A near-flawless Juan Martin Del Potro thrashes Rafael Nadal in straight sets on Saturday in Shanghai. Del Potro will go up against Novak Djokovic for the title.
Juan Martin Del Potro once again showed how dangerous he can be against the very best in the world, when armed with a clean bill of health.
Fresh off a title in Tokyo, the oft-injured Argentine hammered Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals of the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Saturday night. Del Potro blasted 28 winners to his opponent’s 15 while needing one hour and 46 minutes to set up a showdown for the title against Novak Djokovic.
The world No. 5 came out firing right from the start and won the first four games of the match. Nadal finally got on the scoreboard with a hold for 1-4, but he missed a break-point chance in the following game and eventually watched Del Potro serve out the opener at love in the eighth game.
Break-point struggles were a big part of the story for Nadal, who failed on two opportunities in the first set and on four more in the second. As such, Del Potro’s break at 1-1 in the second proved to the final difference. Shanghai’s No. 6 seed held the rest of the way and capped off his remarkable performance with a routine hold at 5-4.
“I played so solid all the time, hitting the ball so hard,” Del Potro explained. “I saw Rafa playing very far off the baseline, which is good for my game, for my serve and confidence. That’s the way to beat this guy.”
“He played amazing,” Nadal assured. “I just congratulate him. Very few times I play against a player with a level like today. I really go home with the feeling that I didn’t play bad. That’s the thing. It is fair to say that. I am humble enough to say that I played well and I lost 6-2, 6-4.”
Del Potro improves to 4-8 lifetime against the top-ranked Spaniard. He is 3-9 against Djokovic, but Del Potro extended the Serb to five sets in a recent Wimbledon thriller and he won their Indian Wells semifinal showdown earlier this season.
[polldaddy poll=7471196]
Key words, “A near-flawless Juan Martin Del Potro……” It was clear what a near flaw-less Delpo can do. The question is: how does a not so flaw-less Delpo do? This is what you have to do if you are to be a Top 4 regular, you have to win ugly sometimes.
Delpo will not play flawless tennis all the time. When he starts winning matches he should lose, against top players, is when we will sit up and say yes, he has arrived.
when he does it consistently, you mean.
^^^Put it this way: To paraphrase Uncle Toni, Rafa is the only player who wins a lot of matches when he is playing badly. Can we say the same about Delpo? It is easy to win when you are playing near-flawless tennis. It is not easy to win when you are not playing flawless tennis. I want to see him winning when he is not playing flawless tennis also…..
Yes! Consistency is key. That is what has separated the top players from the rest of the pack.
For those who saw the match,
Is is true what Nadal says in his after-match presser, that he played well and lost?
I find it hard to believe, no matter how well DelPo might have played, that Rafa could play a 1st set like against Wawa and still lose so convincingly… DelPo must have been hitting winners from the locker-room!
@Shireling, Rafa did not say he played well, he said, “I did not play bad”. I think Rafa was being careful to not take credit from Delpo, who truly was flawless and deserved the win. Rafa, otoh, had a bad serving day and that compromised his whole performance.
It wasn’t a case of Delpo hitting winners all over the place, he was hitting them at key points. That, is what made the difference.
Rafa did not play that great, but he would have lost even if he had. So perhaps that is what he meant.
He definitely didn’t play poorly.
‘Rafa did not play that great, but he would have lost even if he had.’
Are you saying that Delpo playing great can beat Rafa playing great?
Very interesting. Would you care to amplify.
I take it you’re talking about hard courts (outdoors and indoors) and not clay.
no. if Rafa plays great, Delpo would have to play beyond ridiculous (in general).
But yes, on a fast hard court Del Potro’s best would beat Rafa’s best.
Ricky,
1. Rafa’s court positioning was poor, Delpo pointed that out and took advantage;
2. Rafa did not have a good serving day, he said so himself in his presser;
3. Delpo played the key points well, Rafa did not. Case in point, twice Rafa had BP opportunities and faced Delpo 2nd serves, twice Rafa did not take an aggressive court position to attack the second serve, staying well behind the baseline instead and subsequently dumping the balls into the net.
If Rafa had adopted a more aggressive court position, served better and played the key points better, he would have beaten Delpo.
“But yes, on a fast hard court Del Potro’s best would beat Rafa’s best.”
Baseless assumption.
OK… thx guys
I guess the Asian swing is just not Rafa’s time of year.. just needs to grind the season out and retain this hard-earned Nr. 1. As for next season, there’s just no way he’s going to be able to save all those points, that’s the way tennis goes.
Frankly, I don’t care about the rolling ranking so if Rafa loses points next year, I don’t care. What matters is the year end ranking. Rafa has a lead of 2060 points.
With Rafa traditionally playing badly at this time of the year (and his play at Beijing and Shanghai giving us no hope that this year would be dramatically different) and Djokovic on a tear now beating Rafa at Beijing and an awesome Delpo at Shanghai, the race got interesting.
Djokovic making a sweep of Paris and WTF is not unlikely at all and in fact the most probable scenario unless Delpo plays spoilsport at Paris and WTF.
i hope Delpo is in Djokovic’s half at both Paris and WTF. Even if Djokovic beats him at both places, Rafa’s chances of going to the finals at Paris and winning one more RR at WTF are brightened.
It is good to know that DC final points won’t count (thanks RITB!)
If Rafa reaches semi at Paris and wins 1 RR, he gets 360+200= 560. Add 2060. Total 2620.
(Points at Basel above 150 will add to this total).
Nole wins Paris and WTF=2500 points.
Rafa wins year end trophy.
So Djokovic needs to play a ATP 500 if he wants to improve his chances of winning year end no. 1.
So if Djokovic actually does not play a ATP 500, probability favors Rafa.
Why did Rafa have to choose this year of all years to lose Monte Carlo?
If he had won Monte Carlo
Djokovic does not play ATP 500, Rafa would be already year end no. 1
Djokovic plays ATP 500, Rafa would need just 140 plus points from the remaining tournaments to clinch no. 1.
I am sure in such a desperate scenario, Nole would definitely not have played a ATP 500.
Oh well, I suppose that is what is called an irony..
First, Rafa didn’t choose to lost MC! He had just come back from a month off to get more treatment on the knee. So he wasn’t ready and from what he has said at one point after MC, his knee was still bothering him. He struggled throughout that tournament.
