Tuesday 30 November 2010

Auction sales/final rankings/end of year review

Do you remember the ATP World Tour Finals Pictures I posted, if not here is a link. On that post there are 8 art balling pictures by the top 8 players. These pictures have been auctioned over the last few days and they raised around $125,000. Here is how much each won raised:

1.)Andy Roddick - $33,100
2.)Roger Federer - $27,300
3.)Rafael Nadal - $26,500
4.)Novak Djokovic - $22,103
5.)Andy Murray - $7301
6.)Robin Soderling - $5100
7.)David Ferrer - $3350
8.)Tomas Berdych - $3001

I have also updated the year end rankings, click here to see the year end rankings.

As said yesterday, starting tomorrow there will be a count down of the top 25 players of all time to christmas. Click here to see yesterday's post about this.

Finally in the next week or so, I should be posting a review of the year for the top 10 players.

SEE YOU TOMORROW FOR THE ADVENT CALENDAR!

Monday 29 November 2010

Competition

The competition has come to an end.

The scores at ATP World Tour Finals were


  1. ehar - 72
  2. phil - 34


CLICK HERE FOR THE FINAL SCORES

Congratulations to ehar for winning.

For more information about the competition click here. Sign up now for next year's competition, now.

The End of the Season

The season has come to an end but the Davis cup final between Serbia and France is still to come between 3rd and 5th of December. After then there will be no more scores to report until the start of next season.

ADVENT CALENDAR - starting 1st December I will be doing a count down to christmas of the top 25 tennis players of all time. Each day I will put a player until on christmas day I will post the best player of all time in my view.

After that and during it I may post other tennis statistics.

THANK YOU - Please come back soon.

Sunday 28 November 2010

ATP World Tour Finals Finals

ATP World Tour Finals Singles


Federer beat Nadal 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. Federer beats Nadal in three sets to claim the crown at London and his record fifth year end title. Federer starts comfortably with a break in the eighth game to set up victory in the first set. Nadal responds in the next set with an early break, eventually taking the second set. In the final set Federer breaks at 2-1 and goes up 5-1, after breaking again. Federer races to 40-0 lead to set up 3 championship points and Nadal saves the first one. But Federer takes the trophy with a shot in the corner, which I thought was out, but Nadal didn't challenge. This match was a brilliant match with many great shots, rallies and returns and was a great match to finish the season off.


ATP World Tour Finals Doubles


Nestor and Zimonjic beat Bhupathi and Mirnyl 7-6(6), 6-4. The second seeds need 2 sets and a tie breaker to overcome the third seeds, to finish their three year partner ship on a high. Next year both Nestor nd Zimonjic will be with different partners..

ATP World Tour Finals Singles Finals analysis

On this post I will analyse the singles final of the ATP World Tour Finals.

Federer vs Nadal - The top two seeds renew the biggest rivalry in the sport as they face for a 22nd time. Nadal leads 14-7 but 3-3 on hard court. Nadal has won their last meeting on hard court in the final of the 2009 Australian Open and has beaten Federer in the one match they played this year on Clay at Madrid. Both players are yet to lose a match at this year's ATP World Tour Finals but Nadal has dropped 2 sets compared to Federer dropping none. Federer has a lot to prove in this match, trying to show he is still playing at his best form and that he doesn't fear Nadal in a final, after losing so many times. Nadal is also looking to win here to finish one of the best years in tennis history and take the biggest title he is yet to win. And don't worry about Nadal's fitness, after his 3 hour match yesterday, the last time these two played at the Australian Open Nadal beat Federer in the final in 4 hours, after beating Verdasco the day before in 5 hours. This is going to be a great match.

I predict a three set match going in favour of Nadal.

Nadal to beat Federer 7-6, 5-7, 6-4.

Saturday 27 November 2010

ATP World Tour Finals Semi-Finals

ATP World Tour Finals Singles


Nadal beat Murray 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(6). Nadal beats Murray in an epic match, which is 3 hours and 10 minutes. Nadal looks like he is on for an easy win after having a break point in the second set but when he fails to take it, his game begins to fall apart as Murray takes the next 5 games in a row. And with Murray with 2 break points at 1-0 up in the final set, the match looks over but then Nadal plays amazingly to save them and take the game and once again Nadal looks in control when he breaks Murray's serve. After this game Murray has a few break points until Nadal has a match point at 5-3 on Murray's serve but drops it and Murray looks in control again as he goes 6-5 up after holding serve twice and breaking once. Nadal then holds so that the match goes to a tie breaker. Murray immediately goes 3-0 up and then 4-1 up but Nadal turns things around to get a match point at 6-5 up on Murray's serve. Murray saves the match point but Nadal then goes 7-6 up with a match point on his serve and Nadal finishes the match with a great cross-court forehand. He will play either Djokovic or Federer in the Final tomorrow.

Federer beat Djokovic 6-1, 6-4. The second seed eases past the third seed, to set up a dream final with Rafael Nadal.

