ATP Finals

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Yahoo Sport Australia: Bernard Tomic shocks fans with debut on adult website.

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/tennis-news-bernard-tomic-makes-debut-adult-website-232459485.html

This last Tomic sighting could not be more unrelated to this thread, but it is too funny.

[don_budge]

Yahoo Sport Australia: Bernard Tomic shocks fans with debut on adult website.

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/tennis-news-bernard-tomic-makes-debut-adult-website-232459485.html

This last Tomic sighting could not be more unrelated to this thread, but it is too funny.

Another potential "MeToo" moment waiting to happen. Nice bod on the GF...if you like that sort of thing. Not difficult to understand what has happened to Tomic's brain in this case. With the right set and combination of bodacious body part all men are susceptible to this sort of thing. Bully for him and best of luck. He never did have the best reputation in some of the choices he has made. He and Brother Nick. Young with a lot of money, fast cars, fame and not the highest of IQ's...accidents waiting to happen.

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Yes the gf has an obvious appeal, no doubt, bur if I were her coach(which I am not), I would have advised against the arm tattoo. Also, I think I would be amiss not to mention that even though this girl is "easy on the eyes", by today's Instagram standards, she does not really stand our that much. That being said, I expect she will soon "tank" on her relationship with Bernard. Also, that being said, it is way easier to talk about the abundance of Instagram hotties than to actually land one. Pro tennis players seem to be at the top of the food chain in that regard, but Bernie could not be on more borrowed time in that regard.

[stotty]

Nadal v Thiem

Stunningly good match played at a relentless tempo. Thiem averaged 88 mph off his backhand wing in the second set tiebreak. Talk about upping your game in the clutch...and some of his inside out forehands at the key moments were amazing. The great thing about a Nadal v Thiem match is you are guaranteed flat out effort from start to finish. Once again Rafa shows he has the best overhead on the tour...along with Roger. Rafa's first serve percentage was low by his standards but both men worked well behind their second serves. There is a lesson in there somewhere for Zverev one feels.

Thiem hit 37 winners, twelve more than Rafa. Great match by Thiem. He really went for it.

Looking forward to watching the handsome Greek versus Russia's Raskolnikov...Rublev. I'm rooting for the Greek.

[stroke]

Nadal v Thiem

Stunningly good match played at a relentless tempo. Thiem averaged 88 mph off his backhand wing in the second set tiebreak. Talk about upping your game in the clutch...and some of his inside out forehands at the key moments were amazing. The great thing about a Nadal v Thiem match is you are guaranteed flat out effort from start to finish. Once again Rafa shows he has the best overhead on the tour...along with Roger. Rafa's first serve percentage was low by his standards but both men worked well behind their second serves. There is a lesson in there somewhere for Zverev one feels.

Thiem hit 37 winners, twelve more than Rafa. Great match by Thiem. He really went for it.

Looking forward to watching the handsome Greek versus Russia's Raskolnikov...Rublev. I'm rooting for the Greek.

Spot on Stotty, back to the subject at hand. Thiem was totally engaged, playing every point as if it was the most important thing in his life, as did Rafa obviously. A huge win for Thiem.

[stotty]

Stefanos v Rublev

Tennis is a funny game. Stephanos was head and shoulders the better player for the first set and 98% of the second...then it all went pear-shaped in under a minute. He made hard work of it but Stephanos made it passed the finish line in the end. When he is playing well he plays with more authority than anyone out there. So attacking and mentally assertive. Exciting to watch too. I'm glad he won. Rublev is the most limited player in the ATP finals. He's looked inexperienced and out of his depth so far.

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Today up is Alex vs Diego and Novak vs Medvedev. Alex and Novak are favored of course. Novak and Medvedev could be a very interesting match, but it will be hard to top the every single point contested quality of yesterday's Thiem vs Nadal.

[stotty]

Djokovic v Medvedev

Medvedev a break up at 4-3 in the first. Very high standard but slightly dull at the same time. How many mesmerising 20 stroke rallies can you actually watch? I wish Novak would stop bailing out in rallies with his backhand drop shot...always hits it in the same place...down the line.

Novak doesn't seem to fancy going through the lung-busting rallies today. He will have to grind it out to win.

[stotty]

Medvedev is a set and 3-0 up and hacking away like mad...no adventure in his play whatsoever but he is soaking everything up Novak throws at him. Novak doesn't seem to fancy digging deep and seems not prepared to slug out endless 20-odd stroke rallies. I think he might if it was the final though.

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Djokovic v Medvedev

Medvedev a break up at 4-3 in the first. Very high standard but slightly dull at the same time. How many mesmerising 20 stroke rallies can you actually watch? I wish Novak would stop bailing out in rallies with his backhand drop shot...always hits it in the same place...down the line.

Novak doesn't seem to fancy going through the lung-busting rallies today. He will have to grind it out to win.

So true. Nadal went all in yesterday in his very tough loss to Thiem. As you said, Novak is just not willing thus far to play every point as though it is the most important thing in his life. Way to much bailing out.

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Not pretty by Novak. A bit like his FO loss to Rafa. Just not willing to go all in from the 1st point on. That being said, he is still the 3rd best of all time I guess.

[stotty]

Disappointing from Novak's point of view. He was happy to let it go. It's a risky ploy as he risks being knocked out if he wobbles against Zverev. Good job his fans weren't there...cost of the tickets ain't cheap.

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He could definitely learn something about effort day in day out from Rafa, the gold standard of going all in, "embracing the pain". That was about as impressive a loss as one will ever see yesterday vs Thiem. And all credit to Thiem also.

[stotty]

You have to believe it's going to be harder for Novak going forward with players like Medvedev and Thiem clipping at his heels. At 33, and with that gruelling, monotonous game of his, he is going to have to start getting strategic. Letting last night's match with Medvedev go is probably a wise move, assuming he gets past Zverev. He can still win the tournament. After all why show Medvedev everything you've got in a foreplay match. Wiser to hold back, converse energy, and unleash everything he's got for a potential final with the same player...Medvedev.

Nadal did let a match go against Schwartman in Rome. Conservation is starting to enter Nadal's mind too. They can both learn a thing from Roger here.

I wonder how good Medvedev is when the same game is thrown back at him...the mirror strategy as John Yandell calls it. You have to believe he is better at soaking up pace as oppose to dishing it out. Just a thought. You fancy Roger could unlock Medvedev's door rather handily.

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On tap today Rublev vs Thiem and Tsitsipas vs Nadal. Thiem and Nadal favored. Surprisingly to me, Nadal is a strong favorite at a 71% implied probability of winning.