This is the final week of the regular tennis Tour and the Final of the ATP World Tour Finals is played on Sunday with just the Davis Cup Final to be played next week.
It is a concern when you think of some of the events that have been happening in Belgium over the last twenty-four hours and anyone who is travelling to see the Davis Cup Final needs to make sure they stay safe although it looks like Belgium will be hosting the Final as was scheduled.
On Sunday the two best players in the world, in my opinion if not the World Rankings just yet, will meet in the Final at the O2 Arena and it is the Final that most would have predicted at the start of the tournament.
Hopefully I will be able to end the week with another winner after a good tournament, although this season has been far from the level I expect of myself. July-October were terrible months when I made some mistake and perhaps overruled my head, but it is something I will take on board and look to improve in 2016 and get back to the winning years.
Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Roger Federer: For the second time this week and for the second time in consecutive seasons, Novak Djokovic is set to face Roger Federer at the O2 Arena in the World Tour Finals. Last season was an anti-climax as Roger Federer pulled out of the Final due to injury which meant he focused on the Davis Cup Final, but this year both players look in strong form and the Final should be very good to watch.
Both Djokovic and Federer came through their Semi Final matches in straight sets and both looked very good in their wins over Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka respectively. The edge on that form has to be given to Novak Djokovic who was very, very good, but Roger Federer might have the mental edge having beaten Djokovic in the Group a few days ago.
How much am I going to stake in that result? Not that much actually because Novak Djokovic admitted he had been very loose in the second set to let the match get away from him. The fact is that that wasn't an elimination match so Djokovic might have let his focus wander, but that is not likely to happen in the Final.
It is a big Final for Federer too who can still take over as World Number 2 for the end of season Rankings if he wins the tournament and Andy Murray isn't successful in the Davis Cup next week. However, Federer hasn't looked himself the last couple of matches (not talking about the new-look bearded Federer) and he has won through sheer will.
That isn't enough against the World Number 1 who I think will be much better in all aspects of his game than he was in his straight sets loss to Federer. As I said earlier in the week, the conditions should suit Djokovic more than Federer and he has won three in a row at the O2 in the World Tour Finals which backs up that belief.
I thought Djokovic would win 75, 64 earlier this week and I was wrong... However, I think he is the right favourite here and I will look for Djokovic to just be a little more solid all around and take his chances this time around. Federer might not be at 100% when it comes to his health as I still think he could be suffering from a cold he had on Thursday and I think Djokovic wins the title with an impressive win to round up an impressive 2016 season.
MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 2.10 Bet Fred (2 Units)
World Tour Finals Update: 9-5, + 6.90 Units (28 Units Staked, + 24.64% Yield)
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Showing posts with label Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer. Show all posts
Sunday, 22 November 2015
Sunday, 13 September 2015
US Open Day 14 Picks 2015- Men's Final (September 13th)
The US Open comes to a close on Sunday as the Men's Final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic closes the show.
It has been a difficult tournament for the organisers with a lot of retirements, while top players have perhaps fallen a little too quickly for their liking. However, they have got the perfect Men's Final after the slight anti-climax in the Women's event and it looks like as a potential classic.
Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer Over 42.5 Games: I can make a pretty solid argument for both players to win this Final and that should mean it is has the potential for it to go deep and long.
Novak Djokovic has won just one US Open trophy, and he has fallen short in the Final too many times to have some doubts about his chance to win this one. However, he has beaten Roger Federer in the last two big Grand Slam Finals between them at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015, and Djokovic also beat him in the last two US Open meetings between them in Semi Finals in 2010 and 2011.
Djokovic is also 6-2 in the last eight Grand Slam meetings between these two players, but arguably Roger Federer is playing at a higher level than at Wimbledon earlier this season. He is full of confidence having not lost a set since that Wimbledon Final defeat and Federer beat Djokovic at the Cincinnati Masters, but winning a big match like this in a best of five sets has been a little beyond Federer in the last couple of years.
I can't wait for the match though.
Both players produced some stunning tennis in the Semi Finals and look to be in peak form for this Final and it really would be a big surprise if this doesn't go at least four and possibly five sets.