Rafa didn’t have his legs under him, the strength and fitness level to beat Djoker. That’s why he wasn’t bothered by the loss.
This isn’t a desperate scenario. Rafa still has the advantage when it comes to being year end #1. Fortunately, he doesn’t have to win the upcoming tournaments to get it done. Djoker will have to win in order to have a chance
Rafa badly wants to hold on to that Year End No.1 spot – for him it would be the jewel in the crown and validate the extraordinary effort he made to excel once again in the sport he loves. Nevertheless, I don’t believe he is as hung up on it as Djokovic is in snatching the Year End title and No.1 ranking.
It remains to be seen how Djokovic prioritises what can only be described as a conflict of interests.
If it comes to a choice I don’t see Rafa putting his health at risk by pursuing his goals regardless of the consequences.
Is there any news of Djokovic’s plans for next week?
I’ve been following all the comments as to who has to do what to retain the status quo but I fear it does my head in 🙁 particularly as people keep coming up with different answers 🙂
I think I’ll do as Holdserve suggests – lie back and think of England.
Whoops. I meant to say ‘wait for it to unfold. ‘
I’m more interested to see who will complete the field for O2.
It’s pretty much a lock for Berdych for the 5th spot but the race for the last berths will be very close. I cant see Federer not picking up enough points to overtake WaWa which would leave WaWa, Tsonga, Gasquet, and Raonic fighting for the final two places.
Who would Rafans prefer to see in the mix?
ed251137, no disrespect to you my friend, but I couldn’t give a toss……..
My brain’s busy right now frazzling over Rafa’s points “will he, won’t he secure YE#1” permutations.
#contortionist
I want to know who the potential banana skins will be – not for Rafa but for the others!
i.e. has the best chance of making a dent in Nole’s points at the O2
^^Oh, okay……..
But I doubt very much we will be worrying about that come the WTF. Rafa will have secured the YE#1 by then, unless you are already thinking of 2014 permutations….
Andy’s fans are “frazzling” too ed. Will he/Won’t he?When will he…….drop out of top 4 and WHO will take his place?
More importantly how long will it take him to recover his form, and again, even more worrying is the doubt at the back of our minds.
#ScaryTimes 🙁
deucy,
I understand where you are coming from. But take comfort that Rafa was out for seven long months and his ranking only dropped slightly. I think he was #3 when he had to stop and then became #4 and then when he returned he was #5. But look at what happened when he did!
The key now that the surgery is over, is for Andy to do some serious rehab. They will work to strengthen the area where he had the disc problem. He is going to get strong and then work to get back into good form. I hope he starts slowly and works his way back into fitness.
Doubt will always be there when our favorite is out with injury. Many Rafa fans worried if he would come back and whether he would be able to play well again.
You hang in there. My thoughts are with you and all of Andy’s fans. 🙂
Thank you darling 🙂
The conspirator in me expects weaker draws for Nole leading up to the WTF so the ATP can have a real race between Rafa and Nole at the WTF.
After defending Shanghai, I fully expect Nole to enter Basel or Valencia. Although Valencia would provide an easier 500 points with its weaker draw, he will opt for Basek if he wants to have some potential control over limiting Rafa’s points there.
#CouldntResist
Finishing a third consecutive year at No. 1 means a lot to Nole. Keeps him in contention against Sampras’ six consecutive YE. No. 1’s. Fed had five non-consecutive.
Means a lot to Rafa too as it would be his 3rd.
Nole definitely has a chance to add 3000 pts by winning Basel (or Valencia), Paris and defending WTF. Not an easy feat but doable.
Mathematically, Rafa may need 1000 points and that stretched math may just come into play.
#VamosRafa
^^^^^^ – Means a lot to Rafa too as it would be his 3rd–
I beg to differ. What MATTERS to him is he will have done it THIS year after all those months of wondering if he could, or would ever, compete again at his former level.
Of course, but Rafa always looks to the next challenge. He’s admitted that, now that he is in contention, he wants the YE No. 1.
#Legacy
Absolutely! Well said!
My comment above was directed to ed.
https://twitter.com/CJSTanner/status/389852136885854208/photo/1
Neat summary of masters 1000 winners and dominance of Top 4 EXCEPT Paris where Top 4 won only 2 in last 8 years!
Madrid and Miami won by Top 4 7 of last nine,
IW, Madrid, Cincy 8 of last nine.
MC, Rome, Canada won by one of Top 4 exclusively last nine years!
HaHa. No way the top 4 ever over-exert themselves at Bercy.
Federer only put his best foot forward in ’11 to build up points to avoid sliding down the rankings any further.
As I said before, Rafa wants it badly and it is tantalisingly close but I reckon Djokovic is obsessed by the thought of toppling Rafa both from the Year End spot and the overall ranking. His weird behaviour and outbursts during the SF and Final together with his howls of pain at missing easy points are testament to how much it matters to him.
ed,
Again I agree with you.
If Del Potro once again turns up in Rafa’s half at Paris , then hawkeye’s theory will get some support.
Re Rafa, Just because he has no points to defend, it doesn’t mean he has an advantage when it comes to year end no. 1. For the year end no. 1, NO ONE has any points to defend as only points won this year count. So it is not just Nole but Rafa too who has to win points if he wants to be year end no. 1 (NNY, there really is some confusion in your mind between 52 week rolling ranking and year end ranking. Never mind. The confusion is widespread. Even Peter Bodo added to the confusion last month in some article he wrote).
Whoever wins more points this year becomes the year end no. 1.
I am tired of hearing how not playing any tournaments or taking a break gives you a big advantage the next year or that Rafa needn’t win anything because he has no points to defend.
I hope the Fed and even the Muzz fans (and also the Rafa fans who have been constantly droning about Rafa not having to defend) will understand that taking a break or not playing tournaments one year gives you no advantage if you don’t win anything the next year. Zero is zero.
Rafa is the no. 1 and poised to seize the year end no. 1 because he WON so many tournaments this year, not because he had no points to defend..
I am tired of worrying about Rafa’s no. 1 and my nerves are frazzled by all the discussions.
I wish he had won Monte Carlo. Or Shanghai. To make it easier on my nerves. But it looks like everybody (including ATP) is conspiring to make certain it goes to the wire.