ATP World Tour Finals Doubles


Nestor and Zimonjic beat Bryan and Bryan 6-3, 3-6, 12-10. The second seeds overcome the top seeds and 2008 champions in 3 sets to advance to the Finals. They had one match point saved before winning.

Bhupathi and Mirnyl beat Fyrstenberg and Matkowski 6-4, 6-4. The third seeds ease past the sixth seeds, needing 3 match points to win, to set up a final with Nestor and Zimonjic.

Friday 26 November 2010

ATP World Tour Finals Group Stages

ATP World Tour Finals Singles


Nadal beat Berdych 7-6(3), 6-1. Nadal needs a tie breaker and 2 sets to ease past Berdych and set up a Semi-Finals match with Murray.


Djokovic beat Roddick 6-2, 6-3. Djokovic eases past Roddick, dropping just 5 games, to set up a Semi-Finals match with Federer tomorrow.


ATP World Tour Finals Doubles


Kubot and Marach beat Nestor and Zimonjic 6-0, 1-6, 10-6. The second seeds are shocked by Kubot and Marach in straight sets. However, in the end of the day it doesn't matter because Kubot and March were already out and Nestor and Zimonjic were already through.

Bhupathi and Mirnyl beat Woodle and Norman 6-4, 6-4. The third seeds beat the sixth seeds in straight sets, to advance to the Semi-Finals.

Thursday 25 November 2010

WTA World Championship Past Winners

The WTA World Championship is an end of year tournament with the best players in the world, and started in 1971. Since then it has been in several different locations and has used three types of court - carpet, clay(for 1 year) and hard court. At first it was best of 3 sets but between 1983 and 1998 they changed it to best of 5 sets. The latest tournaments were in Doha and they will be in Istanbul for the next 3 years. Here is the table of past winners.

Past WTA World Championship winners
Year
Winner
Runner-Up
Score
1971
Billie Jean King
Kerry Melville Reid
6-4, 4-6, 6-1

1972
Chris Evert
Kerry Melville Reid
7-5, 6-4

1973
Chris Evert
Nancy Richey Gunter
6-3, 6-3

1974
Evonne Cawley 
Chris Evert
6-3, 6-4

1975
Chris Evert
Martina Navratilova
6-4, 6-2

1976
Evonne Cawley
Chris Evert
6-3, 5-7, 6-3

1977
Chris Evert
Sue Barker
2-6, 6-1, 6-1

1978
Martina Navratilova
Evonne Cawley
7-6(0), 6-4

1979
Martina Navratilova
Tracy Austin
6-3, 3-6, 6-2

1980
Tracy Austin
Martina Navratilova
6-2, 2-6, 6-2

1981
Martina Navratilova
Andrea Jaegar
6-3, 7-6(3)

1982
Sylvia Hanika
Martina Navratilova
1-6, 6-3, 6-4

1983
Martina Navratilova
Chris Evert
6-2, 6-0

1984
Martina Navratilova
Chris Evert
6-3, 7-5, 6-1

1985
Martina Navratilova
Helena Sukova
6-3, 7-5, 6-4

1986
(Mar)
Martina Navratilova
Hana Mandikova
6-2, 6-0, 3-6, 6-1

1986
(Nov)
Martina Navratilova
Steffi Graf
7-6(6), 6-3, 6-2

1987
Steffi Graf
Gabriela Sabatini
4-6, 6-4, 6-0, 6-4

1988
Gabriela Sabatini
Pam Shriver
7-5, 6-2, 6-2

1989
Steffi Graf
Martina Navratilova
6-4, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2

1990
Monica Seles
Gabriela Sabatini
6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

1991
Monica Seles
Martina Navratilova
6-4, 3-6, 7-5, 6-0

1992
Monica Seles
Martina Navratilova
7-5, 6-3, 6-1

1993
Steffi Graf
Arantxa Vicario
6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1

1994
Gabriela Sabatini
Lindsay Davenport
6-3, 6-2, 6-4

1995
Steffi Graf
Anke Huber
6-1, 2-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3

1996
Steffi Graf
Martina Hingis
6-3, 4-6, 6-0, 4-6, 6-0

1997
Jana Novotna
Mary Pierce
7-6, 6-2, 6-3

1998
Martina Hingis
Lindsay Davenport
7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

1999
Lindsay Davenport
Martina Hingis
6-4, 6-2

2000
Martina Hingis
Monica Seles
6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4

2001
Serena Williams
Lindsay Davenport
ret

2002
Kim Clisters
Serena Williams
7-5, 6-3

2003
Kim Clisters
Amelie Mauresmo
6-2, 6-0

2004
Maria Sharapova 
Serena Williams
4-6, 6-2, 6-4

2005
Amelie Mauresmo
Mary Pierce
5-7, 7-6(3), 6-4

2006
Justine Henin
Amelie Mauresmo
6-4, 6-3

2007
Justine Henin
Maria Sharapova
5-7, 7-5, 6-3

2008
Venus Williams
Vera Zvonareva
6-7(5), 6-0, 6-2

2009
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
6-2, 7-6(4)

2010
Kim Clisters
Caroline Wozniacki
6-3, 5-7, 6-3