Tie-breakers have been a feature of recent matches between the pair and I think the court will aid Roger Federer in keeping a stunning returner at bay. It was the return of serve that hurt Federer in the Final at Wimbledon and so the key is to use the speed and conditions to keep Djokovic off balance, while Federer will try and employ the SABR tactics if only to wind up Djokovic and get under his skin.
Djokovic has the return to really put pressure on Federer, but I am liking the latter to make this even more competitive than the Wimbledon Final. The run of straight sets wins are likely to end and this match should surpass the games total as I look for a classic Final.
MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer Over 42.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
US Open Update: 37-38, - 6.93 Units (149 Units Staked, - 4.65% Yield)
It has been a difficult tournament for the organisers with a lot of retirements, while top players have perhaps fallen a little too quickly for their liking. However, they have got the perfect Men's Final after the slight anti-climax in the Women's event and it looks like as a potential classic.
Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer Over 42.5 Games: I can make a pretty solid argument for both players to win this Final and that should mean it is has the potential for it to go deep and long.
Novak Djokovic has won just one US Open trophy, and he has fallen short in the Final too many times to have some doubts about his chance to win this one. However, he has beaten Roger Federer in the last two big Grand Slam Finals between them at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015, and Djokovic also beat him in the last two US Open meetings between them in Semi Finals in 2010 and 2011.
Djokovic is also 6-2 in the last eight Grand Slam meetings between these two players, but arguably Roger Federer is playing at a higher level than at Wimbledon earlier this season. He is full of confidence having not lost a set since that Wimbledon Final defeat and Federer beat Djokovic at the Cincinnati Masters, but winning a big match like this in a best of five sets has been a little beyond Federer in the last couple of years.
I can't wait for the match though.
Both players produced some stunning tennis in the Semi Finals and look to be in peak form for this Final and it really would be a big surprise if this doesn't go at least four and possibly five sets.
Tie-breakers have been a feature of recent matches between the pair and I think the court will aid Roger Federer in keeping a stunning returner at bay. It was the return of serve that hurt Federer in the Final at Wimbledon and so the key is to use the speed and conditions to keep Djokovic off balance, while Federer will try and employ the SABR tactics if only to wind up Djokovic and get under his skin.
Djokovic has the return to really put pressure on Federer, but I am liking the latter to make this even more competitive than the Wimbledon Final. The run of straight sets wins are likely to end and this match should surpass the games total as I look for a classic Final.
MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic-Roger Federer Over 42.5 Games @ 1.80 Sky Bet (2 Units)
US Open Update: 37-38, - 6.93 Units (149 Units Staked, - 4.65% Yield)
Sunday, 12 July 2015
Wimbledon Day 13 Picks 2015: Men's Final Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer (July 12th)
I always find it a little strange when Wimbledon comes to a close as three of the four Grand Slams in the tennis season are completed and there is certainly a prolonged period following this event that we won't see the biggest players out on the Tour. This year the Davis Cup is played at the end of next week before a number of European clay court events are held heading towards the back end of July/early August when the US hard court swing begins.
However, the majority of the big names probably won't be back on the court until the Canadian Masters which is scheduled for the second week of August as their month long bid to become the US Open Champion will begin from that point. It is Cincinnati which follows the Canadian Masters and then a two week break until the US Open begins on the 31st August, which is later than it has in recent years.
At the moment, the biggest story going into the US Open is Serena Williams trying to complete the Calendar Grand Slam, the first player to do that since 1988 and only the fourth female player to manage the feat. It is hard to imaging the American paying public to be focusing on anything else heading into the final Slam of the season and I imagine Serena Williams is going to be on every front page in the States at that time.
Williams has the chance to do that having added the Wimbledon title to the other three Slams she is currently holding after beating Garbine Muguruza in straight sets on Saturday. It was another dominant performance from Serena Williams for the most part and showed once again she is head and shoulders above the rest of the WTA Tour, something that will be highlighted by her points differential in the Rankings on Monday.
