2019 Nitto ATP Finals...ATP 1500...London, England

[stroke]

Good stuff db. Age is finally creeping on Fed, but at a new gold standard of creeping. So true on Thiem, but he to me still has the toughest ask in sports, showing his arrival by taking out Nadal at FO. I am on vacation right now and not watching things unfold here as I usually do, but I did see that Stef had taken down Medvedev, and that is huge for Stef. And I saw that Alex beat Nadal, which I was not shocked at after watching Nadal at last hard court tournament. We will see if he even stays in the draw here.

[don_budge]

Db, age certainly creeping in on the great one, the gold standard of playing tennis. Folks will be studying him forever.

That is a good way of putting it. Creeping in. It started to creep in on me and some of my friends. But Roger has done a great job of holding it off. He has treated his body like a temple and it shows. Even now he can hang with anyone. Dominic Theim has just really come of age himself. He is so much stronger than even a year ago. Five tournament wins is his best so far and the way that he plays now is overpowering. Too bad he doesn't have something a bit more subtle to fall back on when the big stuff is not there.

It is going to be interesting to see if age is creeping in on the other two vets as well. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are no spring chickens either. The rest of the field are all young guns. Zverev, B-E-R-R-E-T-I-N-N-I, Medvedev, Tsitsipas and Theim. It seems like only yesterday that they were still wet behind the ears. But time is creeping...creeping.

Stefanos Tsitsipas scored his first win over Daniil Medvedev today in straight sets. Medvedev showing some signs of weariness after the incredible run he had throughout the entire year. A little later tonight it will be interesting to see if Alexander Zverev deserves to be here. Zverev has two of his least friendly rivals in his section as well. Neither Medvedev or Tsitsipas have any love lost for him.

Yeah...time marches on and it creeps in on everyone.

[stroke]

Db, age certainly creeping in on the great one, the gold standard of playing tennis. Folks will be studying him forever.

[don_budge]

I agree. I really do not understand how they sell so well on these tournaments. Bang for the buck, 2 or 3 days at a Masters such as Cincy is the way to go, seeing almost all the matches(just not Stadium) up close. And before Friday. At that point, Stadium is only option.

Bang for the buck. That could be my mantra when it comes to separating me from my money. Sixty percent off is great...seventy is better. Buy in quantities at that point. Never run out. You've heard me write of that day at the U. S. Open...1984 men's semifinals. That was a freebie. The best of all. But nothing in London could ever compensate for whatever they charge for that ticket.

Even that match with Dominic Theim and Roger Federer. You know they paid top dollar for that. I paid top dollar for a ticket at the French Open and by the luck or unluck of the draw I "got" to see Novak Djokovic against the lumbering Milos Raonic. Six cups of coffee was all it took to stay awake.

Back to the match at hand...Theim repeatedly got the quick drop on Roger. Federer slowly but surely giving way to age. At thirty-eight you just cannot summon the dragon at will like he used to. There were times when Roger had Theim seemingly on the ropes when the "youngster" came up with the goods and surprised Federer. It's the legs. Roger almost trudging around the court. Measuring his steps and sometimes they just don't measure up now. Not to the youthful legs of a Dominic Theim.

It will be interesting going forwards in the venue if it can keep up the momentum should Federer become an also ran this year. I must say that I am looking forwards to Medvedev and Nadal. Hoping for the only outcome that will satisfy the tennis Gods.

[stroke]

I agree. I really do not understand how they sell so well on these tournaments. Bang for the buck, 2 or 3 days at a Masters such as Cincy is the way to go, seeing almost all the matches(just not Stadium) up close. And before Friday. At that point, Stadium is only option.

[don_budge]

One thought regards the price of admission. Whatever it is this match probably was grossly overpriced. A terrible performance by B-E-R-R-E-T-I-N-N-I. Novak? Just as boring and as effective as ever. Obviously against Novak you have to have some sort of capacity of taking time away from him. But B-E-R-R-E-T-I-N-N-I doesn't have the necessary options. A real shame because all in all a real piss poor performance. Novak at match point here...yep. Over and out...6-2, 6-1. If I would have paid for admission I would have been very disappointed. But that would never happen. I would never pay to see either of these play...even if it were free and at the end of my driveway I think I would rather walk the dogs. I watched maybe 20% of this. Enough to know better.

[stroke]

Like everyone else I suppose, I am looking forward to Roger vs Novak. Nadal in the other side vs Medvedev and Stefanos is pretty interesting. If Nadal should lose his first match, it will be interesting to see how he responds.

[don_budge]

Let the Party Begin...Novak Djokovic versus Matteo Berrettini; Roger Federer versus Dominic Theim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW1dbiD_zDk

Let's get this party started. 2019 ATP Finals about to commence. Matches of the day are the two drones Novak Djokovic and Matteo Berrettini. What a whale of a name...Matteo Berrettini. The last name difficult to spell...stroke? Just think two e's, two more e's, two t's and two i's. That sort of helps to simplify matters doesn't it. Always looking for the LCD...the lowest common denominator. Then there is Roger Federer versus Dominic Theim...common denominator? The one handed backhand.

Some might say to me...get a life. Haven't you got anything better to do than write commentary on a sport that is headed head first for the mulch pile...they might say. Well, I say to such a person...no. I don't have anything better to do or I would be doing it. As far as my comments about a certain SKUNK who happens to be in the draw here in London...I am going to say what I think and feel and don't care what others think. They have thoughts of their own and they are entitled to them as well. No matter how convoluted and off the mark they might be. After all...I am here and you are there. Could it be a matter of perspective. After all...we both see the same thing but from different points of view. Have at it.

In the other half of the draw...the other being the one that doesn't have Roger Federer...is going to be a donnybrook. I hope. Two players that detest Rafael Nadal more than I do. Because they have had a whiff of him close up and have learned to hate him. Which is fine. I don't think either are afraid of him either. Daniil Medvedev is the more dangerous of the two Nadal haters...Stefanos Tsitsipas hasn't shown that he is man enough to take it to the great imposter. Slick up the court just a tad and we see just how vulnerable "Mr. Muscle Head" really is. You can only go so far back to receive serve and if he pulls that stunt on a fast court he will be toast.

Which leads us to the question of the day...just how fast are the courts? But all in all this tournament comes at a great time in the year here in Sweden. The weather has been rather gloomy...rainy November days. A snow dusting last night left the fields in a thin blanket of white. A large bull moose in the back field flirting with our two beautiful ladies (the Arabian mares) in the adjacent field. Mother and offspring deer frequently appearing on the property. It's a no hunting zone.

Get a life? Give me a break!

[don_budge]

Plays like an "exhibition format". Still...there will be takeaways. Stay tuned. Stay focused. Roger Federer in the house and in the same half as Novak Djokovic which may turn into a blessing of sorts.

https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/current/nitto-atp-finals/605/draws