I hope Rafa is year end no. 1 and his lead is more than 225 so he runs no risk of losing it immediately after DC. Of course he will get it back the moment he wins more than 225 points next year, but I don’t want the no. 1 ranking to be going back and forth. I want Rafa to win tournaments (Rafa please win Basel or Paris or WTF).
I want to see Rafa having a long unbroken stretch as the undisputed no. 1 with a big lead built up on points won over the entire year including the fall season.
Anyway, that’s my wish and my dream.
holdserve,
Respectfully, I am asking you to just let it go with what I am confused about or not.
It’s been talked about enough. Let it go.
Guys, relax 🙂 We have to wait and see. So far, there are no news, if Novak is even going to play a 500 tourney. If he doesn’t, his chances are not great. If he does, we will know, he means business, but he still has to win all those tourneys. And, if he really wins for the rest of the year and wins No 1 back, he has earned it. And Rafa has then probably mostly lost it at Wimby, where he bled the most points. No shame in losing to Novak in MC and Beijing, or to Delpo in Shanghai.
I’ve tried to clarify the ranking/race situation a bit in the Novak/Delpo thread.
And, yes Holdserve, it is a shame, that even tennis journos have such lack of understanding of that situation. To have few points to defend in a season doesn’t help you to get up in the rankings. Only winning points more points than others will do that. I think, the ATP is doing a bad job with the promotion of their product. They should at least educate the journos about the facts. It’s not that difficult to understand.
The worst case scenario is Rafa might possibly fail to hold on to Year End No.1 and be overtaken in the rankings. This would be a monumental disappoint for him but he will be philosophical about it – as he always has been – and set out to prove he is unbeatable when he is at his best.
On the other hand, if Djokovic fails in his goals I can see him starting to unravel as he did on several occasions this year when he had Rafa snapping at his heels.
Relax guys..no point worrying..let it play out.. Are we going to worry about it now for a week when no one is playing? Its absolutely futile , let us relax this week to brace for the back to back 3 weeks of tennis ahead of us 🙂
What has to happen will happen, tennis has to be played to win YE No 1.
I’m not worrying anymore, Sanju. We’ve done all the calculations, now, and as you say, tennis has to be played and matches won. And I’m really not Novak’s greatest fan, but should he really win the race, then he has earned it. And it wouldn’t diminish Rafa’s stellar season in a meaningful way, since he has played one major less than Novak.
I’m going to enjoy this tennis week relatively frazzle free. For example, The Multiple Ernests have won their first match; and despite their sometimes impossible brattiness, I really like them.
Which country you from littlefoot? What do you do in life professionally?
Hey, nice, you’re asking! I’m from the north of Germany, and I’m a trained criminal psychologist (did I out myself somehow, lol?), but I’ve been working for a long time now with elderly and demented people, helping them to stay at home as long as possible. When I’m not out, I’m working a lot at my computer, which allows me to follow tennis 🙂 In my youth I’ve been a fencer, another one on one sport,but much more reflexive than tennis. Agression is rewarded by the rules, and I was not very agressive by nature, but could defend endlessly, which makes for a good workout but doesn’t get you very far. Maybe, that’s, why I can identify with Rafa. My coaches were always telling me to be more agressive. But I’ve been a fan of many other players with different playing styles.
And I’m a woman, btw.
Where do you live and what are you doing? And don’t worry, I won’t ever analyze posters or comments. That has never been my style, and isn’t possible from a few scrabs of comments anyway.
Thanks littlefoot. Indian here and am IT professional, manage software project delivery.
On other sites it pays to be wary because of the bitter trolls who use any scrap of info as ammunition to launch wounding personal attacks.
I like knowing a little about people’s background – it adds greatly to the sense of community plus it allows insight into where people are coming from.
Federer should now hire Miles Maclagan who has parted company with Laura Robson. Maclagan seems to be going from one player to the next.
^^^Coaches pay rent too, no?
Federer should go coachless
I hear John Tomic is available.
Well, instead of frazzling over Rafa’s YE points, how about oggling his bod, Rafans?:
https://twitter.com/NeilHarmanTimes/status/390072965179531264/photo/1
I don’t know about you but I’m un-frazzled already…………
Can someone post a picture of Anna Kournikova please!
#EqualRights
how bout Radwanska?
#BodyIssue
^^^^^How about posting the shot when Rafa was changing on the boat
I’m not talking about the most recent ones…………it was some years ago. Probably taken off all the sites by now.
#MakeMyDay
ed251137@October 16, 2013 at 9:58 am
Plenty of photos (to make one’s day):
http://tinyurl.com/ozctqup
Fellow Rafa fans, please VOTE for Rafa as your favourite player!
2013 ATP WORLD TOUR AWARDS
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2013/Moet-ATP-Awards/2013-ATP-Awards-Fan-Favourite-Voting.aspx
Voting remains open through Thursday, 31 October.
I couldn’t find the voting on the ATP Website. I used Google to find it.
littlefoot,
thank you for telling us a little about yourself. I found it very interesting to hear about your profession(s) and your fencing. As it happens most of us have never written about what we do for a living but in your case it is very interesting.
deucy,
where I hold out a lot of hope for Andy’s full recovery is that the physiotherapy and all other recovery-related fields are now so advanced when it comes to professional sports, e.g. osteopaths etc etc.
Re Rafa,
It is getting close in points in good part because he hardly played at Wimbledon, and just to state the obvious because he did not play at all in Australia (or anywhere in the first weeks of the year)… not bad for essentially having played only 2 slams, if you don’t mind looking at it this way.
Thanks, chloro, hope, it was ok to tell but since sanju asked….
Maybe, this site should have a social thread, since probably most have something interesting to tell and we are from all over the world.
I’m a leftie, btw, and I remember, we could be a pain in the ass for rightie opponents, and I always hated to fight fellow lefties. It was like fighting your mirror image, lol!
threads are by definition “social” !!!
True, but some sites discourage strongly to go off topic.
littlefoot,
It’s usually pretty relaxed when it comes to going off topic. After all, it’s not like Shanghai is still going on. Most of the top players are not in action this week, so it’s kind of an in-between time before Basel next week.
Sometimes we do talk about ourselves and get personal. If we go too far off base, then Ricky will definitely get us back on track! 🙂
Ricky might draw the line if we were to start swapping beauty hints and recipes 🙂
Do you remember in the last weeks or so of TT a lot of us swapped notes on how we dealt with the tension of watching matches when our heroes are in trouble? Wish I’d archived that thread before the site went down.
