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Federer-Wawrinka Rift the Topic of Speculation Following Dramatic ATP Finals Conclusion

Federer-Wawrinka Rift the Topic of Speculation Following Dramatic ATP Finals Conclusion

  • Posted: Nov 17, 2014

Federer Wawrinka5 Federer Wawrinka Rift the Topic of Speculation Following Dramatic ATP Finals Conclusion

 

Swiss stars Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka appear to be locked into a perpetual cycle of speculation following Roger’s withdrawal from the final of the year-end Championships in London with a back injury.

While few deny the legitimacy of Federer’s injury, some believe that there is more to the story than is being told by the athletes.

Following his semi-final encounter with fellow countryman Stan Wawrinka, it was reported that there was conflict of sorts between the teammates in the locker room, which sparked concern over their ability to play next weekend’s Davis Cup final.

The story circulating is that Federer’s wife, Mirka, was heckling Wawrinka in the third set of their semi-final on Saturday. It appears that Mirka’s “intense and even provocative support for her husband caused Wawrinka to complain about her behavior during the match.” French media appear to have captured Wawrinka saying “she did this at Wimbledon too.”

Even seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe appeared on ESPN2 and suggested that there was certainly a rift of some sort between the two players that impacted the Sunday final.

“Something went on in the locker room,” McEnroe said on TV of the top two Swiss. “There was a long talk between the players that extended well into the night.”

Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth World Tour Final Crown after Federer Withdrawal

Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth World Tour Final Crown after Federer Withdrawal

  • Posted: Nov 17, 2014

Djokovic ATP Finals Novak Djokovic Wins Fourth World Tour Final Crown after Federer Withdrawal

 

While he may not have played a final to win the title in hard-fought fashion, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic was crowned champion at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals when opponent Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament with a back injury.

Djokovic became the first person since Ivan Lendl to win three straight WTF titles. Illie Nastase is the only other player to achieve that, and did so over forty years ago.

“We always give 100 per cent,” said Djokovic. “I’m sure that if he could’ve played, he would’ve done. So I wish him the best in his recovery.

“I’m not one of those players that celebrates these particular wins, but I have to reflect on the whole season. This trophy is definitely the crown for all the achievements that I had this year. I owe the credit to my team, to all the people who supported me all the way through, and plenty of joy. I’m very happy to be able to stand here and finish with this trophy.”

After Djokovic was announced the champion, he awarded the crowd with a pro set exhibition match against British No. 1 Andy Murray. While the match will not count towards his 61-8 overall record, he still managed to end his 2014 season on a high note.

Bryan Brothers Win Fourth Season Finale Title

Bryan Brothers Win Fourth Season Finale Title

  • Posted: Nov 17, 2014

Bryan Brothers4 Bryan Brothers Win Fourth Season Finale Title

After a slow start at this year’s Barclays World Tour Finals, Bob and Mike Bryan cemented their fourth year-end championships in six attempts in London.

The title marks their 103rd career title as a pairing, and came following their competitive final against seventh seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo. The American’s rallied to defeat the formidable pairing 6-7(5), 6-2, 10-7.

“This is considered the fifth slam, with the top eight teams in the world. To lose our first match and bounce back, barely qualify for the semi-finals, win today, was a great feeling.”

The legendary American pairing will end their season with ten titles and a record of 64-11.

“Looking back at the year, we’re very proud of the way it went,” said Mike Bryan. “If we had to pick one highlight during this great season, it would probably have to be the US Open. It was just a milestone we were shooting for. One of our big goals coming in the year was to try to hit 100 titles. We did it luckily at our home Grand Slam when there was a lot of talk about it. To finish year end No. 1 was a huge goal, we did that for the 10th season. That ranks right up there.”

When asked whether the pair could be expected to maintain their current pace over the next few years, the Bryans responded that they had made the necessary adjustments to prolong their careers.

“We feel the joints. We don’t bounce back as quick. We get massages now. I never got massages in my twenties. I’m gluten free now. I never thought I would be. He’s [Mike] been gluten free for 10 years. I had to resort to that because I was feeling the inflammation. We’re professional. We get the right sleep, eat the right foods, stay hydrated.”

