ATP WTF Previews Part II, Who’s in it to win it?
As part I of this preview series detailed, the ATP World Tour Finals (WTF) happen to be just around the corner and the tennis world is rife with predictions and discussions of possible outcomes of the last big, prestigious tournament of the year.
As mentioned before, the world’s top eight players will be competing against each other in round robin play, which means every player will have a chance to compete against every other player in the tournament.
The first preview ran over the previous performances and chances of the top four players, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Robin Soderling. This second installment will recap the feats and chances of the next four players, namely Andy Murray,
Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer and Andy Roddick.
Andy Murray:
Britain’s Number 1 missed the semi finals of the WTF by a very slim margin last year, and as a consequence, he may be out for blood in 2010. Should he be fit enough, lucky enough and shrewd enough to win this tournament, it may well be the best thing to
happen to his career.
While winning Wimbledon is still difficult for the player due to Nadal’s inclination to block him out during the event, the WTF is most definitely the kind of tournament where Murray can hope to excel, due to the best-of-3 format.
Murray also has a very strong motive to win. Should he succeed in a London event, the home crowd’s support for him would be overwhelming, perhaps enough to ease up on the Slam-less pressure.
Tomas Berdych:
Back in 2005 when Berdych managed to win the Paris Masters, the tennis world waited with bated breaths for what they thought would be their next champion, possibly of Nadal-esque stature.
They were disappointed. He fell out of the success circuit until this year, when he reached the French Open semi-final and the Wimbledon final. His season was almost upset by Federer, but he saved two match points in Miami and went on to have a remarkable
summer.
He lost out in Montreal and hasn’t recovered yet. He still has wins over all seven of the players at the WTF. He also has nothing to lose, and he may gain some of his lost potential with success at this tournament.
David Ferrer:
Since his miserable loss to Fernando Verdasco at the US Open, Ferrer has been giving it all he’s got in order to redeem himself. Before the US Open, his chances at WTF were minute. However, now that he’s in he seems to be trying his best. He holds good records
against everyone in the top eight except Federer, who has nevertheless been taking unnecessary hits recently. He is also the most underestimated player in the top eight. Still, he has done well at the end of year championships before. He will not be playing
at tournaments for the rest of the year, so a good show at the WTF will afford him the luxury of some weeks of well-earned rest.
Andy Roddick:
A last minute squeeze into the WTF, Roddick has been playing good tennis since his succession of injuries, which have tormented him since the clay courts subsided. If luck is on his sides – and with his qualification for the year-end events, it seems to
be – his injuries are over and done with and he will be able to showcase the best he has to offer at London.
He was unable to play last year due to injuries, and his Wimbledon losses were gut-wrenching for any fan. If he wins the WTF, it will be a great chance for him to boost his self-confidence and re-establish himself as a player to be reckoned with. He also
has the advantage of massive support. Few fans would object to him winning a big tournament at this stage in his career.
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