Liveblogging Day Three of the World Tour Finals

Oh happy days! The sun is shining brightly here in America. Okay, actually it’s not. We’re preparing for a Nor’easter. But metaphorically there is a lot of sun.

I hope to bring some of that happiness here to the Liveblog, if I can figure out how to work this thing. Amy and Juan José did such a fabulous job blogging Day 1 and Day 2 of the finals, I can only hope I don’t embarrass myself.

(EDIT: The first two updates on the live-blog initially appeared in a different format, because this is all really hard for me. I have retroactively moved them, so that the Lendl screencap is more prominent and haunting. You’re welcome. I’ve kept everything else the same, because copy-editing liveblogs is for pussies.)

8:51: In the first match of the day, Bhupathi/Bopanna d. Lindstedt/Tecau 6-3, 5-7, 10-5. I really, really meant to wake up and live-blog that match. I’m sorry I failed you all, but in my defense I am really, really hungover. AMERICA!

9:00:  Oh Dear Lord. Murray’s kit.

The kit hasn’t gone down well this week. And now Murray is wearing baby poo coloured shorts.

— Zafar (@hypotemuse) November 7, 2012

Lendl does not approve, Andy Murray. Lendl does not approve at all.

 9:18: Me and Novak Djokovic are off to TERRIBLE starts. Murray is up a break, and I am abandoning the fancy live-blog widget system and following Juan José’s advice.

@linzsports Interesting – I didn’t even try it! Went old school.

— Juan José (@juanjo_sports) November 7, 2012

Old school it is. If you scroll down you can see some of my earlier work from the morning. It’s a mess. (EDIT: don’t do that. I fixed it.)

9:25: Nole guts out a hold, despite some absolutely awful misses by both men.

Stosur would have been proud of that shank.

— Harry (@_harry91) November 7, 2012

Murray is still up a break at 4-3. The changeover music is leaving a lot to be desired to put it mildly. I feel like I’m at the circus.

9:28: WHY? Who thought this was a good idea?

Even the ball girl is horrified.

Luckily for Murray it’s not hampering his forehand at all. Or his serve. Nole gets to 30-30 but mustard pants holds for 5-3. Pressure is on the Serb.

9:36: Djokovic was up 40-0 but suddenly Murray has a set point!!  To sum up the next few points: terrible Novak Djokovic smash, error, error, phenomenal Murray return, awful Murray forehand, London net, Novak forehand, and he finally holds. Phew.

5-4 now, Murray is serving for the set. Novak asks for “tissues for the nose.”

 

9:45: Murray serves it out, and the only drama was a too-late Challenge that Lars Graf inexplicably allowed, presumably because this is his last event and he does not care anymore.

That was a pussy challenge by Andy. Added value: pussy slice by Nole.

— Aleksa(@Noleksa) November 7, 2012

Quite an impressive set of tennis from Murray and the Magical Mustard Man-shorts.

 

9:50: OH DEAR GOD there’s been a shirt change. A terrible, horrible, no-good shirt change. YOU’RE MAKING IT WORSE, Andy!

10:00: Murray had a break-point in the 3rd game, but Djokovic held. Still on serve in the 2nd set with Djokovic up 2-1. Both boys are super, super cranky–which should come as a surprise to no-one–and they are very tense. Boris sums it up well, as he always does.

Djoker on the edge…but escaped the crisis

— Boris Becker (@Becker_Boris) November 7, 2012

10:04: BREAKING– both men have discovered that they do indeed have a forehand!

Ridiculous Murray forehand. Absolutely ridiculous. #finalshowdown

— Beyond The Baseline (@SI_BTBaseline) November 7, 2012

Was that a winner from Novak I see or a mirage?

— Katrina (@returnwinner) November 7, 2012

Murray holds for 2-2, throwing a terrible challenge in for good measure.

10:11: RIDICULOUS STUFF FROM DJOKOVIC AT THE NET. He earns his first break-point of the match at 3-2. Murray misses a volley long (confirmed by a Challenge) and Nole breaks to go up 4-2! This match is showing signs of life after-all.

10:16: A cussing and cranky Murray is seeing the match slip away from him. Djokovic holds for a 5-3 lead. Will Murray go back to the black shirt?

Andy still in “trying to be too cute” mode but now getting annoyed that he keeps missing.

— Chris P (@scoobschris) November 7, 2012

Novak Djokovic has already won more than DOUBLE the amount of points he won on Murray’s serve in the 1st set. In 3 Murray service games.

— Juan José (@juanjo_sports) November 7, 2012

10:22: Novak, who is looking more and more like the No.1 that he is, takes the 2nd set 6-3. Unfortunately I missed the specifics because my internet started to be finicky, so I’ll just leave you with a Boris tweet.