John McEnroe: ‘Incredible’ Novak Djokovic has become one of the all-time greats

John McEnroe: ‘Incredible’ Novak Djokovic has become one of the all-time greats

  • Posted: Nov 17, 2014

Djokovic20 John McEnroe: ‘Incredible’ Novak Djokovic has become one of the all time greats

 

Having contested matches against some of the greatest players to ever step on a tennis court, John McEnroe has some valuable insight into tennis’ current generation of stars.

McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam champion himself, was one of the four legends present at Novak Djokovic’s on-court ceremony on Friday afternoon in London, where he was crowned the year-end No. 1 for the third time in four years.

Only seven other players have ever achieved that feat, one of whom is McEnroe.

“That shows me that he has become one of the greats of all time. He is going to be there a couple more years. He looks so rock solid, it’s incredible,” said McEnroe.

The infamous Wimbledon champion even suggested that Djokovic could win his elusive French Open title and complete the Career Grand Slam in 2015.

“If Rafa is not healthy, that might open the door for him to win the French Open (the one grand slam to elude Djokovic). I would say the greatest players that ever lived are Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal), my idol Rod Laver and Pete Sampras.”

While McEnroe would not consider Djokovic above Federer and Nadal just yet, he has no doubt that he is in the Top 10 list of the greatest male tennis players – and rapidly rising through the ranks.

“I wouldn’t put him there yet but in the top 10 and maybe he is moving higher as each minute goes (by). The good news (is that) he is getting better and by the time I was his age I was getting worse!”

ATP Creates Legends and Business Advisory Boards for ‘Strategic Review’ of the Tour

ATP Creates Legends and Business Advisory Boards for ‘Strategic Review’ of the Tour

  • Posted: Nov 17, 2014

Advisory board ATP Creates Legends and Business Advisory Boards for Strategic Review of the Tour

 

On Friday afternoon, ATP Executive Chairman and President Chris Kermode revealed that the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) would form two new advisory boards that will help “formulate a long term plan” focused on the development of the men’s tour.

Kermode, along with senior management and the ATP Board of Directors, brought in the help of business officials from a variety of fields including fashion, television and public relations to help formulate a new plan. The business board includes David Hill (Senior Vice President, 21 Century Fox), Matthew Freud (Chairman, Freuds), Tommy Hilfiger (Principal Designer, Tommy Hilfiger), and Robert Senior (CEO, Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Group).

There will also be a new Legends Board, that will be comprised of John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Mats Wilander, Carlos Moya and Lleyton Hewitt. They will also serve in an advisory role and help develop a long-term plan for the ATP.

“It’s a very exciting time for men’s professional tennis. The sport is in great health and we’ve seen record audiences on site, on television and online. But it’s important that we continue to build and move forward,” said Kermode. “I believe these two advisory boards will provide an invaluable resource for the ATP as we continue to assess which direction to take the sport in the coming years. It’s important that we not only look to take into account the views from people outside the game, but also those of our former players who know our sport inside out. Both these boards will enable us to do that and I look forward to working with them as we evolve our long-term strategy aimed at harnessing the full potential of our sport.”

Both Advisory Boards are present in London, and will meet for the first time on Friday.

Roger Federer Withdraws from the ATP World Tour Finals with Back Injury

Roger Federer Withdraws from the ATP World Tour Finals with Back Injury

  • Posted: Nov 17, 2014

philstarfederer Roger Federer Withdraws from the ATP World Tour Finals with Back Injury

 

Less than an hour ahead of the highly anticipated year-end culmination at the Barclays World Tour Finals, six-time champion Roger Federer announced that he had been forced to withdraw from the final with a back injury he had sustained the previous evening against Wawrinka.

Federer, who came on court following the Bryan brothers’ title win, revealed that he was simply not willing to risk adding to the back injury sustained, particularly with Davis Cup action scheduled for next weekend.

“I am sorry to announce that I cannot play the finals tonight vs. Novak,” Federer posted on his official Facebook page. “I hurt my back late in the match yesterday against Stan. I am very disappointed and I hope to be feeling better soon. It’s been an extremely difficult decision because I love playing in London and the ATP World Tour Finals have been an absolute highlight of my career. Unfortunately, my back problem does not allow me to play right now. I hope all tennis fans and those involved in the event will understand.”

This marked the first time since 2008 that an ATP Final was contested by a walkover. This was also Federer’s walkover in his entire career.

