2012

[djarvik]

BTW - my user name on TT is the same as here

[Corbon]

I am not registered on TW, I only lurk. Too many idiots, trolls and fanboys (losing in the early rounds is better than losing in the final because otherwise it would screw up your finals win percentage. Oh yeah, going 1-0 in GS finals is better than 10-5... just one example).

I noticed that someone made the same topic at the same time on TW there so I was curious. Also Laura Robson

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/forumdis ... esc&page=2

[VMoe86]

So far Djokovic has around 1000 points more than Federer. Federer basically has to repeat his run from last year to end the year as World Number 1: Win a Masters 1000 (he is playing Shanghai and I doubt he will play Paris), win Basel and win WTF without losing a match. I doubt Paris, because Basel, Paris and WTF would be all back-to-back, no pause.

Djokovic is playing Beijing, Shanghai, Paris and WTF. I don't think he will skip Paris. Maybe he will be tired for WTF, but his average level is good enough to make the SF there also after a deep run at Paris.

One of the two will have the best 2012, because they showed consistency throughout the whole season, including winning a slam. Murray also won a slam and had good results at all slams, but in order to become number 1 one day he has to make consistently deep runs at Masters 1000 and at the four Majors. Just look at the W-L record for 2012:

Federer: 61-8

Djokovic: 60-11

Murray: 47-11

I think Djokovic will end the year as number 1.

[Corbon]

Shanghai and Paris Masters are mandatory events, you can't "skip" them until you have a valid excuse. Actually I was expecting Nole to play in Basel as well. I am sure that Fed will retain his title there, everything else is wide open.

As for W-L statistics, note that Nole lost two games at the Olympics and Fed's W-L also includes Davis Cup matches.

[Kono]

I didn't know where this belongs so I put it here. Nieminen was leading Gasquet 6-3, 4-0 and HE LOST.. This is the Jarkko who I know, unbelievable choke Bangkok semifinal.

[supinesmokey13]

Shanghai and Paris Masters are mandatory events, you can't "skip" them until you have a valid excuse. Actually I was expecting Nole to play in Basel as well. I am sure that Fed will retain his title there, everything else is wide open.

As for W-L statistics, note that Nole lost two games at the Olympics and Fed's W-L also includes Davis Cup matches.

you can skip them if you are above 30 and are a long stand player on tour i.e 11 years on tour and or 600 matches

[Corbon]

Ah I didn't know that. So Fed could theoretically skip all Masters per year since he meets all requirements.

[ICEMAN_9588]

And anyway, if a top player wants to "skip" a Master 1000 event, he only needs an "official" motivation that could be a little injury, even a flu is good XD

Obviously he will have a 0 in the ranking. Master 1000 cannot be eliminated (as non-countable tournaments) from the point calculation in Entry System.
It means that if Djokovic has 250 points (result of winning Belgrade, for example) as non-countable events, he cant replace the 0 in a Master 1000 with those 250 points.

Of course all this stuff doesn't make sostancial difference in top players ranking, but it's a "zero" anyway.

[Corbon]

Huge win by Raonic over Murray in the Tokyo SF, saved 2 match points and pulled through 6-3 6-7 7-6.

[Moralspain]

Huge win by Raonic over Murray in the Tokyo SF, saved 2 match points and pulled through 6-3 6-7 7-6.

this guy has the potencial, let's wait and see his performance in Australia, he should reach QF to be on the right track

[Corbon]

If he wins, he's going to move into the Top 10 but NIshikori is the crowd favourite obviously.

Raonic still needs to work on his return games andhe needs to get better during crunchtime play. Tie-breaks, holding serve while being a break ahead, etc. Isner for example is still better in this regard. 2nd serve Raonic is also a beast, fairly few double faults as well.

Edit: He saved two match points on serve which is awesome against a strong returner like Murray but should've won the second set tie break imo.

[ICEMAN_9588]

Good victory for Raonic, but it's time to start beating big players also in great tournaments.

For me, Milos has to take the maximum advantage from his best shots. Service is great, of course, but he still keeps on rallying to match from the baseline, instead of attacking the ball when this possibility comes.
Even if he is faster and nimbler than players like Isner and Karlovic, he will never be "that" good during a long baseline rally, with top spin shots and rare acceleration.

It's also a psychological problem, he must convince himself to play a different kind of tennis.
Then, maybe he will able to compete against top ten players like Berdych or Tsonga, and even defeat (sometimes) one of the big 4 in Masters 1000 (much more rarely in GS), but nothing more, in my opinion.

He can become a top ten, for sure. But top 5? Mmmh, don't really think so.

[ICEMAN_9588]

Here's what I was talking about yesterday.
Today Raonic lost Tokyo final against the new national hero (I guess) Nishikori 76(5) 36 60.

60 in the final set after you equalized the match. Unless he had some sort of injuries, the score of the deciding set has no excuses for a player who wants to be a top ten.

[Corbon]

Was kinda shocked that a strong server like him gets shut out in a set.

Great win by Nishi though, it's always nice to see an underdog winning in front of his home crowd.

If Raonic manages to stay within the Top 16, he won't face a top player before the R16 in a Slam and then he could be good for an upset to reach his first QF. Unless his opponent is Djokovic. He just has to stay focused for 4-5 sets. A big breakthrough would be a SF or a Masters final.

[djarvik]

Unless he had some sort of injuries, the score of the deciding set has no excuses for a player who wants to be a top ten.

He did have an injury, a frontal lobe sprain.