On today’s docket in London, Group B leader Roger Federer will take on David Ferrer, and Juan Martin del Potro will try to earn his first World Tour Finals win against Janko Tipsarevic.
I’ll be liveblogging all the action right here!
2:09pm – Federer immediately goes down 0-40 in his first service game, and manages to hold by winning five straight points.
GSM Federer.
— Harry (@_harry91) November 8, 2012
He did it on purpose just to break Daveeeds little heart and spirit.
— ton skeel (@naughtyT) November 8, 2012
2:15pm – Ferrer double-faults at 30-all in his first service game to give Federer break point. Federer converts it for 2-0.
2:28pm – Federer’s first serve completely deserts him, but it doesn’t matter. After a couple chances for Ferrer, Federer holds for 3-0.
2:31pm – Ferrer gets on the board for 1-3. Federer may want to work on that first serve %. He’s 3/18 so far on first serves.
2:35pm – Federer breaks himself with a sloppy service game. Back on serve at 2-3.
2:43pm – Federer holds for 4-3 at love. One gets the feeling that if Federer’s first serve shows up to the match, he could run away with the match. Still at 39% first serves so far.
2:48pm – 20 unforced errors for Federer, just 9 winners. Ugly match so far.
My granny could have got that over…and she’s been dead 30 years…
— jimmy soixante neuf (@hotdog6969) November 8, 2012
2:52pm – Federer holds again for 5-4.
Poor Ferrer – Federer serving at 40% 1st serves, has created 8 chances to break him, and yet will lose this set 6-4. #Powerof0and13
— Juan José (@juanjo_sports) November 8, 2012
2:57pm – Federer plays four non-awful points on Ferrer’s serve and takes the first set. I think I’ve seen this movie before.
federer plays inside out forehand cross court, ferrer goes down the line and into the net, federer takes set 64
— Craig Gabriel (@crosscourt1) November 8, 2012
First set stats:
3:05pm – Federer fights off more break points to hold for 1-0.
Dispatch from the O2 Arena:
@amyfetherolf seriously horrible stuff from both.How lucky am I to have picked this monstrosity for my first live fed match?
— Demi Crayanhan (@DemiCrayanhan) November 8, 2012
3:14pm – Federer is yelling at himself in German. Still, he leads 6-4, 2-1.
3:25pm – An update from Rafa as Ferrer holds for 3-all:
Hi @rafasmile!! I come back early on the court! Thanks for your support!
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) November 8, 2012
3:28pm – An interesting stat from ESPN3: Federer’s service games are averaging 4 minutes and 20 seconds. Ferrer’s are averaging 2:47. Ferrer has definitely made Federer work to hold serve. Still, he only has one break of serve to show for it, and that came when Federer was already up a break in the first set. Federer holds for 4-3.
Ferrer doing his best to make up ground in the unforced errors race, still trails 32-17 though. you can do it David!
— Tom Nash (@GameSetNash) November 8, 2012
3:43pm – More of the same. Federer holds for 6-5.
3:48pm – Ferrer gets to a tiebreak. It’s the second tiebreak they’ve ever played against each other, the other one coming at 2006 Basel.
@amyfetherolf @thriding a game of pogs should decide the third set
— Ricky Dimon (@RD_Tennistalk) November 8, 2012
3:54pm – Luckily, we are spared a third set of that mess. Federer d. Ferrer, 6-4, 7-6(5). Federer will advance to the semis of the World Tour Finals. He’s now 14-0 in his career against Ferrer.
Federer: “I think I played a great match.”
— fogmount (@fogmount) November 8, 2012
Match stats straight from the press room. (And a Daily Mail writer’s head) twitter.com/GameSetNash/st…
— Tom Nash (@GameSetNash) November 8, 2012
Ferrer on Federer: “He has a lot of weapons for to do pain in my game.” No kidding. #finalshowdown
— Beyond The Baseline (@SI_BTBaseline) November 8, 2012
I will be back for del Potro – Tipsarevic. In the meantime, an interlude courtesy of Boris Becker, the undisputed King of Twitter:
Anybody saw Victoria-Secret-Show in NYC last nite ?!? Amazing …
— Boris Becker (@Becker_Boris) November 8, 2012
And a cute anecdote from Roger Rasheed.
Cutest thing, Rogers girls walking down corridor of O2 pointing @ every picture on the wall and saying” RAFA”-mmm they know the rival lol
— roger rasheed (@roger_rasheed) November 8, 2012
7:46pm – I’m back! Del Potro and Tipsarevic are on-court. Del Potro fondly pats the little girl who escorts him on-court on the head.
Gael Monfils weighs in on Laura Robson’s new outfit:
“@laurarobson5: Another night, another beautiful @burberry outfit. instagr.am/p/RxzJdrtABH/”wouuhh nice 🙂
— Gael Monfils (@Gael_Monfils) November 8, 2012
Janko onto his third racquet during the warm up. The strings broke after becoming suddenly fatigued.
— Elmo (@TheShiftyShadow) November 8, 2012
8:01pm – Del Potro immediately breaks for 1-0, not having to work very hard for it. Not a great start for Tipsarevic.
8:08pm – Del Potro holds for 2-0, despite facing a break point.
8:12pm – Del Potro unleashes the forehand. When you hear that grunt, you fear for the player on the other side of the net. He breaks again for 3-0.
8:26pm – Tipsarevic is broken yet again. Del Potro serves out his fourth bagel of the year. His previous three: Yen-Hsun Lu at the Australian Open, Viktor Troicki in Rotterdam, and Rui Machado in Estoril.
8:37pm – There’ll be no double bagel for del Potro. Tipsarevic gets on the board for 1-0 in the second set. Crowd goes nuts at the first sign of a competitive match.
@andyroddick what’s keeping u busy these days?
— Boris Becker (@Becker_Boris) November 8, 2012
8:47pm – Del Potro easily holds for 2-all.
9:03pm – Tipsarevic hands over the break, and a few games later, del Potro will serve at 4-3.
9:07pm – Del Potro holds for 5-3. Over at the O2, Boris is getting even more bored now.
@ochocinco that’s all u do these days?
— Boris Becker (@Becker_Boris) November 8, 2012
9:15pm – Game, set, match, del Potro, 6-0, 6-4. He beats Tipsarevic in straights, staying alive for a chance at the semifinals.
It’s the small victories for Tipsarevic …
Passed the one hour mark one more time baby!!!!Wooooohooooo!!!;)
— Janko Tipsarevic (@TipsarevicJanko) November 8, 2012