Andy Murray stepped up to play a pro set against Novak Djokovic to the delight of the crowd.

Federer withdraws, ATP title to Djokovic

Federer withdraws, ATP title to Djokovic

  • Posted: Nov 17, 2014

 

When Rdjokovic01jr_B_oger Federer trudged off the court at O2 Arena late Saturday night, a dramatic semifinals winner over Stan Wawrinka, he looked weary and grim. The 33-year-old probably already knew that he wasn’t going to play the Sunday final against Novak Djokovic.

About 30 minutes before the anticipated match was scheduled to begin, Federer stunned the tennis world by announcing on his Facebook page that he was withdrawing.

“I am sorry to announce that I cannot play the finals tonight vs. Novak. I hurt my back late in the match yesterday against Stan,” the post said. “I am very disappointed and I hope to be feeling better soon.

“It’s been an extremely difficult decision because I love playing in London and the ATP World Tour Finals have been an absolute highlight of my career. Unfortunately, my back problem does not allow me to play right now. I hope all tennis fans and those involved in the event will understand.”

It might have been the most dramatic walkover in the sport’s history.

The pressing question: What’s his status for the Davis Cup final, which begins Friday and features the Swiss team of Federer and Wawrinka against the French trio of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet and Gael Monfils?

Did Federer withdraw because he wasn’t capable of playing against Djokovic — or to give himself a chance to be ready for Friday’s first day of singles play in Lille, France, on red clay? Do not forget that this is the one meaningful tennis trophy he’s never won.

Federer’s aching back, a problem in recent years, has been blamed for his uncharacteristically poor performance in 2013.

It was only the third time Federer has granted a walkover to an opponent. Both times prior it was due to his back, in 2012 against Tsonga in Doha and to James Blake at the 2008 Paris Indoor event.

This was the first finals walkover in the 45-year-history of the ATP’s year-end event.

In 1,221 career matches, Federer has famously never retired from a match once it started. With that kind of record, it’s easy to take his recent performance for granted. Since turning 33, he has won 32 of 35 matches and was looking for his record seventh year-end title. It was 11 years ago to the day that Federer beat Andre Agassi for his first year-end championship at the Westside Tennis Club in Houston.

In the larger context, it was fitting that these two reached the final match of the ATP season, for Djokovic and Federer (despite failing to win a major) played the best sustained tennis. They were first and second in the rankings, of course, but also in the critical categories of titles, match wins, top-10 wins and match-win percentage.

It had to be a deeply disappointing turn of events for Djokovic, who had won 31 consecutive indoor matches. This is his third consecutive year-end title, something that hasn’t happened since 1985 to 1987, when Ivan Lendl scored the three-peat.

And so this strangely disjointed ATP season abruptly ends. There were two first-time Grand Slam singles winners this year, Wawrinka and Marin Cilic, and 2015 could offer more gate-crashers. Milos Raonic, Grigor Dimitrov and Kei Nishikori will make their bids for a major title.

That said, Djokovic is already the considerable favorite to win the title in Melbourne when the Australian Open begins two months from Wednesday.

It’s going to be a big year for Djokovic. He has been the year-end No. 1 three times in four years, but it’s one thing to win titles indoors in the fall and quite another to hoist major trophies. Djokovic has come out of the box quickly in the past, winning the Australian Open four of the past seven years. But outside of his magnificent run in 2011 — when he won three of four Grand Slam singles titles — Djokovic hasn’t dominated in quite the fashion his skill set would suggest.

With Federer still aging gracefully, Rafael Nadal struggling with a series of troubling injuries and Andy Murray wrestling with post-Lendl confidence issues, there is a vacuum at the top of men’s tennis.

Djokovic seems best equipped to fill it.

Bros go out with a bang

They turned 36 this season, but Bob and Mike Bryan continue to dominate men’s doubles.

On the day that 33-year-old Federer withdrew from the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals singles finale, the Bryans won their fourth year-end title.

The California twins came from behind to defeat the No. 7-seeded team of Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-7 (5), 6-2, 10-7.

It is their 103rd team title, and this is the fourth year they have collected double-digit titles. They finished the season strong, reaching the final at Wimbledon, winning the US Open and London titles — and producing a record of 64-11.

By Greg Garber | ESPN.com