??? twitter.com/Becker_Boris/s…

— Boris Becker (@Becker_Boris) November 7, 2012

10:32: 1-1 in the third set. This is shaping up to be a battle-royale set. I think. Maybe not. Murray still hasn’t changed his shirt, so I have my doubts.

10:35: Yup. Definitely not. Murray gets broken after a double-fault and an abysmal backhand long. His first serve has started to miss by a mile.

Djokovic hits the first break point into the net, but then Murray hits a tame backhand long and the Djokovic goes up a break, 2-1 in the 3rd.

And in more breaking news, the shirt lives on!!!! No!!!!!

 

10:41: Djokovic holds for 3-1 with a KILLER forehand into the corner of the court. Murray Challenges again. I feel like he’s Challenged 1,000 times this match. Does he have any left? Does he get more since he’s British? Or maybe he’s back to being Scottish?

These are the questions i have when I’m hungover and live-blogging.

10:45: Best (and, okay, only…) response to my Challenge question:

@linzsports He should’ve challenged Addidas tennis when they laid that gear out for him in the locker room

— Tom Nash (@GameSetNash) November 7, 2012

10:54: It took him over 10 minutes, but Murray finally held. Not to blow your mind or anything, but going down a double break would have been rather tragic.

3-2 in the 3rd, Djokovic with the one break.

The Muzzard needs to change back to the black shirt now

— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) November 7, 2012

BG knows what’s up.

10:59: Djokovic holds for a 4-2 lead. Then he did some stretches. I tried to screencap those but failed, but here’s a super blurry pic of Nole anyways.

See how his kit isn’t atrocious? Isn’t that fun?

11:04: Murray holds, but it wasn’t easy. Novak is just playing like the top-dog that he is. He still has a break, 4-3 in the 3rd.

I saw somewhere that Nole had ZERO UFEs in the second set. That’s just cruel.

11:o9: WOW out of nowhere Murray finds the range on his forehand and backhand and everything in-between and has 2 break-points! He misses the first one and stops mid-rally to Challenge on the 2nd break point.

IT WAS OUT! Murray breaks back, 4-4 in the 3rd.

I did not see that coming.

 11:16: Murray got down early in his service game but then he did this:

4-4, 30-30, long backhand to backhand rally until Murray goes down the line to go forehand to forehand. Wins the point. #finalshowdown

— Beyond The Baseline (@SI_BTBaseline) November 7, 2012

He holds. That’s 3 games in a row and a 5-4 lead for the Brit. I’m very sure he’s British now.

Murray and the Magical Mustard Man-pants live on.

11:22: It looked like Murray might break for the match, but Djokovic clawed out the hold for 5-5. I really don’t know how to describe that game, so here are some tweets:

What is happening. Strange match is strange.

— Nida (@nidssserz) November 7, 2012

They’ve both blown this at one point or another.

— Chris P (@scoobschris) November 7, 2012

Murray inch wide on aggressive fh and Djoko holds for 5-5.Andy a little unlucky but it’s still anybody’s match. Drama, drama between these 2

— Richard Ingham Evans (@Ringham7) November 7, 2012

 11:30: Murray gets broken. LOL. Live-blog being weird so screencaps to come. Novak serving for the match at 6-5.

11:34: Well, Murray had 2 break-points (of course) but Novak saved them and he holds and wins!!! It wasn’t always high quality, but it was interesting.

Novak Djokovic d. Any Murray 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

 

11:50: Well, that was at the very least the first engaging match of the WTFs and also a reminder to be careful what you wish for.

If you need something to do during the break, might I recommend some reading? Part 1 of Juan José’s look into the Safin/Federer match at the 2004 Masters Cup is just wonderful. And you’ll want to be prepared for Part 2, which comes out tomorrow.

Okay, enough promoting. I’m off to prepare for the Nor’Easter, but I’ll be back to live-blog the next couple of matches. Apologies in advance.

 

1:51: And I’m back! It is officially snowing in NYC and I have showered and been to the store for my Nor’Easter provisions: lentils and beer.

I’m back just in time for the doubles to get interesting. Mirnyi/Nestor and Marray/Nielsen are in a first set TB. Stay tuned.

2:00: WOW!!! Marray/Nielsen look like the veterans against Mirnyi/Nestor. The magical wildcard duo take the tiebreaker easily over the doubles legends, 7-3. They are just one set away from being 2-0 in Round Robin play!!!!

2:29: Mirnyi/Nestor are up a break late in the 3rd, 5-4, because you just don’t put them away easily. Looks like we’re headed to a STB. Also? Max Mirnyi might be sweet and awesome and gentle and loving but he’s also very scary.