Oh, thanx for that chloro 🙂 It’s just that back operations can never be taken lightly, so am worried.
Thank goodness he got 2 Slams b4!
#Phew
Not bad even if he wasn’t coming back from a major and long injury break.
hawkeye63@October 15, 2013 at 12:42 pm
—I fully expect Nole to enter Basel or Valencia.—
I don’t now whether Djoko has requested a wild card entry into the Basel tournament or not.
If the organizers of the tournament accepted Djoko’s wild card requests, Fed would be seeded 5th. I tend to think that they prefer Fed to be seeded 4th at his home event.
According to the current entry list, the seeds would be:
Rafael Nadal
Juan Martin Del Potro
Tomas Berdych
Roger Federer
Stanislas Wawrinka
Richard Gasquet
Milos Raonic
Kei Nishikori
Jesus Basel is loaded
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
It is very loaded, but other than delpo, rafa is not likely to have a lot of trouble GIVEN that he is playing well. You have to have some room for exceptions though…anyone can catch fire in these quick conditions…
Win Basel and quelch all these YE no.1 talks once and for all, rafa !
It is very loaded, but other than delpo, rafa is not likely to have a lot of trouble GIVEN that he is playing well. You have to have some room for exceptions though…anyone can catch fire in these quick conditions…
Win Basel and quelch all these YE no.1 talks once and for all, rafa !
As for the Valencia tournament, I think the organizers don’t need Djoko there. At the Madrid Masters in May, the crowd rooted for Dimitrov (against Djoko) and made Djoko mad.
Djoko shouted a vulgarity (in Serbian) at the crowd and they booed him off the court after the loss.
According to the current entry list, the seeds in Valencia would be:
David Ferrer
Nicolás Almagro
Tommy Robredo
Gilles Simon
Tommy Haas
Fabio Fognini
Jerzy Janowicz
John Isner
It is very loaded, but other than delpo, rafa is not likely to have a lot of trouble GIVEN that he is playing well. You have to have some room for exceptions though…anyone can catch fire in these quick conditions…
Win Basel and quelch all these YE no.1 talks once and for all, rafa !
Oh myy winning Basel will be no joke. It is indeed loaded
Why does Roger always have to feature is this. Forgive me, but how exactly has Delpo promoted the game through his off court activities? They’ve included Rafa, because how could they not, but the others are just there to fill in the space. IMO.
Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award
The player who, throughout the year, conducted himself at the highest level of professionalism and integrity, who competed with his fellow players with the utmost spirit of fairness and who promoted the game through his off-court activities.
Nominees
Juan Martin del Potro
Roger Federer
David Ferrer
Rafael Nadal
Federer will win it for the 21st straight time.
#NID
Would love to know if Stefan Edberg has a say in the nominees
#SaintRoger
#PopularityContest
#NID
I’m confused….you used to read that clay would probably be JMDP’s best surface as he has time to prepare for that massive forehand. Now I’m reading fast hard is where he can beat the other top 4.
#WallkOnWaterNext
Count me confused as well, deucy. When you look at how he moves, lumbering as opposed to lightning fast, and how he literally winds up his FH, you would think clay would be his best surface. Of course, his big serve is ideal on HC but I cannot understand why he does not feel rushed in winding up that FH of his.
#WingSpan
A editorial in Sports.es (Spanish) talks about the key people in Rafa’s life that stand behind him through thick and thin. Rafa himself has stated more than once that having a strong support system is one of the biggest reasons for his success.
—The 12 Pillars of Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal’s team consists of his family and professional staff, who is also considered family. Collectively, they create an environment of confidence, stability and affection that has helped Rafa focus on his talent since he was a child. They [the 12 “pillars”] are behind the scenes, taking care of the logistics, and also present at Rafa’s matches, cheering him on.
These twelve “pillars” of Rafa’s life make him who he is today – a humble champion, a true sportsman, and just an all-around great guy.—-
Read more in:
http://rafaelnadalfans.com/2013/10/16/team-rafael-nadal-the-12-pillars-of-rafael-nadal/
It is interesting they have all been with him all these years. We’ve always known how important the support group is for him. Reading this article underlines how catastrophic it was when his parents split up. His whole world was tipped upside down. No wonder he went to pieces that year.
You know, I read that article yesterday ed251137 and that’s exactly what went through my mind, the impact his parents’ had on him and his game. Can you imagine how THEY must have felt when they saw what it did to him? I hope their reconciliation was genuine, and not out of guilt for what they had done.
ed251137@October 16, 2013 at 9:14 am
—Wish I’d archived that thread before the site went down—
Do you remember the headline or the author?
No sadly I dont. I can’t even recall the approximate date. I just remember giggling a lot at people’s coping mechanisms……………
I have quite a library of the very animated discussions going back to mid 2008, including the all time classic containing the mega meltdown when S/T completely lost her ‘marbles’. Who could ever forget that!
ed251137@October 16, 2013 at 9:49 am
Here you can find all the blogs:
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Cheryl_Murray
Ho, ho! If I have an hour or two to spare I’ll try to find it. Fairly certain it will be on one of Ricky’s match preview/results threads. If it was a news item thread I guess it’s gone.
@ed251137, I remember quite a few threads from TT, since I loved Cheryl Murray’s blogs. She was insightful, funny and always completely frank.
So I know your little community a bit, and it did’t feel weird, to reveil a thing or two about myself. Of, course, it can be used as ammunition. But my experience in the cyber world shows me, that some background knowledge can also help to diffuse tension, since people might respect each other more, and even if we have different favorites, there’s a good chance, that we have more in common, than we realize. After all, we all love tennis 🙂
I remember chuckling, when I read that coping thread. Strangely, it was impossible for me to m register at TT, because in the register form, Germany was not an option. It was missing in the list of countries. But the site really went a bit off the rocker in the end, and I stopped reading the comments.
Here, it’s fine, though the site would profit greatly, if more non rafafans would comment. I enjoy good discussions. I comment regularly on Queridorafa’s site (there I ‘met’ rafaisthebest, and we swapped comments), because she is creative and outrageously funny sometimes, but on the whole, fan sites can have an inbred atmosphere, and I like to discuss other player’s tennis, too.
Lol lttlefoot, As everyone on here knows, I’ll happily talk to everyone about Andy till the Highland cattle come home!
