*Official* Tennis Thread

[vicleggie]

Murray #1 seems inevitable now. Good on him, deserves it.

 

[Jono]

Raonic pulls out, so Muzz is #1!

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well done Murray, been brilliant since the French. Be some battle next year as no doubt Djokovic will be better for the winter break.

 

[vcs]

Well done Murray. The WTF will be interesting in terms of the No.1 permutations. Murray's always underperformed there, hope he isn't burnt out by then.

 

[grecian]

Don't much like Murray's playing style or the ATP (WTA FTW), but well done for him, really odd though within a pretty short amount of time men's tennis has pretty much collapsed like england against spin on the subcontinent.

Fed dead, Nadal limping along, novak mentally gone, leaves Murray in the number 1 partly by default.

Yet hey he lived through an horrid era, there's a decent argument that he should benefit from an easier one. Still my wish that there be some new names winning slams is even more prominent, FFS every slam winner in ATP is over 28, and with the big four not remotely as dominant, there's no excuse for all this, "they're not coming through because the main ones are so dominant, because they're greats " BS.

 

[Howe_zat]

Raonic pulls out, so Muzz is #1!

what a strange way to get the number one ranking, i thought, before remembering i watch cricket

 

[vicleggie]

Despite playing in this era, I feel Murray has to win at least one more slam for his legacy to be complete. 4 slams, #1 & Davis Cup would be perfect. Will probably do it in Aus.

 

[Jono]

Two gold medals too

 

[vcs]

Definitely the best player ever to have won "only" 3 Slams. Career achievements wise, I'd actually rate him closer to the Becker-Edberg tier.

 

[vicleggie]

Agree. Has the class of a 6 slam winner. He could actually clean up the next couple of years, if Novak stays out of sorts. Not many others look like stepping up to take slams from him.

 

[Jono]

Think too early to call end of Novak. Looks mental not physical. He still went further than Muzz at the US. End of year break will do him good.

Next gen requires Zverev to get going in a slam next year. He's capable

 

[Furball]

Was surprised at the number 1, last I checked he was miles off it.

Great achievement though, time he won a few more slams.

 

[Anil]

if novak wins the world tour finals, will he regain no: 1 or is murray now a lock for the year end no: 1?

 

[Niall]

Novak has to win every match at London and he will be world number one again, normally wouldn't be a huge ask for him, but in current form...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...ts-sights-atp-world-tour-finals-paris-masters

If Djokovic overcomes the disturbing ennui that enveloped him when he fell in the quarter-finals at Bercy on Friday, and recovers from a lingering injury to his right arm to win every match and hold his title at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, starting next Monday, he will resume a reign that had stretched to 122 weeks. It is Murray’s fresh challenge, after beating Isner 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 in the final, to ensure that does not happen.
The new world No1 won his eighth title of the year after defeating John Isner 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 in Paris

“I want to keep going,” Murray said courtside. “It’s been a great year, and I want to finish as well as I can. I’m not so much thinking about finishing as the world No1. I just want to play well at the O2. I’ve not always played well there, and I want to do myself justice. I’ll get a few days’ rest now.”

Complicating the equation, however, Murray will lose 275 points after the Finals, because Great Britain failed to retain the Davis Cup they won last November. One way he can hold Djokovic at bay is to beat him in the O2 final; it would be the perfect finish to what has been the best season of his career.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Well whatever happens in the tour finals if the break doesn't sort Djokovic out and he fails to retain the Aussie Open then he won't be number 1 after that.

 

[Jono]

Isner 1 / 40 from break points against Murray in his career

 

[Anil]

Well whatever happens in the tour finals if the break doesn't sort Djokovic out and he fails to retain the Aussie Open then he won't be number 1 after that.

way too early to call that...it is entirely dependent on him, if he becomes as focused and hungry as before regardless of whether it is before or after the aussie open, i don't think any of the current crop of players can stop him from being no: 1 again...

 

[vcs]

Absolute epic between Murray and Raonic by the looks of it. And now Murray and Djokovic will play for the No. 1 spot. Don't think Murray will have enough left in the tank. Where's Jono these days?

 

[vcs]

Yay Andy! Well done. Novak was very poor though, uncharacteristic. He was unplayable last year against Federer in the final.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Djokovic desperate for a break to refresh his body and mind. Seemed a performance that has summed him up since the French with all those errors.

Well done Murray, richly deserved