by CHAPI » 14 Oct 2019, 14:03
LONDON TOUR FINALS
Final tournament of the season. Huge satisfaction to make it to the top 8 and qualifiy for this very special event.
ROUND ROBIN
Match 1: Federer (2) L 7/6(3) 2/6 6/3
A positive start to the tournament. Taking a set off the top seeded player in the group is a great thing. My only regrets are not having made a better start to the deciding set, as he was able to control the end of the match comfortably. Also disappointed about the tiebreak in the 1st set, he just raised his level when it mattered most. That's what Federer does, time and time again. Such a good frontrunner. Just missed out on an outrageous start, which is a little painful.
Match 2: Anderson (4) W 7/5 3/6 6/4
Another 3-setter, but this time a first win. Very happy with the way I dealt with this match. I handled and took care of my serve which was crucial against such a big server. The only little stain in my performance came midway through the 2nd set which allowed him to level the match by serving it out. But I was able to raise my level and bounce back to take the win. As expected, it was a very different match with the first one, as rallies were shorter and his serve was booming (15 aces).
Match 3: Raonic (6) W 6/3 6/4
Coming into this match, I knew a win would make me pass to the semis almost certainly. So I knew exactly what I needed to do. And job done. Comfortable win in the end. An early break in each set was enough as he really struggled on the return, so I was able to take advantage of that and close out my service games without too much trouble. As expected, he served really well but he dropped it 2 loose service games and I was very happy to take profit of that, which was very important. The strategy was pretty clear, I was assaulting his backhand as it was clearly the weaker part of his game. His forehand was solid, but exploiting his backhand side meant more free points.
So, Raonic had lost his 2 previous matches so that cleared him out of contention for semi-final berths. And shockingly, Kevin Anderson beat Federer to claim his spot in the last 4. That meant that Federer was out. Same for Djokovic, who lost 2 matches. What a shock!
SEMI-FINAL
Nadal (3) L 6/2 6/1
Well, no need to extend the debrief too much here. The scoreline says it all. Clear domination from start to finish from Rafa. The only satisfaction for me was claiming that 1 game in the second set by breaking his serve. But he broke me 6 times in the whole match. He was unplayable, crushed me from the baseline totally. I tried to mix things up a little by throwing in some serve and volleying and dropshots but he handled it very well.
In the end, Nadal went on to beat Anderson in straights in the final to claim his first title ever at the year-end finals.
Overall, a good run for me. Finishing the season on a high with this run. 2 wins for 2 losses against top 8 opposition? I'll take it.
There is hope for the helpless, rest for the weary and love for the broken heart...
There is grace and forgiveness, mercy and healing, He'll meet you wherever you are. Cry out to Jesus!