ATP World Tour Finals 2012 Score: Breaking Down Day 2 Singles Matches

The second group of stars took the court in London at the ATP World Tour Finals today, and the first set of games is now over. 

Yesterday, No. 1 Novak Djokovic bested No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga while No. 3 Andy Murray took down No. 6 Tomas Berdych. These four players make up Group A, and each participant will face each other. The players with the best two records at the end of group play will then advance to the next round.

The other four players who are in the top eight of the ATP rankings played today, and the United Kingdom was treated to more top-class tennis.

All scores and schedules are available via ATPWorldTour.com. Here are results and analysis from today’s matches.

Roger Federer defeats Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-1 

With both Djokovic and Murray looking shaky at times during their matches yesterday, spectators were looking for No. 2 Roger Federer to come out and dominate his match against No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic from start to finish.

That is exactly what Federer did, and he appears to be the player in the best form at the tournament. 

Tipsarevic is only in London because No. 4 Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury. The Serb was severely outclassed in this match. Federer snatched an early lead and did not step off the gas pedal until the contest was over. 

This was an ideal start for the Swiss, and if he can continue to build momentum in group play, he will be nearly impossible to beat in the later rounds.

 

David Ferrer defeats Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 3-6, 6-4

This was the only match of the first two days that did not feature one of the sport’s superstars, but it will still have an important effect on the tournament. 

No. 5 David Ferrer took the early advantage in the match, but No. 7 Juan Martin Del Potro made a spirited effort to pull level in the second set. The Argentine’s surge proved to be in vain, however, as Ferrer finished him off in the final set.

Djokovic and Murray seem destined to move on in Group A, and Federer appears to have taken firm control of Group B. But that still leaves one spot open in the semifinals, and Ferrer just took a giant step towards filling it.

The Spaniard’s win was crucial for his chances of advancing because a victory over Tipsarevic would put him through, assuming Federer goes undefeated in group play.