The 2016 World Tour Finals will get underway on Sunday afternoon with a Group B round-robin showdown between Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem.
Djokovic is sweeping the head-to-head series 3-0, including 2-0 on hard courts. Although the 7-0 overall set score in favor of Djokovic suggests complete dominance, they at least waged one competitive battle in the fourth round of this year’s Miami Open. The Serb prevailed 6-3, 6-4, but Thiem generated 15 break-point opportunities (converted only one) in a match that lasted one hour and 50 minutes. They most recently faced each other in the semifinals of the French Open, with Djokovic cruising 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
Thiem’s semifinal run at Roland Garros is a big reason why he is making his debut in the year-end championship. The ninth-ranked Austrian has also captured four ATP titles this season to go along with a quarterfinal performance at the Cincinnati Masters. For the most part, however, Thiem has been an energy-lacking disaster since the French Open. He is just 9-10 in his last 19 matches dating back to Wimbledon, and 47 of his 57 match victories in 2016 came prior to his arrival at the All-England Club.
Similarly, Djokovic has slumped since the French Open–which he won for the first time to complete the career Grand Slam. The current world No. 2 lost to Sam Querrey in the Wimbledon third round and it has been downhill ever since (aside from a title in Toronto). Djokovic, who has been struggling in both the physical and mental departments, is coming off a semifinal loss to Roberto Bautista Agut in Shanghai and a quarterfinal setback against Marin Cilic in Paris.
If anything can cure whatever has ailed Djokovic, however, it is the World Tour Finals. He has won this tournament on four consecutive occasions and is 23-6 lifetime at the O2 Arena (27-10 overall at the year-end championship). Thiem, on the other hand, has never found himself in this situation. Djokovic will likely handle the occasion far more impressively and thus get his week off to a solid start.
Pick: Djokovic in 2
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who ya got?
2012,2013,2014,2015 – I think that’s 4 straight. In any case, Novak in 2.
Djoker in three
Just one remark: Djokovic has won this tournament on 4 consecutive occasions, 2012-2015, not 3 as stated.
I like your prediction. 🙂
nole looking pretty good so far…
Thiem holding up quite nicely against Djoko; at least no breadstick or bagel so far.
nole just squeaked through there. very nervy shot at 30 all.
The Sky commentators were expecting a double bagel by Djokovic. Lol
thiem has belief. don’t fancy nole too much in this tie-brak.
I’m between a rock and a hard place. I don’t want Theim to gain any points here so Rafa stays at #8 at the beginning of the season but I also want Djoko to lose as I always do.
Doesn’t matter whether Rafa is no.8 or no.9; he can deal with those no.5 to no.8 guys in the QF if he’s playing well.
In that case, Vamos Tim!
I mean, Vamos Thiem! 🙂
nadline10 (AT 3:10 PM),
Me too! ?
Thiem is putting on a good show. Nothing is set in concrete as long as two pros are playing each other. Many times the margin between losing and winning is very narrow. I wish they were not dressed alike, it’s doesn’t make for easy watching.
Tim panicked when he had a chance to take the 1st set.
nole definitely not the player he was. gets nervous in ways he never did before.
nice break for nole. come on now….
Thiem has lost his intensity. Wake up Thiem!
Thiem rec’g a bagel soon! Shameful performance in the second set. These players, there’s something wrong with their fitness, after going toe to toe with Djoko for one set, they just melt away in the next to hand the edge right back to Djoko!
That has been the case for a while now. The younger players do not have the fitness and stamina to hang with the top players.
Nothing new there.
thought thiem was supposed to be super fit. thought he spent his time carrying logs across rivers.
#not enough logs…
thiem looks very down with himself after that loss…
I am sure that Thiem is disappointed, but he has to work harder if he wants to hang with the top players. They have set the bar high with their commitment to practice and hard work. It doesn’t happen overnight.
Talent alone has never been enough.
Unfortunately, Djoko won. Fortunately, Thiem lost.
👿