Happy to talk to myself too, fortunately…;)
“…………..(there I ‘met’ rafaisthebest, and we swapped comments), because she is creative and outrageously funny sometimes,……….”
Sometimes? Only, sometimes…….there i was thinking I was the life and soul of the party.
*slinks away, miffed*
littlefoot,
It can be dangerous to reveal personal information especially if there are haters or trolls lurking. I found that out on TT. I also learned a hard lesson about being extremely careful when giving anyone your e-mail address and especially, your phone number. That turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes I ever made.
What was so great about TT was that we had a nice mix of fans of different players. Despite the phony posturing from some haters, we did have some Fed fans, Djoker fans and Murray fans. That made for some lively intense discussions at times.
We don’t have any Djoker fans on this sight and it would be nice to hear their thoughts. We had a few good ones on TT. But I am grateful that we don’t have the insanity that made TT almost a mockery and a shadow of what it once was.
they will get here.
#IfYouBuildItHeWillCome
what are you looking for?
^^My little book of jokes………..
#Homework
#NationalTreasure
@augusta08, dearie me, you are a guy ain’tcha? The only thing those Rafa pictures will do is send me to sleep! Too tame, my dear fellow. Now, some pics of him in Armani jeans and briefs………..coooooooooo!
rafaisthebest@October 16, 2013 at 10:51 am
—Now, some pics of him in Armani jeans and briefs—
“Moving” pictures.
Rafael Nadal for EA Underwear and Armani Jeans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbfFeXPkvsQ
Behind the Scenes with Rafael Nadal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyPsfRUf3Aw
It’s cold, dank and rainy here. The above it just what the doctor ordered.
Never mind the dog is still waiting for his walk.
I’ve seen these clips before but I was struck anew by Rafa’s professionalism and talent in front of the camera. He is the dream model for art directors, photographers and cameramen.
While I may be a Rafan, WTA’s Dominika Cibulkova is more picturesque to me.
http://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=aY_EK0xB_-kfDM&tbnid=3bqlQIGZ4AMYYM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftennishotcorner.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fdominika-cibulkova-hot-pics-corner.html&ei=NYdeUsvhOsTQqgHIn4HgBg&psig=AFQjCNG4Ge1zmaTv2rhERzfFiuB-YFZC8Q&ust=1382013110028494
#DoingTheGooglings
Can you turn those links into TinyURLs. I cant open them.
Just being nosy. Want to see what turns you on. Ha, ha.
OK no need. The one below opened. I’ve got the idea.
Hawkeye, are you Pseudofed?
he either is, or he is a well-studied in Pseudofed’s vast library of works.
^^^^^The real identity is a closely guarded secret and known to only a handful of people.
But interesting you should ask the question because I’ve harboured the suspicion for many months. But you want get a response – he does’t even admit to being a writer which I’m certain he is.
@ed,
Pseudofed must be a Brit, don’t you think? A LOT of references to things only Brits would know about/be interested in. A LOT of references to Andy/Judy etc.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bz67Z-45qUE/Tmj9zF05I7I/AAAAAAAAAz8/LAi8E-dLzlE/s1600/Dominika-Cibulkova-Hot-Pics-Corner-+%25283%2529.jpg
#Humb1e
Stop! stop!
Ricky, I am not responsible for turning this site into a den of iniquinity…..
#I’llJustHaveOneMorePeep………………
Sharko says Davis Cup final ranking points count in the 2013 rankings….
^^Where is the Sharko quote/link, Ricky?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATP_Rankings
With two singles match wins in the DC final and if Serbia wins, Nole can pick up an additional 225 points.
Deucy: Schucks – I’m always up for a good gossip with you. No need to talk to yourself.
Or a game of tennis come to that – doubles of course 😉
Littlefoot: Deucy is one of the wittiest commentators from TT along with Conspirator, RITB and a few others. She and I share the same sense of humour although some of the long standing jokes must be incomprehensible to others.
Well, I’m always happy to talk about Andy, the dog lover! Rafa could learn a thing or two from him.
I’m going to take my dog out now 🙂
pics of Maggie and Rusty?
Who named those dogs?
But yes, some pics of them would be great!
Hewitt obviously named one of them.
i suppose Rod Stewart named the other one?
@Rick
Your wish is my command
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/andy-murray-dogs-wear-olympic-medals-photo-182831062–oly.html
that’s the classic one.
#epic
#woof
RT @SharkoTennis “@tennisfan00 Yes, Davis Cup points count for year-end No. 1 ranking and final ranking will be Nov 18 (after DCup final).”
Ricky Dimon@October 16, 2013 at 12:59 pm
Could you ask a question from a direct source?
ATP OFFICES:
ATP Americas
201 ATP Tour Blvd.
Ponte Vedra Beach
Florida 32082 USA
Tel: +1 904 285 8000
Fax: +1 904 285 5966
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Corporate/Management.aspx#forbes
So why is the ATP misleading us with this:
“The Emirates ATP Rankings Race To London include points earned in 2013 plus points earned at the 2012 Davis Cup final and late-season 2012 Challengers and Futures played after the 2012 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.”
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Rankings-FAQ.aspx
Who is right, Sharko or the ATP?
#Confused
#veryconfused
I’d say, Sharko is always right, but the ATP answer leaves no room for interpretation IMO.
RITB..I think the race to London does not include DC final(obviously) but final YE No 1 does include maybe? Note it says ATP Race to London points .
Sanju, I had the same thought.
DC belongs to those events, where only the 6 best results can be counted. Are all DC rubbers one event, or is one rubber counted as one event?
littlefoot @October 16, 2013 at 2:41 pm
—Are all DC rubbers one event, or is one rubber counted as one event?—
The ATP website:
“Davis Cup points are awarded for World Group and World Group playoff ties only. The points accumulated in the four ties within the previous 52 weeks can be used as one of the player’s best of six (6) results.”
One of the best movies made, Platoon, EVER!
One of the best movie performances, Wlllen Dafoe, EVER!
One of the best movie sound tracks, Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson), EVER!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FXzY0oGXmk
Okay ‘mericans, you may be lousy at government but you sure know how to make a movie!
#Fan
epic
I dont see why DC points should be included in the Race total. DC is not a level playing field – plus it’s a team effort and an RR format. Awarding points for the overall ranking was to inveigle/bribe top players to participate since playing for your country was not always seen as sufficient incentive.