There is no doubt in my mind that Serena Williams has the talent and motivation to surpass Steffi Graf and Margaret Court for most Grand Slam titles won by a female player. Very few players can live with Serena Williams at her best and her Seeding means it would take a gigantic shock for someone to knock her out early in the week when she is expected to be at her most vulnerable. Just a quick look through the names in the WTA top forty players and I wouldn't be confident of any of those beating Williams straight up, although a couple could certainly have half a chance if the American is not at her best.
Garbine Muguruza has nothing to be embarrassed about- she showed tremendous heart and character, as well as supreme talent, to fight back against Serena Williams in the second set and I think she will really grow from the experience of this Final. Nothing I saw lessened my belief that Muguruza is destined for the top of the women's game and becoming a multiple Grand Slam Champion and I think she is confident enough to recover from this loss in a much more productive manner than others might.
There are still areas Muguruza can improve, but she cracked the top 10 in the World Rankings and I think she will be a feature at the business end of Grand Slam tournaments in the years to come. She remains the player I am most intrigued by as she looks to fulfil considerable potential and I hope Muguruza uses this experience to propel her to where I think her game can take her.
Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer: After watching the way the Semi Finals unfolded, I think the superlatives that were used to praise Roger Federer in his win over Andy Murray couldn't quite capture how impressive he was. That was easily the best I have seen Federer play in 2015, even better than his straight sets win over Novak Djokovic in Dubai, and now he looks for his eighth title at Wimbledon and his 18th Grand Slam.
On the performance offered on Friday, it is no surprise to me that Federer has been set at a shorter price than twelve months ago when he played Djokovic in the Wimbledon Final. It wasn't enough for the layers to change their minds when it comes to setting the favourite, but I know there has been a lot of support for Federer in the outright market.
In all honesty, Federer has been the far superior player during the course of the tournament as he has dropped just one set. His serving had looked incredible going into the Semi Final as he had dropped serve just once, but Federer looked even better against Andy Murray who has to be the second best returner on Tour behind Novak Djokovic.
That didn't help Murray on Friday as he earned just one break point, failing to convert that in the first game and barely threatened the Federer serve for the rest of the match. He won just 23% of points against the Federer serve which is incredible and the Swiss man will win this Final if he can continue to hit the lines with the regularity he has shown in the tournament.
However, I still believe Novak Djokovic is going to get plenty more balls back in play than Murray and I do think he has been comfortable, if not exceptional for all but the Kevin Anderson match. Djokovic has been serving well and even the left shoulder issue in the Semi Final looks to be one of precaution than any serious injury he has picked up.
Unlike Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic has been getting the better of Federer in recent meetings more often than not and he will have good memories of beating the Swiss man here last year. I do think Djokovic does struggle to deal with the occasion at times which might seem a strange statement on first viewing.
But look at the results- Djokovic is just 4-6 in his 10 Grand Slam Finals since the beginning of the 2012 season and even the win over Roger Federer last year at Wimbledon was after Djokovic choked away a fourth set lead when it seemed the match was going his way.
As good as Novak Djokovic is, he doesn't have a go-to shot when under pressure and is very good at everything but not exceptional at anything. His movement is superior to Federer's but the it is the aggression of the latter that will push the tempo in this one, especially if he continues to serve as effectively as he has through the grass court season. However, I can't shake the feeling that Novak Djokovic has been doing just enough to get through and has another level in his pocket as he looks to erase the painful memory of losing at the French Open.
His performances in the biggest matches has to be a concern with Federer playing at an extremely high level, but Djokovic has beaten him in 5 of their last 7 Grand Slam matches. I expect the Serb will drag Federer into deeper waters and that should see his superior fitness come into play and I am looking for Novak Djokovic to defend his first Grand Slam title outside of Australia.
My heart would love to see Roger Federer win another Grand Slam, but my head says Novak Djokovic is going to be a little too strong. I fear Federer may have peaked just one match too early and the World Number 1 underlines his position at the top of the World Rankings with a four set win in a high quality match.
MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Wimbledon Update: 25-25, - 3.53 Units (99 Units Staked, - 3.57% Yield)
However, the majority of the big names probably won't be back on the court until the Canadian Masters which is scheduled for the second week of August as their month long bid to become the US Open Champion will begin from that point. It is Cincinnati which follows the Canadian Masters and then a two week break until the US Open begins on the 31st August, which is later than it has in recent years.
