London Day 3: Anderson, Federer win

Day Three of the Nitto ATP Finals in London featured the second series of round robin matches from Group Lleyton Hewitt, and the trend of straight sets wins continued.

Group Guga Kuerten

Novak Djokovic (1)

Sascha Zverev (3)

Marin Cilic (5)

John Isner (8)

Group Lleyton Hewitt 

Roger Federer (2)

Kevin Anderson (4)

Dominic Thiem (6)

Kei Nishikori (7)

Day Three round robin matches

Kevin Anderson (4) defeated Kei Nishikori (7)

A battle of two winners from the opening day was quickly an Anderson benefit, with powerful serving and aggressive returns pressuring Nishikori into error.

The fourth seed won 80% of points on his serve in set one, whereas Nishikori could only manage 41% on his delivery.

Eight times Anderson had a chance to break the Japanese serve and he was successful three times.  The set was won 6-0.

Set two was no better on the scoreboard for Nishikori, his points won on serve just 8 from 17.  He did hold serve once, but the match was effectively done and dusted well before that.  Anderson delivered the final blow for a 6-0 6-1 triumph, strongly placed now to make the semi finals.

Roger Federer (2) defeated Dominic Thiem (6)

A much better performed Federer, from the outset, placed Thiem in bother.  Both required a win to remain in contention (without relying on other results) for a semi final spot, and it was the Swiss player who stepped up his game from Day One.

Using the backhand slice to his advantage, Federer forced Thiem into a number of errors, and the Austrian’s efforts to move forward brought little benefit.

Federer faced no break points on his serve in the opening set, and broke Thiem twice for a 6-2 lead.

In set two, Federer lost only one point on his own serve, while taking 14 points off the Thiem serve.

Two more service breaks and a decisive win for Federer 6-2 6-3

As a result, Anderson needs to win a single game in his final round robin match against Federer to clinch a semi final spot.

If that occurs, the other semi final spot from Group Lleyton Hewitt will be a battle between Federer, Nishikori and Thiem.

Zverev, Djokovic start with London wins

Day Two of the Nitto ATP Finals in London featured round robin matches from Group Guga Kuerten 

Group Guga Kuerten

Novak Djokovic (1)

Sascha Zverev (3)

Marin Cilic (5)

John Isner (8)

Group Lleyton Hewitt 

Roger Federer (2)

Kevin Anderson (4)

Dominic Thiem (6)

Kei Nishikori (7)

Day Two round robin matches

Sascha Zverev (3) defeated Marin Cilic (5)

It was Cilic who started the better on the scoreboard, although his 3-0 lead was hard fought.  He attacked the Zverev forehand to achieve the initial service break, and held three break points for a 4-0 advantage.

Zverev prevented this, and stuck close to the Croatian, forcing him to serve for the set.

Failing on this task, with backhand errors and a double fault, Cilic allowed Zverev into a tie break where the German attained control of the set, winning it on his third chance 7-6(5).

Cilic could have been in serious trouble in set two, but saved break points in the second and sixth games.  He then took the lead, breaking Zverev in the seventh game.

No denying the third seed though, who won two games on the trot, and Cilic at 4-5 needed to hold serve to stay in the match.

30-0 became match point after two netted shots off the Cilic racquet, and a splendid Zverev forehand return winner.

The match point was saved and a second tie break was required.

Cilic found a whole lot of unforced errors just when they were unwelcome, and Zverev was 5-1 in a flash.

A backhand down the line and an unreturned serve finished the match with Sascha Zverev the victor 7-6(5) 7-6(1)

Novak Djokovic (1) defeated John Isner (8)

Djokovic is one player who can handle the huge serving of Isner, and he certainly showed how in a master class of returning in this match.

Ironically it was the world number one who opened with two love service games, while Isner struggled, having to stave off break points in each of his first three games from the line.

The American was successful for two games but Djokovic broke the serve in game five, and consolidated to lead 4-2.

The set was Serbian 6-4.

Djokovic had won 21 of 25 points on his serve, and three of the four points lost were in one game.  

Set two was more of the same, with Djokovic hitting winners from all over the court, and returning more of Isner’s serves than is seemingly possible, and at least placing a racquet on many of the ones not returned.

And the serving, while not menacing with pace, was immaculate in placement, pushing Isner wide and back and to positions of awkwardness resulting in 16 points won from 18 serves delivered.

Still not facing a break point in the match, and cracking open the Isner serve twice, Novak Djokovic won the second set and the match 6-4 6-3,    sounding an ominous warning to the other seven in this tournament.

The final forehand passing shot, the 22nd winner for Djokovic, was an exquisite reminder of the form he has been in since July.