Personally, I thought the whole idea behind WTF was to close the season there, hence the award of the YE#1 trophy during the tournament. So, if Novak and Rafa are still neck ‘n neck after WTF and the YE#1 award depends on the Davis Cup final, how will they award the trophy, by DHL?
I think we should trust ATP rather than Sharko
Sharko and ATP are both correct (albeit confusing, ahhh tennis, the worst run professional sport, no? Well, maybe next to hockey).
ATP uses last 52 weeks BEFORE the WTF to determine who is eligible to play WTF which, by definition, includes DC finals from 2012.
ATP uses current calendar year 52 weeks at the end of the year to determine YE No. 1 which, by definition, excludes everything from 2012.
#HopeThisHelps
#CongratulationsToMe!!!!!!
#Humb1e
Oh, also meant to address ed numbers comment on why DC counts. It’s because a few years ago the ATP agreed to make DC more relevant and to encourage top players to participate. Doesn’t really make a big difference as a player can choose DC or to play an extra 500 tournament. Max. DC points possible is 625 pts but Nole can only add a maximum of 225 points to his current 330 pts from DC.
#YoureWelcome
Anyway, Rafa should earn enough points to cover the points Djoko can earn in the Davis Cup final after the WTF. Otherwise, he can’t keep the No.1 spot.
I repeat my calculation.
Race to be YE #1:
Djoko can earn points :
¤ ATP500 somewhere – 500 (there are 2 tournaments left: Basel and Valencia next week)
¤ Paris – 1000
¤ WTF – 1500
TOTAL: 3000 points
Rafa:
¤ leads today (Oct.15) with 2060 points in the Race to London
¤ needs to add 945 points (Basel & Paris & WTF) to be YE No.1.
TOTAL: 3005 points
To keep the No.1 spot after that, Rafa should earn 225 points to cover the points Djoko can win in the Davis Cup final in the middle of November.
ed251137@October 16, 2013 at 11:55 am
Speaking of movies, one more example of Rafa’s talent in front of the camera is: his acting in a music video together with Shakira.
I remember a storm the video caused in the tennis (media &social media) world. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Shakira – Gypsy (27,285,759 views)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3-GiVIE8gc
(Shakira is currently in a relationship with the Spanish footballer Gerard Piqué, centre back for FC Barcelona and the Spanish national team. Their child is one year old.)
I never felt he was very comfortable about the role he was asked to play. I wonder if he really knew what he was letting himself in for when he agreed to do it. There are several frames where he looks either sheepish or downright embarrassed.
ed251137@October 16, 2013 at 4:17 pm
— I wonder if he really knew what he was letting himself in for when he agreed to do it.—
Rafa’s comment on the video with Shakira: “It’s part of the job.”
Rafael Nadal on video with Shakira
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0sCUWV3BKB0
Why can’t the ATP write/speak in plain English?
So it is 1320 points at minimum (Vina Del Mar not counted) for Rafa to seal No 1 assuming Novak wins ATP 500, Paris, all WTF matches and DC both matches.
11120 (Novaks current year to date points) + 500 (ATP 500) + 990 (Pais gain)+ 225 – 11520 (Rafas YTD points) = 1315 points
But VdM points WILL count, if Rafa doesn’t win anything in Basel. So, they should stay in the equation. It just means, that Rafa cannot win more than 350 points in Basel.
Yes agree thats why I say Vina DEl Mar not counted. So it can be 1320 – 150 = 1170 points.
When’s Rafa going to Basel? According to the tournament, he will be on the OOP on Monday:
http://www.swissindoorsbasel.ch/News.443+M51b19ffbcd7.0.html
Augusta you cant use Race to count minimum required by Rafa. Race includes non countable too, I think its safe to go with YTD points. Pls refer my calcs above.
Sanju@October 16, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Rafa and Djoko have NO points from 2012 in the 2013 Race to London.
Djoko’s 9610 points include 310 points he has earned at the Davis Cup in 2013:
1R – 1 win – 40 points
QF – 2 wins – 2 x 65 = 130 points
SF – 2 wins – 2 x 70 = 140 points
______________________________
TOTAL: 310 points
The Race to London includes Rafa’s 150 points from Vina del Mar.
These points can be used ALSO in the 52-week rankings when a zero point penalty expires on Oct. 28.
If Rafa wins in Basel more than 150 points, the points from Vina del Mar will become non-countable (again) – both in the Race and the 52-week rankings.
I repeat the comment I wrote somewhere.
Rafa will earn ADDITIONAL points in Basel, if he reaches at least the semifinals (180 points). These 180 points would replace his 150 points from Vina del Mar.
Currently, Rafa’s ‘SIX best results’ in the RACE TO LONDON include:
1) Monte Carlo Masters, 2013 – 600 points (a non-mandatory Masters tournament; it’s counted as one of four ATP-500 tournaments a player has to play)
2) Acapulco ATP-500, 2013 – 500 points
3) Barcelona ATP-500, 2013 – 500 points
4) Beijing ATP-500, 2013 – 300 points
5) Sao Paolo ATP-250, 2013 – 250 points
6) Vina del Mar ATP-250, 2013 – 150 points (possible to replace with the points from Basel)
Perhaps they don’t want us to understand – we’re only tennis fans 🙂
The joke is I suspect half the officials in tennis dont understand either.
They have also been known to have difficulty calculating the results at the WTF. It took nearly half an hour to confirm who went through to the SF in 2009 – the year of ‘Tanks Roger’ – Cheryl wrote an interesting blog on the subject.
above is referring to RITB’s comment @ 2.28pm
The difficulty isn’t really to understand the difference between ranking and race. But all the rules about what counts when, make one’s head spin.
correct
littlefoot,
Again I have to thank you for clarifying the reason for the confusion. As you said so well, the confusion is not about ranking and race. It is about the rules as to what counts and when.
This is why I get really annoyed when someone tells me what confuses me. My problem has always been with what can be counted and what cannot be counted. I had no idea about the Vina Del Mar points until someone brought it up here.
Just reading Augusta’s post above is enough to make my head spin! Nothing against her calculations of course. I would not have known to deduct the Vina Del Mar points against whatever Rafa wins at Basel.
http://www.abc.es/deportes/tenis/20131016/abci-djokovic-valencia-nadal-201310161148.html
The Valencia Open 500 is awaiting a response from Novak Djokovic , who could participate in the tournament Spanish (from 21 to 27 October) with the intention of scoring points in his fight with Rafael Nadal for the number one. The Serbian, who lost his throne in Beijing, is 400 points Balearic and maintains the illusion of ending the year at the top of the ATP. For this you need to win almost everything is scheduled on your calendar and wait for the results of his rival. Valencia, with a sign already great , is excited before the option is presented.