At the moment, the biggest story going into the US Open is Serena Williams trying to complete the Calendar Grand Slam, the first player to do that since 1988 and only the fourth female player to manage the feat. It is hard to imaging the American paying public to be focusing on anything else heading into the final Slam of the season and I imagine Serena Williams is going to be on every front page in the States at that time.
Williams has the chance to do that having added the Wimbledon title to the other three Slams she is currently holding after beating Garbine Muguruza in straight sets on Saturday. It was another dominant performance from Serena Williams for the most part and showed once again she is head and shoulders above the rest of the WTA Tour, something that will be highlighted by her points differential in the Rankings on Monday.
There is no doubt in my mind that Serena Williams has the talent and motivation to surpass Steffi Graf and Margaret Court for most Grand Slam titles won by a female player. Very few players can live with Serena Williams at her best and her Seeding means it would take a gigantic shock for someone to knock her out early in the week when she is expected to be at her most vulnerable. Just a quick look through the names in the WTA top forty players and I wouldn't be confident of any of those beating Williams straight up, although a couple could certainly have half a chance if the American is not at her best.
Garbine Muguruza has nothing to be embarrassed about- she showed tremendous heart and character, as well as supreme talent, to fight back against Serena Williams in the second set and I think she will really grow from the experience of this Final. Nothing I saw lessened my belief that Muguruza is destined for the top of the women's game and becoming a multiple Grand Slam Champion and I think she is confident enough to recover from this loss in a much more productive manner than others might.
There are still areas Muguruza can improve, but she cracked the top 10 in the World Rankings and I think she will be a feature at the business end of Grand Slam tournaments in the years to come. She remains the player I am most intrigued by as she looks to fulfil considerable potential and I hope Muguruza uses this experience to propel her to where I think her game can take her.
Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer: After watching the way the Semi Finals unfolded, I think the superlatives that were used to praise Roger Federer in his win over Andy Murray couldn't quite capture how impressive he was. That was easily the best I have seen Federer play in 2015, even better than his straight sets win over Novak Djokovic in Dubai, and now he looks for his eighth title at Wimbledon and his 18th Grand Slam.
On the performance offered on Friday, it is no surprise to me that Federer has been set at a shorter price than twelve months ago when he played Djokovic in the Wimbledon Final. It wasn't enough for the layers to change their minds when it comes to setting the favourite, but I know there has been a lot of support for Federer in the outright market.
In all honesty, Federer has been the far superior player during the course of the tournament as he has dropped just one set. His serving had looked incredible going into the Semi Final as he had dropped serve just once, but Federer looked even better against Andy Murray who has to be the second best returner on Tour behind Novak Djokovic.
That didn't help Murray on Friday as he earned just one break point, failing to convert that in the first game and barely threatened the Federer serve for the rest of the match. He won just 23% of points against the Federer serve which is incredible and the Swiss man will win this Final if he can continue to hit the lines with the regularity he has shown in the tournament.
However, I still believe Novak Djokovic is going to get plenty more balls back in play than Murray and I do think he has been comfortable, if not exceptional for all but the Kevin Anderson match. Djokovic has been serving well and even the left shoulder issue in the Semi Final looks to be one of precaution than any serious injury he has picked up.
Unlike Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic has been getting the better of Federer in recent meetings more often than not and he will have good memories of beating the Swiss man here last year. I do think Djokovic does struggle to deal with the occasion at times which might seem a strange statement on first viewing.
But look at the results- Djokovic is just 4-6 in his 10 Grand Slam Finals since the beginning of the 2012 season and even the win over Roger Federer last year at Wimbledon was after Djokovic choked away a fourth set lead when it seemed the match was going his way.
As good as Novak Djokovic is, he doesn't have a go-to shot when under pressure and is very good at everything but not exceptional at anything. His movement is superior to Federer's but the it is the aggression of the latter that will push the tempo in this one, especially if he continues to serve as effectively as he has through the grass court season. However, I can't shake the feeling that Novak Djokovic has been doing just enough to get through and has another level in his pocket as he looks to erase the painful memory of losing at the French Open.