Anderson, Nishikori win in London

The last, and one of the most prestigious events on the 2018 men’s tennis calendar, has begun - the Nitto ATP Finals in London.

At the weekend, the final of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan was played:

In a terrific spectacle, Stefanos Tsitsipas (1) overcame a first set loss to defeat Alex de Minaur 2-4 4-1 4-3(3) 4-3(3).

Both players should be happy with what they have achieved this year, and the possibilities for 2019.

In the play off for third, Andrey Rublev (5) defeated Jaume Munar (7) 1-4 4-3(4) 2-4 4-2 4-3(3)

Nitto ATP Finals

The eight players who qualified did so based on points gained throughout the year in the ATP Race.  Rafa Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro would have qualified second and fourth, but due to injury couldn’t appear in the London finale.

Their places have been taken by the ninth and tenth placegetters, Kei Nishikori and John Isner.

Group Guga Kuerten

Novak Djokovic (1)

Sascha Zverev (3)

Marin Cilic (5)

John Isner (8)

Group Lleyton Hewitt 

Roger Federer (2)

Kevin Anderson (4)

Dominic Thiem (6)

Kei Nishikori (7)

Day One round robin matches

Kevin Anderson (4) defeated Dominic Thiem (6)

Anderson was aggressive after the pair exchanged service holds in the opening two games, both from the baseline, and moving confidently to the net.

The South African won 12 of 14 points in the next three games to establish a 4-1 advantage, and although Thiem saved five break points in his following service games, he couldn’t find a way through the Anderson delivery which was responsible for 21 of 25 points to the fourth seed, and a solid first set win 6-3.

Set two was a close contest, with each player surrendering just two points on their first serve.

A tie break was inevitable, and Anderson was down an early mini break.  He came back and it wasn’t until late, after saving two set points, when a South African down the line forehand presented Anderson with match point.

Kevin Anderson prevailed 6-3 7-6(10).

Kei Nishikori (7) defeated Roger Federer (2)

Federer was definitely out of sorts in his opening match against a switched on Nishikori.  Although neither player faced a break point in the first set, it was Nishikori who took control in the tie break, winning six of the first seven points, a situation where Federer normally rules.

Down 6-7(4), the Swiss master couldn’t find his first serve, and Nishikori capitalised accordingly.  After an exchange of service breaks, Federer’s game deserted him.  A despondent body language followed a series of unforced errors, not featured in the Federer copybook, which must have been left in Switzerland.

The deciding break occurred in game six, where Nishikori attacked Federer mercilessly and reaped success.

When serving for the match at 5-3, Kei Nishikori received little resistance from Federer and won 7-6(4) 6-3, his first victory over Roger since Miami 2014.

Fed Cup in Czech hands again

Day two of the Fed Cup between the Czech Republic and the USA.

Rubber Three

Katerina Siniaková (Czech Republic) v Sofia Kenin (USA)

In one of the most memorable matches in recent Fed Cup history, Siniaková broke the American serve in the opening game of set one, and consolidated the break for a 2-0 lead,

Then a five deuce game saw Kenin break back for 1-2, the first of three successive dropped serves.

At 5-5, the pair had managed to hold serve only twice each.

When Siniaková broke to love in the eleventh game, and served out to lead 7-5, Kenin could merely reflect on her 23 unforced errors and two points won out of fourteen on her second serve.

Siniaková led 3-0 in set two and had two break points for a 4-0 and seemingly insurmountable advantage.

However, Kenin dug herself out of this deep hole to not only hold serve, but proceed to break the Czech delivery three times and level the match at 5-7 7-5.

In the decider, Siniaková once more jumped ahead to a 3-0 lead, after saving several break points in the opening game.

Kenin struggled onto the scoreboard and then we witnessed a nineteen minute game on the Siniaková serve.  Five break points were saved in this epic 55 point game and Siniaková finished it ahead 4-1.

Instead of feeling vanquished after missing out on all those chances, Kenin won four straight games and remarkably had two match points on the Siniaková serve.

Thanks to courageous deep and wide shots, Siniaková saved the match points, and Kenin nervously contributed errors, leading to a break of the American serve.

Siniaková held serve after trailing 0-40, and Kenin let slip a 40-30 lead when serving to stay in the match.

Katerina Siniaková defeated Sofia Kenin with her second match point, after three hours and forty five minutes, 7-5 5-7 7-5, to give the Czech Republic a 3-0 lead and victory in this years Fed Cup.

Six of the last eight Fed Cup triumphs have been enjoyed by the Czech team, and with its depth a successful 2019 defence is surely on the cards.