Djokovic can add in Paris-Bercy 990 points (made second round in 2012) and defends title with perfect record in the Masters Cup (1,500 points). It also has the ability to accumulate in the Davis Cup final (15 to November 17 against the Czech Republic). Nadal, meanwhile, competes next week in Basel and will also be in Paris and London in the finals.
“It would be great to have someone as top as Novak,” said Juan Carlos Ferrero to abc.es by telephone. “We are a tournament settled, but always work with humility. So, to have someone like that would help us, it would be the better “, said the tournament director.
Djokovic said the organization would give them an answer soon, possibly on Wednesday afternoon.
Facebook.
“Serbian newspaper reports: “ND will not play in Valencia. He rejected the invitation of JCF. Needs rest & prepare well for Paris” (via @NachoMuhlenberg)”
I would like other sources to confirm this.
interesting
http://www.welovetennis.fr/atp-valence/74678-djokovic-refuse-une-wildcard-pour-valence
Another “source” confirms no nole for Valencia.
Alright, so it’s safe to presume, that Novak doesn’t enter the the shark tank of Basel either. And after we’ve successfully cleared up the questions about Novak’s DC points, the FINAL ( 🙂 ) calculation is, that Rafa needs to win 670 points in his last three tourneys to be winner of the race and the rankings for sure.
Agreed, that is the magic number.
Let the countdown begin!!!
littlefoot@October 16, 2013 at 7:13 pm
—Rafa needs to win 670 points in his last three tourneys to be winner of the race and the rankings for sure.—
Rafa needs to ADD 670 points to his total amount. I repeat that Rafa can ADD points in Basel, if he wins more than 150 points there – reaches at least the semifinals (180 points).
These 180 points would replace his 150 points from Vina del Mar.
Right, augusta. That’s, what I meant to say.
OK, Basel draw predictions…
Roger in Rafa’s half and Berdych in Delpo’s half.
Rafa’s quarter stuffed with Raonic, Dodig and Matosevic playing the odds that one of ’em just might serve him off the fast surface before Fed has to face him (if he can make it that far).
Hmmm, wonder where Davy will show up in the draw.
LOL! I like draw predictions. Are they based on scientifically confirmed conspiracies, or did you look in your crystal ball?
My tinfoil hat speaks to me.
#GammaRays
Matosevic hahahahaha
predictions for Nadal’s draw:
R1) qualifier (Becker)
R2) Istomin-Berlocq winner
QF) Gasquet
SF) Federer
F) Berdych (or Delpo)
That’s not a draw prediction, but the analysis of a predicted draw.
No
Well we actually agree on the last two rounds but I’m sure I’ll have you beat on the first three. Other than the SF, that’s actually a Fed-type draw.
if it was analysis, Federer wouldn’t be in the semis and Delpo/Berdych probably wouldn’t be in the final.
plus Basel is an indoor hard court, so Nadal probably won’t even be in the final of my bracket!!!
Ok, you’re right. I was surprised, that you had Rafa in the final, lol! But your tinfoil hat might have talked gibberish. Mine does all the time.
#babylonianconfusion
rafaisthebest@October 16, 2013 at 10:51 am
You might be interested – here is the BuzzFeed rankings for the 24 male athletes, who have been underwear models, among them Rafa:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattbellassai/a-totally-scientific-ranking-of-24-male-athletes-turned-unde
—7. Spanish Tennis Player Rafael Nadal
Look at the intensity in Nadal’s eyes. He’s really playing this role. He’s like, “Oh, god. I forgot my clothes at home again. I guess I’ll just grab my head and lean against this metal thing and ponder.”
Good. Good modeling.
….
15. Serbian Tennis Player Janko Tipsarevic
17. Spanish Tennis Player Fernando Verdasco —
🙂
No.7 to die for
No.15 deeply unattractive
No.17 good assets but does nothing for me: too much of a peacock.
May I pry Littlefoot. Is English your first language? If not then you are like quite a few people here, for whom English is a 2nd language, who have completely mastered the nuances of the language. It’s akin to listening to someone speaking Englsh with no detectable trace of an accent.
Ha, ha, ed251137! If you’d listen to me, you’d detect my German accent alright. I’ve never mastered the art of pronouncing the “TH”. English is my second language, but I lived in London for half a year and in the US for 5 years, and I always loved writing, like most people here, that’s why the banter is fun.
Chapeau to you then.
I asked because I am an Englishwoman living in France and am intrigued by people who are truly bi-lingual. Although I am able to converse pretty fluently (in heavily accented French I must admit) my written French is pathetically stilted even after 20 years.
Interesting, ed. I used to live in France also, for 2 years, but my French never progressed beyond being able to go shopping and asking for directions. If I had been there longer, I would have made more of an effort, but, while I love France, the anglo-american culture is simply closer to me.
Let’s continue this conversation. I’d love to know, where you live in France, but I have to close for today, even though I’m a bit of a night person. But that must be true for you, too,since you are in the same time zone.
this is good stuff
I created a “social” page that is linked in the menu bar (you can see it from any page) that currently has two sub-menus: “polls” and “non-tennis forum.”
We can move personal discussions and any other non-tennis discussions there.
Let me know how this works! Thanks.
So what is the final take on DC final points? Get counted for YE No 1.
670 above to add ofcourse assumes it is counted.
I read online that Novak will never play Basel. He has an issue with tournament diector . He had asked 0.6 million Euro as appearence fee 2 years back and that ruffled feathers.
Good idea Rick.
#ThumbsUP
@ 3.23 am
That’s very interesting. Wasn’t there also a hoohaa when Federer asked for a massive increase? Clearly they needed him desperately enough to negotiate a fee but the same doesn’t apply to Djokovic.
So Nole needs a stellar result at Bercy and O2 to hang onto Rafa’s coat tails, no?
From all, that I’ve read, I have to conclude, that Sharko, unsurprisingly I have to say, is right, and the final DC point do count. We were all misled by the ATP’s statement, that the final points don’t count in the race to London, which is a pretty trivial statement, if you consider, that the DC final is held AFTER the WTF in London. But the points do count in the race to year end ranking (a term, I just invented, lol), which apparently isn’t over after the WTF.