His performances in the biggest matches has to be a concern with Federer playing at an extremely high level, but Djokovic has beaten him in 5 of their last 7 Grand Slam matches. I expect the Serb will drag Federer into deeper waters and that should see his superior fitness come into play and I am looking for Novak Djokovic to defend his first Grand Slam title outside of Australia.
My heart would love to see Roger Federer win another Grand Slam, but my head says Novak Djokovic is going to be a little too strong. I fear Federer may have peaked just one match too early and the World Number 1 underlines his position at the top of the World Rankings with a four set win in a high quality match.
MY PICKS: Novak Djokovic @ 1.85 Bet Victor (2 Units)
Wimbledon Update: 25-25, - 3.53 Units (99 Units Staked, - 3.57% Yield)
Sunday, 16 November 2014
ATP World Tour Finals Day 8 Pick- Novak Djokovic v Roger Federer (November 16)
After a pretty good ten and a bit months, the last singles match of the ATP tennis 2014 season will be played between the two players who most deserved it as Novak Djokovic gets set to face Roger Federer.
These two are finishing the year as the World Number 1 and 2 and, outside of Rafael Nadal who unfortunately missed three months from Wimbledon until the Asian swing, Djokovic and Federer have been in position to contest the major titles.
In saying that, it is interesting to note that Djokovic 'only' reached two Grand Slam Finals, winning one, and Roger Federer 'only' made the one Slam Final in which he was defeated by Djokovic at Wimbledon.
There is a feeling that other players on the Tour are capable of producing that magical match to beat these guys at the Majors as Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Ernests Gulbis and Marin Cilic showed at the Australian and US Opens.
Still, going into 2015, you'd have to expect Djokovic and Federer to be at the business end of tournaments with the way they have been playing for much of the season, although I am looking forward to seeing if Nishikori, Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov can build on the seasons they have produced. It will be nice to see Dimitrov make the World Tour Finals in twelve months time after he came so close to reaching London this season and he looks the next breakthrough player at the Slams that could potentially win one of the Majors in the coming season.
I do think Wimbledon will provide his best chance as Dimitrov has the game for the surface and grass remains a conundrum for so many other players, while another player I am looking forward to seeing is the returning Juan Martin Del Potro. The big Argentine has missed much of the 2014 season and seems to have delayed his return to the Tour so he can be fully fit and ready to go in 2015 and he has to have watched Wawrinka and Cilic win Grand Slam titles with some envy.
Since winning the US Open in 2009, there have been a couple of times that Del Potro has looked close to adding to his sole Grand Slam win, but he hasn't quite kicked on to become a regular feature in the top four of the World Rankings. Another wrist injury may mean we will have to wait a while before Del Potro can produce his very best again, which is a shame, but there are some exciting things to come in 2015.
Before that there is the small matter of completing the World Tour Finals, while the Davis Cup Final is set to begin next Friday in Lille, although the weather forecast isn't encouraging for an outdoor clay court.
Hopefully that is going to be a pretty special Final between France and Switzerland and I have to say I am looking forward to seeing if Roger Federer can add a trophy to his haul that he has yet to win.
Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Roger Federer: I picked Novak Djokovic to win this tournament at the start of the week and anyone following that might decide they don't want to back the Serb again, but I do believe this isn't enough games for Roger Federer in the Final.
I have a lot of respect for the fitness that Federer has displayed throughout his career, but he is still a 33 year old man that was pushed to his very limit on Saturday evening and will have had a lot less rest than his opponent in this Final. It wasn't just the physical battle, but the emotions of playing his compatriot Stan Wawrinka and having to dig deep to win the match after saving match points against him.
The match also went the absolute distance by being decided in the tie-breaker and I do remember Federer struggling in the Olympic Gold Medal game in 2012 after being pushed all the way by Juan Martin Del Potro in the Semi Final. That match was played with a day of rest between the Semi Finals and while the match with Wawrinka wasn't close to that in terms of time, Federer is also facing Djokovic in the peak of his form.
