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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

ATP World Tour Finals: Tsonga Beats Fish To Keep Himself In Race



Jo-Wilfried Tsonga met Mardy Fish in the match of Sunday’s losers in Group B with the day’s loser almost definite to go out of the tournament.  Stakes were high for both players.

Mardy Fish was lucky with the toss and elected to serve.  He looked jaded to start with and gave double break point to Tsonga with sloppy play at the net. His intent was right but the body was moving slowly. He saved three break points but could not save the fourth to surrender the advantage of serving first. However, Tsonga could not stomach the gain and gave the break immediately back. Now it was Fish’s generosity to drop the serve in the very next game after committing a double fault at 15-30. The quality of play was not up to the standard from both ends. It was the Frenchman who steadied himself first and started playing with consistency. Fish was finding it difficult to replicate the form he showed against Nadal on Sunday. He not only looked slow but was actually slow. To compound his difficulties, his serve too was not the one that has given him many free points in recent times. But he woke up in the seventh game and took the game at love through good serve and determined play. But by this time, Tsonga had gone in another zone. Both the players were playing their best game and unlike at the beginning, were going through their service games with plenty to spare. At 5-4, it was crucial for Fish to do something to prevent Tsonga from serving out the set. With sheer grit and determination, he brought the set to level terms. And then he surged ahead with a love game. Tsonga had started committing errors on crucial points, as he did against Federer on Sunday. But he managed to take the set to the tie breaker through accurate serves.  He continued precision on serve and sent in four first serves to go up 5-2. Fish too was playing his heart out and keeping pace. Tsonga continued his first serve and took the tie break 7-4. He did not have to serve a single second serve in the entire tie breaker.

In the reversal of the first set, Fish broke in the very first game of the second set. But his fortune was short lived as he gave the advantage back in the very next game. He was not getting the type of short balls that Nadal gave him on Sunday. He saved two break points in the fourth game with brilliant net play but could not save the game since Tsonga was playing with full confidence now. While Fish smashed his racquet on the ground to give vent to his frustration, Tsonga cruised. At 1-4, time was passing fast for Fish. Try as he did, he could not save the third straight service game and with score line at 5-1 on Tsonga serve, the writing was on the wall. Tsonga opened the crucial game with a double fault and followed it up with a long stroke. Fish was running like possessed to save every point. He could not do much however and the set was over 6-1 in Tsonga favour.

Fish did everything and lost. Tsonga winning in straight set has opened up the group and much will depend on the night match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Monday, November 21, 2011

ATP World Tour Finals: Andy Murray Pays Price For Complacency And Reckless Bravado



The local hero Andy Murray met the underdog David Ferrer in the first match of Group A in Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Expectations always run high when Murray plays in U.K but he disappointed the viewers losing to Ferrer in straight sets 4-6 5-7.

Andy Murray won the toss but surprisingly elected to receive. Ferrer opened the proceedings and went through the first game without dropping a point, though courtesy Murray who committed four consecutive unforced errors.  When Ferrer committed double fault to go down 15-30 in the third game, Murray sensed opportunity and got a double  break point. He squandered them but made amends later in the game to draw the first blood going up 2-1. Casual play in the next game saw Murray giving back the advantage. Murray was making uncharacteristic unforced errors without Ferrer making any contribution to it. To the dismay of the local fans, the errors were coming in pairs making it difficult to undo the mistake once committed. It was mostly the net that was coming in between. Through the middle of the first set, Murray served at 33%, putting undue pressure on himself to win through the ground strokes. But he was not succeeding in that too. In the first seven games, Murray had committed 17 unforced errors.  It was a struggle. One was not sure what strategy, if at all, had he come out with in the first match of the tournament. Ferrer was going through his routines and that was enough to keep him in the race. He got the opportunity when Murray gave set points on his serve twice to Ferrer and Ferrer got home on the second set point when Murray committed another unforced error. Electing to receive after winning the toss had clearly proved to be Murray’s undoing.