So, the 670 points, Rafa has to add to his total tally, in order to secure his ranking without the need of outside help, stand as the magic number.
littlefoot@October 17, 2013 at 2:55 pm
— We were all misled by the ATP’s statement, that the final points don’t count in the race to London, which is a pretty trivial statement, if you consider, that the DC final is held AFTER the WTF in London.—
ATP’s statement is that the Race to London includes the points earned at the 2012 Davis Cup final.
The ATP website: “The Emirates ATP Rankings Race To London include points earned in 2013 plus points earned at the 2012 Davis Cup final and late-season 2012 Challengers and Futures played after the 2012 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.”
surely it’s mathematically over now that Djoker isn’t playing Valencia….
#TechnicallyYesHypotheticallyNo
Ricky Dimon@:October 17, 2013 at 4:05 pm
Djoko has played in Valencia only once – in April 2005. It was an outdoor clay tournament then.
The tournament wasn’t in his calendar this year either.
Thanks for the ‘Social’ page Ricky. No one will have any excuse to go off topic anymore, and it will be much easier to keep up with News and other topics of interest not related to tournaments.
augusta08 4:41 pm
well it almost was, but he declined the wild card
Ricky Dimon@October 17, 2013 at 4:43 pm
A player gets a wild card only then, when the organizers of the tournament wish to give it.
And the entry deadline passed long ago.
The ATP rulebook, page 91
—7.12 Wild Cards
A. Regulations
1) Singles.
a) Wild cards are players included in the main draw at the SOLE discretion of the tournament. Wild cards must be named at the time the draw is made. Wild cards may be seeded. /…/
The ATP rulebook, page 76-77
7.03 Entry Deadlines
A. Main Draw/ Qualifying Singles
The deadline for entries and withdrawals for the singles main draw is as follows:
1) ATP World Tour Tournaments. Forty-two (42) days prior to the Monday of the tournament Week /…/
5) Late Entries.
Any player who submits an entry after the deadline may only be accepted into the singles main draw as a wild card, qualifier, or as a special exempt (if eligible).—
So two year’s ago Nole tells Basel they can stuff their tournament if they don’t pay his asking fee. Knowing he needs all the points he can get this year, Basel offer him a wild card (presumably without an appearance fee commensurate with his status) so Nole declines the WC rather than lose face – even though by doing so he knows he is probably saying goodbye to any chance of overtaking Rafa for the Y/E title.
#PorkChopsAtHalfPrice
666 is the magic number for rafa. Rafa needs 666 points to wrap up the no.1 ranking even if nole sweeps paris and WTF. A semi in basel (180 pts) , 3rd rnd in paris (90 pts) and two RR wins in WTF (400 points) would seal the deal. Anyone worrying over this as of now must get a check up from a good doctor
you get 200 points for an RRWTF win?
666 he needs to add , add on top of 150 of Vina Del Mar. So based on that, it should be final at Basel, not semi.
11170(Noles points) + 225 (DC)+ 990(Paris gain for Nole) – 11570 (Rafas points) = 815
815-150 (Vina Del Mar) =665.
665 needed =150 final Basel (incremental on top of 150 of Vina Del Mar) + 360 semi Paris + 1 WTF RR 200 win = 710
OR 150 final Basel (incremental on top of 150 of Vina Del Mar) + 180 qtr Paris + 2 RR matches (400) = 730.
that is correct, sanju ! thanks !
@ricky, yup ! 200 points it is
Sanju, I just recheked ! You are confusing the race with the rankings. DO NOT bring the rankings in the conversation haha…
rafa currently has 11670 race points, so a semi in basel, 3rd in paris and 2 RR wins in WTF would take him to 12340.
Nole currently has 9610 points in the race . His max payout for the remaining of the season : 1000+1500+225=2725 so that would bring his cumulative to 12335.
it is THAT simple.
#666IsTheMagicNumber
#DealAlmostSealed
#DO NOT FREAK OUT
vamosrafa.No I am not..I just madea mistake of putting 50 more in boh Noles and Rafas points, but it negates as I added for both.
11120(Noles points) + 225 (DC)+ 990(Paris gain for Nole) – 11520 (Rafas points) = 815
815-150 (Vina Del Mar) =665.
Race includes his Vina Del mar 150 points, ranking points dont
Net Net we saying the saame thing. I am saying he needs to add 665 points on top of 150 of Via Del Mar which will get counted on 28 Oct if he falls before semis in Basel.
815-150 (Vina Del Mar) =665.
.
I dont think it is right to just use RACE s it includes non countable too. It is safer to go with ranking points and add incremental based on last years results for defnding points.
got it sanju, thnx 🙂 keep the updates coming dude
for the remainder of the season*
Ricky was right, it needs a massive choke from rafa and perfection from djokovic to let the unexpected happen. Also remember that winning WTF not always yields 1500 points ! that is the max payout you get if you stay unbeaten throughout the event
vamosrafa@October 18, 2013 at 4:24 am
— a semi in basel—
If Rafa reaches the semifinals in Basel, he’ll ADD only 30 points to his race points! Reason: his 150 points from Vina del Mar will move to the ‘Non-Countable Tournaments’ section – they will be REPLACED with a better result (Basel’s 180). 180 – 150 = 30.
Currently, Rafa’s ‘SIX best results’ in the RACE TO LONDON include:
1) Monte Carlo Masters, 2013 – 600 points (a non-mandatory Masters tournament; it’s counted as one of four ATP-500 tournaments a player has to play)
2) Acapulco ATP-500, 2013 – 500 points
3) Barcelona ATP-500, 2013 – 500 points
4) Beijing ATP-500, 2013 – 300 points
5) Sao Paolo ATP-250, 2013 – 250 points
6) Vina del Mar ATP-250, 2013 – 150 points (can be replaced with a better result)
The 2013 ATP Rulebook:
“Commitment Players. The year-end Emirates ATP Rankings is based on calculating, for each player, his total points from the four (4) Grand Slams, the eight (8) mandatory ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments and the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals of the ranking period, and his best SIX (6) results from all ATP World Tour 500, ATP World Tour 250, ATP Challenger Tour and Futures tournaments.”
oh i see…thanks augusta ! still very much achievable