Djokovic has had one blip all week in the Semi Final against Kei Nishikori, but he could have won that in straight sets and I think he will be extra focused in underlining his place as World Number 1 against his closest rival on the season.
The Serb has also beaten Federer in the last two editions of this tournament in the Final and the conditions are definitely more to Djokovic's liking than Federer who would have preferred a quicker court. Federer might be extra aggressive in a bid to shorten points and that could lead to more mistakes than normal and play perfectly into Djokovic's hands who will be happy to extend rallies and take Federer into deep waters.
Federer actually has a 3-2 lead over Djokovic in the 2014 season, but I believe the Serb will tie up loose ends and win this match 63, 64 while confirming his place as the man to beat going into the 2015 season.
MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet Fred (2 Units)
World Tour Finals Update: 10-2, + 16.52 Units (24 Units Staked, + 68.83% Yield)
These two are finishing the year as the World Number 1 and 2 and, outside of Rafael Nadal who unfortunately missed three months from Wimbledon until the Asian swing, Djokovic and Federer have been in position to contest the major titles.
In saying that, it is interesting to note that Djokovic 'only' reached two Grand Slam Finals, winning one, and Roger Federer 'only' made the one Slam Final in which he was defeated by Djokovic at Wimbledon.
There is a feeling that other players on the Tour are capable of producing that magical match to beat these guys at the Majors as Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Ernests Gulbis and Marin Cilic showed at the Australian and US Opens.
Still, going into 2015, you'd have to expect Djokovic and Federer to be at the business end of tournaments with the way they have been playing for much of the season, although I am looking forward to seeing if Nishikori, Milos Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov can build on the seasons they have produced. It will be nice to see Dimitrov make the World Tour Finals in twelve months time after he came so close to reaching London this season and he looks the next breakthrough player at the Slams that could potentially win one of the Majors in the coming season.
I do think Wimbledon will provide his best chance as Dimitrov has the game for the surface and grass remains a conundrum for so many other players, while another player I am looking forward to seeing is the returning Juan Martin Del Potro. The big Argentine has missed much of the 2014 season and seems to have delayed his return to the Tour so he can be fully fit and ready to go in 2015 and he has to have watched Wawrinka and Cilic win Grand Slam titles with some envy.
Since winning the US Open in 2009, there have been a couple of times that Del Potro has looked close to adding to his sole Grand Slam win, but he hasn't quite kicked on to become a regular feature in the top four of the World Rankings. Another wrist injury may mean we will have to wait a while before Del Potro can produce his very best again, which is a shame, but there are some exciting things to come in 2015.
Before that there is the small matter of completing the World Tour Finals, while the Davis Cup Final is set to begin next Friday in Lille, although the weather forecast isn't encouraging for an outdoor clay court.
Hopefully that is going to be a pretty special Final between France and Switzerland and I have to say I am looking forward to seeing if Roger Federer can add a trophy to his haul that he has yet to win.
Novak Djokovic - 3.5 games v Roger Federer: I picked Novak Djokovic to win this tournament at the start of the week and anyone following that might decide they don't want to back the Serb again, but I do believe this isn't enough games for Roger Federer in the Final.
I have a lot of respect for the fitness that Federer has displayed throughout his career, but he is still a 33 year old man that was pushed to his very limit on Saturday evening and will have had a lot less rest than his opponent in this Final. It wasn't just the physical battle, but the emotions of playing his compatriot Stan Wawrinka and having to dig deep to win the match after saving match points against him.
The match also went the absolute distance by being decided in the tie-breaker and I do remember Federer struggling in the Olympic Gold Medal game in 2012 after being pushed all the way by Juan Martin Del Potro in the Semi Final. That match was played with a day of rest between the Semi Finals and while the match with Wawrinka wasn't close to that in terms of time, Federer is also facing Djokovic in the peak of his form.
Djokovic has had one blip all week in the Semi Final against Kei Nishikori, but he could have won that in straight sets and I think he will be extra focused in underlining his place as World Number 1 against his closest rival on the season.
