6 Year end Championships for Federer

Roger Federer wins the final tournament of the season with a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3, win over Jo Wilfred Tsonga.  Federer always looked the better player displaying his stylish shot making to the packed crowed at the O2 arena. 

Tsonga showed his own impressive shot making keeping the 1^st set close up until he provided a poor service game to let the former world No.1 break him and then ease to a first set lead of 6-3. 

In the second set Tsonga made some poor shot selections to let Federer back into the points.  Although Tsonga managed to break the Swiss man when he was 5-4 up with some mighty return of serves, it appeared to be too much for him as he went match point down in the tie break, but with some ferocious forehands he saved it and created a set point for himself.  He took it and stormed off to his chair with the momentum. 

The third and final set started in the same fashion with both players holding their service games.  Tsonga looked the edgier of the two again making some poor shot selections and a few double faults but still managed to keep in contention with pure power. 

Classic Federer was produced at the right time as he broke the Frenchmen for a 5-3 lead.  Then 40 minutes after his previous match point he created 3 more.  He took it with a volley and won his 70^th career title in his 100^th career final.  It was as good as it gets from Mr Federer and his celebrations were jubilant as he took the title along with a nice sum of money. 

Murray withdraws from the ATP Finals

Andy Murray withdraws from the ATP Tour Finals

Andy Murray has pulled out of the ATP Tour Finals with a groin injury.  It is not entirely surprising after having treatment during his defeat against David Ferrer yesterday.  Whilst warming up with his replacement, Janko Tipsarevic on Sunday, he was also touching his arm which could also have been a factor to him pulling out of the last tournament of the year.  As Federer has beaten Nadal, Federer regains the No.3 ranking. 



Janko Tipsarevic takes Murray's place after practising with him on Sunday. 



Flawless Federer

The audience at the O2 have been anticipating an epic match between Federer and Nadal.  Although it wasn’t the close encounter they had been expecting Federer produced a master class and won 6-3, 6-0.  Federer made some amazing shots whereas Nadal looked a step to slow, but Federer played too well for the World No.2 tonight.  He is now the first person to qualify for the Semi Finals even though he still has to play against Mardy Fish.  Nadal also has another chance to go through against Tsonga. 

Sundays Doubles Action

The doubles started the tournament off with a tense match as M Miryni / D Nestor bt R Bopanna / A Qureshi 7-6(2), 4-6, 11-9.  The second doubles match finished in the same fashion.  M Fyrstenber / M Matkowski bt M Llodra/ N Zimonjic 6-4, 5-7, 11-9. 

Here are some pictures of the first doubles match of the tournament.     



Quershi & Bopanna







Nestor & Miryni



Federer Starts Title Defence

Reigning champion Roger Federer dispatched Jo Wilfred Tsonga in 89 minutes to win 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.  Federer made light work of the first set as he made his 10^th straight appearance at the ATP Tour finale, winning it in 21 minutes. 



There was lots of support for Roger Federer

It looked as though Federer was going to ease away with the match, but the Frenchmen came back strongly, swinging freely and making some stunning returns to level the match in another quick time of 30 minutes. 

The pair remained level with some great points in the deciding set and the atmosphere lifted inside the O2 as the two players kept the set with serve until Tsonga fell 0-40, 4-5 down.  The game suddenly shifted Federer’s way after Tsonga made a double fault and a backhand error to give Federer 3 match points.  Although Tsonga managed to save 1 match point he could not hold off the supreme Swiss man any longer and so Federer finished off the match to gain his first win at the tournament.    

 



Federer made light work of the Frenchmen. 



London's Calling

The top 8 players and teams have been finalised and they are heading to London for the ATP Tour World Finals and today the groups were announced. 

Group A                                                                                                                       Group B

Novak Djokovic                                                                                                             Rafael Nadal

Andy Murray                                                                                                                 Roger Federer

David Ferrer                                                                                                                  Jo Wilfred Tsonga

Thomas Berdych                                                                                                           Mardy Fish

I think the two that make it out of each group will depend on injuries.  It has been a long hard season for all 8 with Djokovic, Nadal and Fish all pulling out of last week’s Paris Masters so we will have to wait and see how ready they will be.  This is why I think Murray has a real chance to win this year as he has had a fantastic end to the season.  Even though he lost to Berdych in the Semis in Paris this will fire up his determination and remind him that he can be beaten by everybody in this final 8.  Tsonga could be the dark horse of the competition, he made it to the final in Paris with the help of the French crowed; but the English love him to with his magnificent showing at Queens adn Wimbledon this summer.  But again his progress through Group B could depend on any injuries that the players have sustained in the past few weeks.   

Easy Pickings for top 4 seeds in Paris

The top seeds have hit Paris today, all dispatching their opponents in 2 straightforward sets. 

Andy Murray bt Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 6-4

Roger Federer bt Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-3

Novak Djokovic bt Ivan Dodig 6-4, 6-3

David Ferrer bt Nicholas Mahut 6-4, 6-4

They all had convincing wins to progress into the 3^rd round and never faced any real pressure.  Murray suited the court as the French have made the surface incredibly slow compared to last year; this has played into the hands of Murray as it will make it very difficult for his opponents to get the ball past him.  Novak Djokovic made easy progress into the 3^rd round but he did not have to play his best against Dodig which is just as well as it he did not have to push his shoulder as hard as he will against the top players.  Andy Murray’s next match will be against the American, Andy Roddick.

British ITF Success

It’s not just the ATP and the WTA Tour tournaments that have been going on in the last few weeks.  The Brits, especially Anne Keothavong have been doing well in the last few weeks at some ITF events. 

Firstly in Barnstaple, Great Britain, Anne Keothavong won the $75,000 tournament in the singles and doubles.  Then she followed up her success again in a $50,000 event in Ismaning, Germany.  She beat Yvonne Meusburger in a tough 3 set match, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.  Keothavong then managed to spur herself on to win the doubles 6-3, 6-3. 

ATP Round Up

Neither Basel nor Valencia’s finals were completely as expected with the No. 1 seeds in both tournaments being knocked out.  In Basel Rodger Federer glided to victory over Kei Nishikori who had defeated Djokovic in the Semi-Finals, 6-1, 6-3.  In Valencia a tough match saw Marcel Granollers taking the title away from Juan Monaco 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3).  

With Nadal already out of the Paris Masters and Djokovic not playing his best, could Murray be the No.1 seed and take another Masters series title?  This is the last tournament before ATP World Tour Finals in London so there will be other players looking to secure their place at the last tournament of the season. 

Czech Republic win the Fed Cup

The Fed Cup was won on the deciding match; with the experienced Czech doubles pairing never looking like they would squander the chance to take the title home with them.  Hradecka and Peschke took their team to victory with a 6-4, 6-2 win.  But it was Petra Kvitova who was the star player winning both matches using her confidence from winning the WTA Championships, to get through a tough win against Svetlana Kuznetsova after being  3-0 down in the final set, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. It was not a bad performance from Russia with all their players doing their best, but they were defeated by the better team. 

Also in the women’s game today, Ana Ivanovic celebrated her 24^th birthday with style after taking $600,000 with a win over Anabel Medina Garrigues to take the Commonwealth Bank of Champions title in Bali.

Straightforward

I won my match today and the event because only 1 other girl entered!  It was very easy but they are still good matches to play as it helps your concentration. 

Not my day

I played a match today but did not play my best.  The girl I played was higher rated than me and as she was injured I was too excited for the win and could not keep calm at the important moments.  Playing on Clay as well and so my movement was not as good as it could be due to not playing on the Clay for a while.  I have another match tomorrow so hopefully I will play better then.