Czech Republic 2-0 in Fed Cup

The first day of the Fed Cup final has been played between the Czech Republic and the USA, without the presence of Petra Kvitová, who had to withdraw from her opening match through illness.

Rubber One

Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) v Sofia Kenin (USA)

19 year old Kenin was making her Fed Cup debut, and Strycova was playing her last Fed Cup tie for her country.

After dropping her serve in the third game of set one, Kenin fought back to 3-3.  Another exchange of breaks, and eventually a tie break resulted.

Kenin won four successive points to lead 5-2, and on her second set point took the lead 7-6(5).

Strycova saved two break points in the opening game of set two, then raced away to 6-1, taking advantage of increased unforced errors from the American.

The decider was even, but Strycova used her experience, winning the important points and converting an extra break opportunity to give the Czech Republic the initial edge 6-7(5) 6-1 6-4.

Rubber 2

Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) v Alison Riske (USA)

In a match of lost chances for Riske, it was the Czech Republic which won the day.

Up 4-1 with a break in the opening set, Siniakova was broken to love, and Riske was back on even terms.  However, Siniakova struck again in the eighth game, and she it served out with ease to lead 6-3.

Riske led 3-1 in set two after cracking the Czech serve, but failed to consolidate after having 30-30 and deuce in the following game.

Serve was held by both players until Siniakova broke in the eleventh game.

Despite being unable to serve out the match, Siniakova dominated the tie break, and won 6-3 7-6(2).

The Czech Republic leads the USA 2-0 after Day One.

Tsitsipas, de Minaur in Milan final

The semi finals in the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan were the two best matches of the tournament, and both went the five set distance.

First semi final

Alex de Minaur (2) v Jaume Munar (7)

Munar had won both previous matches between the two - a futures event in Spain in 2016, and a Challenger final also in Spain - Segovia August 2017.

However, de Minaur has jumped from 208 at the start of 2018 to now sit at 31.

Neither player dropped serve in the opening set, with Munar winning 10 of 11 points on first serve, and taking the tie break seven points to five.

The Australian then grabbed control of the match, using his speed around the court, and running to the net on many occasions to end points.

The second and third sets were parcelled away by de Minaur 4-1 4-1, and he had match points in the fourth set when the Spaniard trailed 2-3 and 0-40.  Munar fought valiantly to stave off the match points, de Minaur missing the lines by centimetres.

After failing to break Munar and win the match, de Minaur also fell to a revitalised Munar in the tie break, seven points to four, and a fifth set would decide the match.

de Minaur won 10 of 12 points on his first serve in set five, and punished the Spanish second serve, winning all but one point when it was delivered.

One break of serve was managed by de Minaur, but he nearly blew his chances - seven break points for the set, and only four chances converted from 17 created in the match.

Alex de Minaur served out the semi final 3-4(5) 4-1 4-1 3-4(4) 4-2 in a two hour quality contest.

Second semi final

Stefanos Tsitsipas (1) v Andrey Rublev (5)

The opening two sets went to tie breaks, as no service breaks occurred, and the match was tied.

Tsitsipas took complete control in set three, winning 80% of points on serve, and taking all four games.  His variety of shot making had Rublev altogether bemused.

The Russian steadied in set four, his serve much more consistent, and he broke the Tsitsipas serve twice to level the match 3-4(3) 4-3(5) 0–4 4-2.

The deciding set saw Rublev playing catch up, serving second, but he handled the pressure well, achieving an equalising break, and forcing a tie break to determine the victor.

Tsitsipas stepped up when it mattered, and raced to a 6-2 lead in the tie break, and Rublev was unable to save the first of four match points.

Stefanos Tsitsipas won the eye catching semi final 4-3(3) 3-4 (5) 4-0 2-4 4-3(2) and will play Alex de Minaur in the final.

Both finalists have yet to lose a match in the tournament.

Semi finals set in Milan

The final round robin matches were played in the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan:

Group A

Stefanos Tsitsipas (1) defeated Hubert Hurkacz (6) 4-1 4-3(2) 4-1, and is undefeated in the tournament 

Jaume Munar (7) defeated Frances Tiafoe (3) 4-1 4-3(3) 4-1

Group B

Alex de Minaur (2) defeated Taylor Fritz (4) 4-3(8) 4-1 4-2, after saving six first set points, and is undefeated in the tournament 

Andrey Rublev (5) defeated wildcard Liam Caruana (8) 4-3(7) 4-1 4-2

The semi finals are as follows:

Alex de Minaur (2) v Jaume Munar (7)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (1) v Andrey Rublev (5)