The Serb has also beaten Federer in the last two editions of this tournament in the Final and the conditions are definitely more to Djokovic's liking than Federer who would have preferred a quicker court. Federer might be extra aggressive in a bid to shorten points and that could lead to more mistakes than normal and play perfectly into Djokovic's hands who will be happy to extend rallies and take Federer into deep waters.
Federer actually has a 3-2 lead over Djokovic in the 2014 season, but I believe the Serb will tie up loose ends and win this match 63, 64 while confirming his place as the man to beat going into the 2015 season.
MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 3.5 Games @ 1.73 Bet Fred (2 Units)
World Tour Finals Update: 10-2, + 16.52 Units (24 Units Staked, + 68.83% Yield)
Sunday, 16 March 2014
Indian Wells Tennis Picks 2014 (March 16th)
For the neutrals that may have had tickets for the Indian Wells Finals Day today, seeing Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic come through their Semi Finals on Saturday is perhaps the perfect way to end the tournament here in 2014.
Of course the event is taking place in America so a number of fans would have loved to have seen John Isner find a way through to his second Final here in three years, but the quality of tennis we are likely to see this evening is exactly what the tournament deserves as an ending.
It has been a strange couple of weeks in California with a number of surprise results that can crop up from time to time, but two of the leading contenders in the men's game will be contesting the Final. The women's event always looked much more open with the likes of Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka returning from long lay-offs and perhaps not having the practice they needed, while Serena Williams has skipped the event for over ten years.
Azarenka was clearly not quite right and it was no surprise that she has decided to withdraw from the event in Miami that immediately follows this one and that means another slip in the Rankings for the former World Number 1. In my opinion, Azarenka remains the most consistent threat to prevent Serena Williams winning any tournament they both enter, although it is still going to be interesting to see how the American responds to her early exit at the Australian Open and the disappointing loss in Dubai.
The draws for the tournament in Miami are going to be released on Sunday and Monday for the women's and men's events respectively and will kick off on Tuesday with the First Round action from the WTA Premier Event.
That should be another decent tournament and it is going to be interesting to see if the results from the event are a little more consistent than the surprises we saw in Indian Wells throughout the ten days here.
Novak Djokovic - 2.5 games v Roger Federer: When they met in Dubai last month, I said it was arguably a more important match for Roger Federer than it was for Novak Djokovic and the feeling is the reverse this time around.
The match in Dubai was on the racquet of Novak Djokovic for a set and a half but he lost a bit of concentration and allowed Federer to dominate towards the end of the match and eventually win the title.
Djokovic was guilty of losing concentration in the win over John Isner yesterday too, but was fortunate he rolled through a third set comfortably despite serving for the match twice in the second set. Something like that will cost him the title at Indian Wells because Federer is playing arguably his best tennis since the start of the 2013 season.
The Swiss man has been serving well which has made his life that much easier, but he will be put under more pressure than either Alexandr Dolgopolov or Tommy Haas put on him with the return Djokovic possesses.
I can't imagine this being anything but another good match to watch between these two players, but I also feel Djokovic will be the one that comes out on top at the end of the contest.
MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Indian Wells Update: 26-19, + 10.1 Units (90 Units Staked, + 11.22% Yield)
Of course the event is taking place in America so a number of fans would have loved to have seen John Isner find a way through to his second Final here in three years, but the quality of tennis we are likely to see this evening is exactly what the tournament deserves as an ending.
It has been a strange couple of weeks in California with a number of surprise results that can crop up from time to time, but two of the leading contenders in the men's game will be contesting the Final. The women's event always looked much more open with the likes of Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka returning from long lay-offs and perhaps not having the practice they needed, while Serena Williams has skipped the event for over ten years.
Azarenka was clearly not quite right and it was no surprise that she has decided to withdraw from the event in Miami that immediately follows this one and that means another slip in the Rankings for the former World Number 1. In my opinion, Azarenka remains the most consistent threat to prevent Serena Williams winning any tournament they both enter, although it is still going to be interesting to see how the American responds to her early exit at the Australian Open and the disappointing loss in Dubai.
The draws for the tournament in Miami are going to be released on Sunday and Monday for the women's and men's events respectively and will kick off on Tuesday with the First Round action from the WTA Premier Event.
