ATP World Tour Finals 2013: Breaking Down Friday's Final Round Robin Matchups
The round-robin stage of the ATP World Tour Finals is coming to a close, which means that the matches will be fiercely competitive as players battle for a spot in the next round.
Both of Friday’s matches are Group A contests, with Stanislas Wawrinka and Tomas Berdych fighting for the chance to join Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
David Ferrer vs. Stanislas Wawrinka
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With two losses so far (both in two sets), David Ferrer is only playing for pride in this matchup. He can’t qualify for the semifinals, but can help decide whether it will be Stanislas Wawrinka or Tomas Berdych who will join Rafael Nadal in the next stage.
Ferrer holds the advantage in the head-to-head against Wawrinka, winning seven out of the 11 matches they’ve played. Despite this fact, he’s not playing particularly well at the moment (he committed 33 unforced errors against Nadal), having lost his first two matches of the tournament against Nadal and Berdych.
Wawrinka, on the other hand, is playing well and got a key victory over Berdych. He also pushed Nadal to the brink, losing a heartbreaking two-set match 6-7 6-7.
Wawrinka will come out with the win with a semifinals berth on the line. Unfortunately for him, even a victory doesn’t assure him of a place in the next round.
Rafael Nadal vs. Tomas Berdych
Rafael Nadal is playing good tennis to end the year, and his two-set victory over Stanislas Wawrinka guaranteed that he would end the year as the world No. 1.
Nadal has already locked up a place in the next round, but he has his sights set on a goal that he’s never accomplished: a first-place finish in the ATP World Tour Finals.
Tomas Berdych will battle Nadal for the right to compete in the semifinals, but he hasn’t fared well against Nadal in the past.
Nadal has won 17 of the 20 head-to-head matches, and with Nadal in top form, it will be difficult for the Czech player to win this contest.
With Nadal in full swing, expect him to win the match in two sets.
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