Rob McLean - Murray is my pick for ATP Finals glory
Novak Djokovic is getting his tiredness excuses in early, but the guy deserves a break.
Labelled a quitter by many, the Serb whose career started out at the same time as Andy Murray's, has surprised everyone by winning back-to-back tournaments and installing himself as one of the favourites to win the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena which start on Sunday.
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Djokovic was beginning to get a reputation for being a court jester - better known for his mimicry of other players such as John McEnroe.
He also had a problem with his fitness and continually retired from matches or ran out of steam. Ironically, Djokovic's only problem now is that he could be too knackered to win.
Someone who could benefit from this will be Murray, who is one of eight players chasing a share of the £3million prize money.
Even if Murray never wins another trophy, he will probably go down in history as arguably the best British player of all time - apologies to Fred Perry, our last Grand Slam winner in 1936.
After years of wearing the Perry logo on his shirt, the Scot has new sponsors for next year. Perhaps he changed clothes because his sleep was being disturbed in his Surrey mansion by visions of the great man giving him a constant reminder of the one blot on his copybook.
Or was it a case of 'what first attracted you to the new £3million a year clothing deal?'
The omens are good for the Scot, winner of six titles this season, but the other six men will fancy their chances. All, however, have something to prove.
Roger Federer, without a tournament victory since August, will be desperate to hang on to his world No 1 ranking; Rafael Nadal, the No 2, hasn't won a title since May and is not quite the same player since his knee problems.
At time of writing there is doubt about Andy Roddick's participation and should the American pull out due to injury, the Swede, Robin Soderling, who blasted Nadal off court at the French Open, would step in all guns blazing and nothing to lose.
The remaining places are made up by Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, who stunned Federer at the US Open to win his first Grand Slam but has suffered a reaction since, Fernando Verdasco, Nadal's Spanish hard-hitting compatriot, and a resurgent Russian Nikolay Davydenko.
I predict Murray to beat a weary Djokovic in the final.
On the senior tour it was pleasing to see Bjorn Borg get the better of McEnroe for the first time in 10 years. I am still angry with Mac for sending Bjorn Borg into early retirement in 1981, but the Swede won a round robin match in straight sets on the China leg of the tour.
BRIT WATCH: Roger Draper, chief executive of the LTA, trotted out the same platitudes recently about the profits from Wimbledon and how great the game is in this country. Well, Murray apart, nothing much has changed on the success front – lack of it that is - and there are still not enough affordable indoor courts for the average person to play on when it rains. Next year let's hope he says something on the lines of: "As most of the indoor clubs are too expensive or exclusive for the average family. We have decided to spend the £30m profits from Wimbledon on new indoor centres around the country."
Then I woke up.
As Pat Cash, the former Wimbledon champion, said this week: ''How Draper still keeps his job, I don't know. It is one of the miracles of tennis."
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Date published :
17 Nov 2009 - 09:59:24
