ILE rolling non-slam Tennis thread

63 57 63, a lot closer than I thought it would be. Federer reduces overall H2H deficit to 11-23 but extends indoor H2H lead to 6-1. More evidence that if they'd played as many times indoors as on clay (15) that overall H2H might not be as lopsided.

I did a little analysis a while back of every event they played while they were continuously #1 and #2 and I think Nadal came out ahead by two or three (whereas he was 8-9 clear in the H2H over the same period). Nadal failed to keep their final date more often than Fed, esp early on, so the H2H should really be closer.

Wait, can someone explain the justification for what I presume is a wildcard for Zheng in Zhuhai?

Same as for Pironkova and the sundry Pretty Girl WCs in Bali/Sofia for the past few years I guess ie there is none

That is egregious particularly because the format actually halfway makes sense compared to Bali/Sofia. Not that I'd expect her to win any matches.

Definitely not when drawn into the Venus/Keys group.

The event still has a bit of an underwhelming consolation prize feel, I don't feel like I need to see these players fight for scraps (or...700 points while being guaranteed not to face a Top 8 opponent) any more this year.

Meanwhile, Bouchard breaching Twitter and social etiquette all over the place: https://twitter.com/geniebouchard/status/661303458402799616

Particularly enjoy how she immediately assumes spam/hackers when she sees a colleague wishing another colleague well.

(neither does it surprise me that Wozniacki is the type to send multiple needy messages over the course of several months despite being rudely ignored every time)

that's heartbreaking

also, hilarious

damn kev anderson kinda choked trying to close rafa in straights…on to the 3rd

Rafa getting through so many aggravating matches on ~fighting spirit and opponents choking nowadays

It was pretty hilarious to see Saisai Zheng SABRing on Venus's second serves yesterday and succeeding btw

https://twitter.com/philousports/status/661663679063179265

dam berdych got from 3-5 down in this tiebreak v novak to set pt in v impressive fashion

the pressure to keep redlining/going for every winner is tuff to maintain rip berd

berdych is now 2-20 v novak

stan got a coffee mid 1st set (it was like 11p local time btw), won the set

commentators have referred to it it like 8 times now and just as nadal went up 2-1 and as they went to commercial said "no coffee, but he's rafa-nated" lol kill me

stan has done real well this match considering his past history vs rafa and how this match started. he was getting pushed back and rafas depth and spin was controlling him; now hes put nadal on the defensive and really punishing rafa's looping short balls

why does everyone choke against Rafa ugh

stan had a few easy volleys on his serve where he shdve won this match, rafa is lucky xp yup

those horrible shanked BHs for no reason

haha now nadal is choking

redeemed himself in the TB :)

2-1 game second set of stan/novak was amazing, stan got a break back

novak drops his first set in his last 30 sets.. he hit some out of character errors but stan also elevated his play

Sharapova swing volley fail on SP against Kvitova :)

Love watching her look overpowered and as if she has no say in the outcome like this.

lolol Kvitova has one lousy game to lose serve after being rock-solid, then Sharapova plays an even worse one to give the break back including two failed drop shots.

Really high-quality second half of set here.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CT28BhTW4AIwiB-.jpg

Full house for a doubles match as a closer is pretty amazing

Vesnina choked

stan looks injured maybe

sudden realisation last night that the ATP's doldrums are happening right now, we just hadn't fully realised

I don't think there's even a match-up at the WTF I'm really hyped about? which is ludicrous. but basically almost every one is a) predictable b) a match we've seen a million times. Wawrinka is the only exception and after last night...

anyway yeah this year's WTF proceeding exactly along last year's flop lines so far. funny how the ATP WTF gets so much hype and reverence while the WTA's gets doom-mongering and mockery, yet...the WTA's...is...better these days?

The WTA's was exceptionally good this year, I thought. Masha/A-Rad, A-Rad/Mug, Kvitova/Masha, Kerber/Mug were all good matches.

Also my belief that Berdych would look good in anything has finally been shaken by that ensemble he had on. Like, the shirt or shorts by themselves would have been fine paired with something white or bright, but it made him look like someone fashioned it out of a sack.

Gorgeous Fed drop-shot to take the first set.

And Djokovic shirt change!

They were both pretty great in the first set but both fell off in the second, especially Djokovic

Murray just cut some of his own hair off on the first changeover

2nd set was the worst novaks looked since like fall 2014

Murray is sooo tetchy today

ugh are we gonna have to deal with a Rafa resurgence then

So, assuming Fed beats Kei, Djokovic only needs a set vs Berdy, right? For someone who just got thumped in his 2nd RR match, Novak has about a 95% chance of qualifying... ND-TB has been a match-up at three of the last four WTFs and ND's margin of victory has only gotten wider each time.

Sorry, four of the last five. 3rd set t/b in 2011 (when Novak was spent, and subsequently lost to Ferrer and alternate Tipsarevic (who came within a point of making the semis)).

that Federer miss just now, oh my god

this looked like it was following the pattern of "fun first set, loser collapses in second" but Nishikori's won four games in a row from 1-4 down!

For someone who just got thumped in his 2nd RR match, Novak has about a 95% chance of qualifying

one of the oddities of RR is that in a group with two significantly better players, assuming form holds the match between those two big names is one of the least important in terms of who gets out of the group

ie for Nole vs Fed to matter for anything other than group standings, either Nishikori or Berdych have to throw a spanner in the works at some point

anyway this was the Federer miss, which gave Nishikori a BP, which he then took

https://twitter.com/Renestance/status/667366364395479040

Ridiculous single-handed bunt pass from Kei

Nishikori peaking from 1-4 down again, that stop volley!

damnit Kei just fell away in the final couple of points

Second point of the final game was a treat though - angles and spins galore.

my goodness, Murray's defence

bad job by andy in that tiebreak, smart of stan to just back up & let andy fuxx up