Nitto ATP Finals 2018
The withdrawal of Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro put some damper on the highly anticipated ATP Finals 2018, but that doesn’t mean it will no longer be special for both the players and the fans.
Novak Djokovic, unarguably the hottest and most in-form player on tour today, is still in the tournament, and everyone will be watching as he aims to match Roger Federer’s six ATP Finals titles and deny the Swiss a new record at the same time.
Also, what’s not to like about seeing the top—and healthiest—players of 2018 vie it out for a title that is considered second-best behind the majors?
Talking Points
Group Gustavo Kuerten
Contenders: Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic, John Isner
Djokovic is the best player this 2018, and his titles in Wimbledon and US Open are enough proof of how dominant he has been in the second half of the year. In fact, before losing to Karen Khachanov in the Paris Masters last week, he had won 22 straight matches.
The Serbian icon, nonetheless, won’t have an easy time in his group. After all, Zverev, Cilic and Isner are all capable of defeating Djokovic and making life hard for him.
Cilic took him down in the Queen’s Club last June, while Zverev is 1-1 overall against the 31-year-old. Moreover, the big-serving Isner boasts two Master 1000 wins over the Djoker.
RELATED: Djokovic Not That Invincible Ahead of ATP Finals?
The main concern for the other contenders in the group, however, is their current form.
Zverev has been struggling in recent months and lost to the likes of Khachanov, Malek Jaziri, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Marius Copil. He did win two titles in three straight finals in the Bavarian International, Madrid Open and Italian Open, but he has been out of focus since his US stint.
Meanwhile, Cilic doesn’t look to be at his best either, and his history of just one victory in three appearances in the event raises doubts about his capability to step up against top-ranked opponents.
Isner, for his part, failed to make it past the quarter-finals in seven of the last eight competitions he played. He was 10th in the rankings and qualified only after the withdrawals of Nadal and Delpo, so he will need to rediscover his Miami form that gave him his first Masters 1000 crown.
Group Lleyton Hewitt
Contenders: Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Kevin Anderson, Kei Nishikori
There’s no No.1 at stake in this year’s curtain-closer, but Federer has a lot to achieve with a title at the O2 Arena in London.
A deep run would see the Fed Express topple Nadal from the second spot, and another trophy would give him a record-extending seventh in the season-ending tournament. Oh, and it would also give him his 100th ATP title!
The Swiss legend has played in the ATP Finals every year since 2002, with the exception of his injury-riddled 2016 campaign. With that said and considering his win in Basel and semi-finals run in Shanghai and Paris, he is well poised to advance from the group and contend for the championship.
Sure enough, Thiem, Anderson and Nishikori will be determined to grab the ATP Finals 2018 highlights and ruin what could be a record-breaking run for King Rog.
Thiem has never made it past the round-robin group stage, but he is primed to change that narrative after finishing second in Roland Garros.
Anderson, on the other hand, will relish the opportunity to play at the O2 for the first time. He plays well on indoor hard courts—as proven by his wins in Vienna and on Long Island, New York—and the fact that he beat Federer in Wimbledon en route to a runner-up finish should give him more confidence.
Perhaps, Nishikori is the odd man out here as he was ninth and benefitted from the two absences. However, that is not to undermine the impressive comeback he has had after missing the start of the tour due to injury.
Also, it should be remembered that the Japanese star has made it to the semis of the ATP Finals in two of his three appearances.
History
As mentioned, Federer is the winningest player in the competition. Nonetheless, he also needed 15 appearances in London to reach that feat.
Meanwhile, Djokovic has five titles in just 10 appearances, making his winning rate better than the 20-time Grand Slam champion. The Serb also holds the longest championship streak in the tournament, taking it in four straight years from 2012 to 2015.
Interestingly though, none of the top five players won the ATP Finals last year. Instead, it was sixth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov who brought home the 2017 championship after a title fight with no.7 David Goffin.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE TENNIS STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