Murray called the trainer at the close of the first set with problem in his left hip joint. On resumption, Murray broke Ferrer in the very first game and consolidated the break when Ferrer committed consecutive unforced errors. But a number of errors in the fourth game by Murray gave the break back at love. Was it nervousness or pressure of playing before the home crowd that was hampering Murray’s game. But he got a double break point in the seventh game and it was Ferrer who committed unforced error by hitting the ball beyond the baseline to give a crucial break to Murray.  Murray continued erratic play and gave back the break by committing a double fault on the break point. Pressure visibly mounted on Murray when he came out to serve to stay in the match at 4-5. Murray could not put a single first serve in to go down 15-30, but still managed to stay alive. Impatience was doing him in and in his anxiety to score a winner, he was committing abnormally high unforced errors. Ferrer continued to play within his limits with occasional overzealousness. His opportunity came in the twelfth game on Murray’s serve when he dug in to return all balls without aiming to hit any risky winner. He got a match point and was content on returning the ball one more time. Murray chose wrong shots to let Ferrer get open court and the match was over 6-4 7-5 in Ferrer’s favour.

Andy Murray lost by serving only 46% first serves in and committing 44 unforced errors. Ferrer won by playing a percentage game within his limits.  Fortune favours the brave but not a reckless bravado. Murray tried uncontrolled aggression and paid the price.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

ATP World Tour Finals: Nadal Less Than Impressive Against Fish



Rafael Nadal edged past a fighting Mardy Fish in his opening match at Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in three sets. It was a less than impressive performance. Those who were hoping for a rejuvenated Nadal after days of rest found their hopes belied. With families of both the players in the box, the fight was more of a battle. Nadal overcame Fish 6-2 3-6 7-6.

It was Fish who came out rusty in the first set. His serves were not befitting his recent serving capabilities. If he put in 57% of first serves in, he could take solace in that his rival put in just 48%. That Nadal won even after not finding his first serve more often than not, is a reflection of the game Fish played. All the usual weaker points were on view in Nadal’s game. The short balls, the impoverished back hand shots, less than penetrating serves etcetera. His defence however was good and the occasional miraculous shots lifted his morale from time to time. Fish committed a number of errors and when the set ended, all the signs were there of an impending straight sets win.

The things turned in the second set. Fish started on a pro-active strategy. He would attack at the first opportunity. He improved his serves and attacked the net. His soft touch at the net was delicate enough to prevail over a charging Nadal. On his part, Nadal continued the same game and suffered. His vacant forehand corner gave numerous opportunities to Fish. More and more players are learning the wisdom in attacking the forehand side of Nadal. There were no indications that Nadal camp has been successful in plugging the gaps in that corner. Fish won the set 6-3 to push the match into the final set.

Nadal earned break in the very first game of Fish to go up 2-0 and the signs were there that the second set could have been a practice set for Nadal. That was not to be. Fish won three consecutive games attacking Nadal and baring his defences. In crucial moments, Nadal was not able to find his first serve. Fish was attacking the second serve with vigour, determined that attack is the best defence against Nadal. He was able to save match points in the tenth game to push the match into the tie breaker. When Nadal won the first four points, the tie break was virtually over. Fighting as well as he did, Fish could not reverse the momentum in the tie breaker and lost 3-7.

All the three players in Nadal half are attacking players. He will have to be more attacking himself to ward off the opponents from the net.


ATP World Tour Finals: Federer Passes Tsonga Test In The Opener


Roger Federer continued his mastery over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the opening match of Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London defeating him in three sets 6-2 2-6 6-4. 

Federer raced through the first set riding  on his characteristic first serves which Tsonga found difficult to return effectively. Tsonga was playing big points poorly, not pacing his game to be effective in the crucial situations.  Federer was dominating the ground rallies too. The set was over in no time with spectators yearning for a gripping opener.  The score read 6-2.

And their prayers were answered. Tsonga upped the strength in his serves and ground strokes. More than that he started remaining in the rallies a bit longer. Many a time, Federer’s backhand gave clues to Tsonga how to win the crucial points. Tsonga takes risks and it paid off. Winning ordinary points in spectacular manner which brought him cheers from the stands raised his morale and at the same time lowered that of his rival.  There was no hesitation in Tsonga’s mind when he served for the set at 5-2 and the match went into the decider. 

The third set gave no early clues to the end result. Both the players were playing their own game well. Federer had brought more defence into his strategy. The crucial game came at 4-5 for Tsonga when he served to stay in the match. The better match player that he is, Federer seized the moment when Tsonga buried an easy volley into the net and double faulted to go down 0-30. When Tsonga failed to set his first serve in, Federer literally jumped into the second serve to hurry Tsonga into a poor shot to set up a triple match point. He did not falter on the second and wrapped up the set 6-4.