A fitting finale: ATP World Tour Finals

At the end of November, Roger Federer won a Tennis final. But this wasn’t just any final, this was the final of the ATP World Tour and Federer’s 100th in his career. The season finale involves just the top 8 in the world giving the fans all the thrills and spills usually only associated with the quarter final stage of a grand slam. And like any other quarter final this year we had all the big names; Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and even Andy Murray turned up, even if it was for only one match.

If the World Tour Finals is meant to be a fitting send off to what has been one of the best seasons of Tennis for a long time then, you know what? It didn’t do a bad job.

Yes it is true that the year has been dominated by one man. Novak Djokovic has had a stunner; that we cannot deny. But if there is one thing that the action showed us last week it is that it is close at the top. Both Djokovic and Nadal were under the weather, tired,with little niggles here and there, physically and mentally. Nadal even admitted to have been ‘lacking passion’, which surely for the fiery Spaniard was a first. What this meant was that the top two players in the world were beaten in the round robin stage, and they weren’t just beaten. They were beaten badly.

So with the top 3 out, and the world no.4 (yep, Federer was world no.4 at the start of the tournament. I know, I couldn’t believe it either) looking certain to reach the final, who would step up?

Enter, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Otherwise known as Big Jo, or Baby Dino in his younger years.The big Frenchman had been threatening the ‘fab four’ all year, and seems to have a bit of a soft spot for dear old Roger. Come the day of the final the two had been meeting every Sunday for the past three weeks, once for the final of the Paris Masters and then again the first day of the World Tour Finals in the round robin stage. Federer had beaten him on both occasions but those matches were much closer than any of the scores suggested.

Tsonga’s stupendous strength and Federer’s fantastic form made for a dramatic final. Federer won the first set, but only just, as Big Jo’s serve let him down in his fourth service game. Tsonga came back to win the second in dramatic fashion after winning the tiebreak 7-6 despite being championship point down at 5-6. Unfortunately, as hard as he tried, as many break points he fought and as many match points he saved, nothing could stop the inevitable as Federer eventually took the third set to win 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.

Why the season finale is not five sets, few know. Even Roger thinks it’s stupid. But at least us fans still got a lot of fantastic Tennis. What did the Tour Finale tell us about 2012? Well, Federer looks to be back on form, but then he does enjoy the indoor hard court season. He won this event in 2010 and still had a below par 2011. Nevertheless, you’d be a fool to bet against him for 2012. He hasn’t enjoyed slipping down the rankings to fourth place and he certainly hasn’t enjoyed a year without a grand slam win. So expect him to come back all guns blazing.

As for the others, well I’d just like to say a quick word for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. His form is as unpredictable and as difficult to read as his massive serves but it is just worth keeping an eye on him. If there is one player who could cause an upset this year and breakthrough for his first grand slam victory it’s Baby Dino.

Written by Victoria Clark, grandstand writer 
Photos: © livetennisguide.com; © tennisworldusa.com; © zimbio.com;