand. Don't you love it when that happens. Not that I was right. I just put it out there. Food for thought. That's all it is.

Things are winding down. I feel it in my bones. Age does something to a man. You can feel it coming. The handwriting on the wall.

[gzhpcu]

Jack Sock makes the semifinals. He showed up under the radar. Took out Zerev, who was pretty pissed. He hardly looked at Sock when they shook hands after the match.