That should be another decent tournament and it is going to be interesting to see if the results from the event are a little more consistent than the surprises we saw in Indian Wells throughout the ten days here.
Novak Djokovic - 2.5 games v Roger Federer: When they met in Dubai last month, I said it was arguably a more important match for Roger Federer than it was for Novak Djokovic and the feeling is the reverse this time around.
The match in Dubai was on the racquet of Novak Djokovic for a set and a half but he lost a bit of concentration and allowed Federer to dominate towards the end of the match and eventually win the title.
Djokovic was guilty of losing concentration in the win over John Isner yesterday too, but was fortunate he rolled through a third set comfortably despite serving for the match twice in the second set. Something like that will cost him the title at Indian Wells because Federer is playing arguably his best tennis since the start of the 2013 season.
The Swiss man has been serving well which has made his life that much easier, but he will be put under more pressure than either Alexandr Dolgopolov or Tommy Haas put on him with the return Djokovic possesses.
I can't imagine this being anything but another good match to watch between these two players, but I also feel Djokovic will be the one that comes out on top at the end of the contest.
MY PICK: Novak Djokovic - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Paddy Power (2 Units)
Indian Wells Update: 26-19, + 10.1 Units (90 Units Staked, + 11.22% Yield)
Monday, 12 November 2012
ATP World Tour Finals Final Pick 2012 (November 12th)
Aside from the Davis Cup, this is the last tennis match of the season of real importance as only Challenger Events will be taking place this week.
It seems fitting that the top two Men's players in the World will end the season playing for the ATP World Tour Finals Trophy.
Both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer played some very good tennis yesterday in the Semi Finals and it does look like a fascinating match on Monday night.
Roger Federer v Novak Djokovic: I'll admit it- I thought Roger Federer was there for the taking on Sunday evening when he played Andy Murray, but I was wrong as he looked very good for the most part and outplayed Murray after recovering from an early break of serve.
I still believe that Federer fancies his chances against Novak Djokovic more than any other player in the top 4 and I think it remains the case that Federer is the best indoor player in the World.
Djokovic does show plenty of character in his matches and he back to doing the same on Sunday as he came from a set and a break down against Juan Martin Del Potro before moving through the gears to win that match.
However, I can't help feeling that Djokovic was there for the taking yesterday and I think Federer will feel good about his chances having won the last 2 matches against Djokovic.
Federer is also 3-1 against Djokovic on an indoor hard court, including a straight sets win here in London two seasons ago in the Semi Final on that occasion.
This might be close, but the odds on Federer look to be a joke and I'll back him to win this tournament for the third straight year in a row.
MY PICKS: Roger Federer @ 2.50 William Hill (2 Units)
ATP World Tour Finals Update: 9-5, + 8.74 Units (25 Units Staked)
It seems fitting that the top two Men's players in the World will end the season playing for the ATP World Tour Finals Trophy.
Both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer played some very good tennis yesterday in the Semi Finals and it does look like a fascinating match on Monday night.
Roger Federer v Novak Djokovic: I'll admit it- I thought Roger Federer was there for the taking on Sunday evening when he played Andy Murray, but I was wrong as he looked very good for the most part and outplayed Murray after recovering from an early break of serve.
I still believe that Federer fancies his chances against Novak Djokovic more than any other player in the top 4 and I think it remains the case that Federer is the best indoor player in the World.
Djokovic does show plenty of character in his matches and he back to doing the same on Sunday as he came from a set and a break down against Juan Martin Del Potro before moving through the gears to win that match.
However, I can't help feeling that Djokovic was there for the taking yesterday and I think Federer will feel good about his chances having won the last 2 matches against Djokovic.
Federer is also 3-1 against Djokovic on an indoor hard court, including a straight sets win here in London two seasons ago in the Semi Final on that occasion.
This might be close, but the odds on Federer look to be a joke and I'll back him to win this tournament for the third straight year in a row.
MY PICKS: Roger Federer @ 2.50 William Hill (2 Units)
ATP World Tour Finals Update: 9-5, + 8.74 Units (25 Units Staked)
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