2:35: Mirny/Nestor take the 2nd set 6-4 and we’re going to a STB! However, Frederik Nielsen is adorable, so there’s that.

Mo told Mirnyi/Nestor the wrong side for the start of the STB. Oh silly, silly Mo.

2:40: The Wimbledon Champs had the mini-break early, but then they lost it.

I knew that minibreak was too soon. These guys don’t front-run that brilliantly.

— Hannah Wilks (@newballsplease) November 7, 2012

But then they got it back again!

Amazing! Fantastic pick-up by Marray, there’s those Matrix reflexes again 🙂

— Hannah Wilks (@newballsplease) November 7, 2012

6-4, wildcards.

2:52– WOW!!!! What an upset. The Wildcards prove that Wimbledon and yesterday wasn’t a fluke, and they take out the defending Champions on their 2nd Match Point.

LOOK HOW ADORABLE THEY ARE.

3:25- Okay, back in action after Amy helped me fix the tweets. She is the best. It is snowing sideways out my window and I’m trying to live-log from my comfy room but the storm is messing up the internet. Back to the kitchen for me. Fascinating stuff, I know.

Oh, you want to know about the tennis? Well, a 1,000th Jo/Berdy match of the fall (aka third) is just a terrifying proposition for me and for you and for everyone we know. But the boys-who-should- be-Grand-Slam-Champions-but-are-not-because-they’re-mental are at 3-2. Jo is in the lead, but he doesn’t have a break.

3:34- Robby Koenig (I think that’s who it is) just said he thought Jo should have a one-handed-backhand. Doesn’t he know that sometimes Jo does? He can switch between the two, it’s very obnoxious.

3:42- Jo inexplicably gets in trouble on his service game, but saves 3 break-points–one on an incredible botched volley by Berdych–and holds.

The face of confidence.

3:54- 5-5 in the 1st. I don’t have much analysis, both guys playing solid but not spectacular. Also, I’m distracted by the pretty snow falling outside.

3:57- Dear Lord I do not know where Jo went that game. He gets broken and suddenly Berdych will serve for the set at 6-5.

Berdych breaks 6-5. Shocking game Jo-W

— Eggy 🇵🇸❤️ (@TheBoiledEgg) November 7, 2012

Jo with one of his classic terrible service games. Had one earlier, and should've gotten broken, but Berdych pulled a Berdych.

— Juan José (@jjvallejoa) November 7, 2012

4:03- What a lame way to end a set. Berdych “takes it” 7-5, but Jo was awfully generous. Tignor sums it up best:

Jo so down at the end of that first set it looked like he wanted to challenge one of his own winners. Berdych 7-5. #atp

— Steve Tignor (@SteveTignor) November 7, 2012

Here are some blurry stats:

4:21- WOW. Now it’s Berdych’s turn for an inexcusably errant game. It took Jo 3 BPs to convert, but he finally does and takes a 3-1 lead. Roger Rasheed nods in approval.

4:37- Jo somehow serves out the set 6-3, despite the fact that he was down in his service game and argued with the umpire about a call that was this far out:

Onto a third set!

4:44- Having a hard time getting into this match. Apparently Jo is too.

Tsonga's brain all over the shop. Sits down at the 1/0 changeover. #wtf

— Jesse Pentecost (@thenextpoint) November 7, 2012

4:55- Tomas got the break early in the 3rd to go up 3-1, because this match knows no momentum.

But I forgot that I wanted to talk about how awesome this ball kid’s hair is:

(Sorry, that lame screencap was the best I could do.)

Also, this:

Every time. Every. Single. Time. #Jo

— Ataraxis (@Ataraxis00) November 7, 2012

5:00- Unrelated to this match (Berd up 4-1, Tsonga has no brain, blah blah blah), this tweet just warmed my heart:

Wow congrats to @freddienielsen and @jonathanmarray to reach semis in London! Whole doubles world in Bratislava is rooting for you guys! 🙂

— Frank Moser (@FrankyMoser) November 7, 2012

5:03- Jo was broken again. Tomas now serving for the match at 5-1. I objectively hate everything.

5:07- Well, folks, that’s it. Berdych d. Tsonga 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. Group A is still probably anyone’s game. Except Jo’s. Let’s be honest to put it mildly hash tag.

Some stats:

What really sticks out? Jo’s 1/5 BPs.

Anyways, thanks for joining me on the live-blog today friends. I ran out of steam there a bit at the end, but what can I say? I AM NOT A MACHINE, OKAY? GOSH!

See you all soon =)