In-Depth Predictions for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

At long last, the end of the gureling ATP World Tour season is upon us. And with the end of the season comes the ultimate determining factor of who is the best of the best: the ATP World Tour finals.

The top eight players in the world, playing in a round robin tournament, for several appealing prizes: a large monetary winning, the crystaline and aesthetically beautiful ATP Masters shield, and (of course) the bragging rights of being crowned the ATP World Tour Champion. But who will take who the last prize of the 2009 season? Why don't we speculate:

The Top Eight: Who I predict the top eight singles players to be in the tournament.

1. Roger Federer

2. Rafael Nadal

3. Novak Djokovic

4. Andy Murray

5. Juan Martin Del Potro

6. Andy Roddick

7. Nikolay Davydenko

8. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Group A

Roger Federer (1)

Novak Djokovic (3)

Juan Martin Del Potro (5)

Nikolay Davydenko (7)

Group B

Rafael Nadal (2)

Andy Murray (4)

Andy Roddick (6)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (8)

Matchups and Results: Breaking down each round-robin matchup.

Group A: RR Round One

Federer vs. Djokovic- A blockbuster matchup (well, pretty much every match in this group of eight will be blockbuster) these two have met 14 times previously, with Federer holding a 9-5 advantage over the Serb.

However, their most recent match was in the finals last week in Federer's home town of Basel, and Djokovic took the match in three sets. The match is on an indoor hard court, just like the match in Basel.

Moreover, Federer hasn't beaten Djokovic in an indoor match ever. He's beaten the Djoker in outdoor hard courts, like the US Open, on several occasions, but it's moderatley different playing indoors. Winner: DJOKOVIC in three sets.

Del Potro vs. Davydenko - This is a severe contrast in styles, for the most part; Del Potro, the hard hitting Argentine, versus Davydenko, the gritty counterpunching baseliner from Russia. These two have only played three times before, with Davydenko holding a slender 2-1 lead.

However, the last time these two played each other was in last years Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai. Del Potro was a shell of the player he was a year ago, as he has increased his consistency and dependency on his ground strokes so that his game can be characterized more as a controlled aggressor.

Moreover, Del Potro now has a Grand Slam title under his belt, beating Federer in a five-set thriller at the US Open in September. So, despite his amazing counterpunching prowess, it looks like Davydenko's out of luck. Winner: DEL POTRO in straight sets.

Djokovic vs. Del Potro -Ooh this is a juicy matchup: two young stars duking it out on a large stage. Their playing styles aren't really similar though there are some consistencies between the two. Both have consistent groundstrokes and prefer the "aggressive-baseliner" role so as to avoid coming up to net as much.

Djokovic holds a 3-0 lead in the head-to-head column, but, as in the case of Davydenko, the last time Djokovic beat Delpo on a hard court was in last years Tennis Masters Cup, when the Tandil native was a shell of a player he is now.

Djokovic has beaten Del Potro on clay earlier this year, but the red and powdery surface is not really compatable with Delpo's game, as it nuetralizes alot of his power. On the indoor hard courts and perfect conditions of London's O2 Arena, the Djoker won't be laughing at the end of his match with the hard-hitting Argentine. Winner: DEL POTRO in straight sets.

Federer vs. Davydenko - This one won't last very long. Federer boasts a 12-0 lead in the head-to-head versus Davydenko, and though they haven't played in over a year, the Russian, who is at the tail end of his career, hasn't made any drastic changes to his playing level. Moreover, Federer's relaxed. Yikes. Winner: FEDERER in straight sets.

Djokovic vs. Davydenko - This is just another situation where Davydenko is overmatched. Djokovic is younger, more energetic, and just a better all-around player than Davydenko. The only chance Davydenko has is if he can bring Djokovic up to net, but even that's a long shot. No need to even look at the head-to-head. Check-mark to Nole. Winner: DJOKOVIC in straight sets.

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