Drama Assured at World Tour Finals as Nadal, Murray, Wawrinka Fight for SF Berth
Rafael Nadal vs. Andy Murray has become the centerpiece to the competitively balanced Ilie Nastase group in the World Tour Finals, the winner all but assured to clinch a No. 1 seed.
Of course, world No. 4 Stan Wawrinka and mighty David Ferrer, holder of five titles his year, will have important parts to play despite opening round-robin losses.
The match-ups only begin to underscore the drama in this group. These are stars who all play with tenacity, heart and overachieving toughness.
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While Nadal has stamped his legacy with competitive fire, the others have no less improved with age, like bottles of fine Amontillado. Look no further than blue-collar extraordinaires Wawrinka and Ferrer.
Leading the group is scrappy superstar Murray, who is battling it out in London after a week of clay-court training for his country’s all-important Davis Cup final against Belgium. Not even Leonardo da Vinci would be able to dabble on two different mediums with competitive time restraints like Scotland’s renaissance warrior.
All of which leads to fascinating midweek possibilities. If you are a tennis fan, your late autumn is a lot warmer this week.
Wawrinka on the Ropes
Time and again, Nadal spun his topspin into Wawrinka’s shoulders like a butterfly with hiccups. It was as if he were testing the Swiss player's patience. While the Spaniard stayed cool, Wawrinka berated himself with with some angry scowls and muttering as the match sputtered away.
In the end, Wawrinka’s execution was the real problem. At times, he did not unload on several balls that Nadal hit too short, but when he did uncork his strong right arm, he was erratic. Too many errors and self-inflicted wounds, which led to 14 break-point chances in losing two short sets.
Expect Wawrinka to come back with a much better effort. Sweeping Ferrer is the first order of business, but he needs to cap it all with a big victory over Murray.
Wawrinka will be desperate to play with greater focus, especially as coach Magnus Norman will no doubt have a few ideas to share in their preparations. Wawrinka will be all ears. His mind will need to be better.
The question is if Murray will be just as desperate on Friday’s final round-robin matches when they duel. Wawrinka would probably be better served if Murray defeats Nadal, because the world No. 2's incentive at a must-win tie might not be as high. If the Scot falls, he and Wawrinka will fight like badgers with most likely one semifinal spot on the line.
It’s a match long awaited. Wawrinka crushed Murray at the 2013 U.S. Open in a highly symbolic career crossroads for both players. Murray had recently been crowned with the Wimbledon title but was heading into a year-long decline. Wawrinka stepped across Murray and into the U.S. Open semifinals, which turned out to be only the beginning of his rise, culminating with Australian (2014) and French Open (2015) championships.
It’s Murray’s consistent dancing against Wawrinka’s strong haymakers. Will one of them use this match to charge forward in the months ahead?
Nadal’s Steady Comeback
Nadal’s demolition of Wawrinka was eerily similar to the way he ran through the Swiss in the Shanghai quarterfinal. How much of it was Nadal’s improved play, and how much was it Wawrinka’s lethargic execution and body language? A question for Hamlet, perhaps.
Nadal needs the Murray match to measure up where he is against the No. 2 player in the world. Keep in mind that the last time they played on hard courts was 2011, another lifetime ago in their careers.
While both players understand how to play with margins, how they attack each other Wednesday is a more accurate reading of who they are in their long road to gain ground on world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in 2016.
So while their match is a likely chance to wrap up the No. 1 seed in the Nastase group, at the same time it may not be the greatest reward to face a suddenly surprising—and perhaps angry—No. 2-seed Djokovic in the semifinals.
Ferrer Factor
Don’t expect Ferrer to roll over. It’s not in his nature anymore than a golden retriever would lay down and watch a ball roll by. The world No. 7 is, above all, a terrier, and he will not feel satisfied showing up and losing all of his matches in straight sets. Murray did it to him in the first match, but Ferrer could force Nadal into a long and tiring match when they hook up on Friday.
That’s to say nothing about the drama of Ferrer fighting Wawrinka on Wednesday as each player looks to break into the winner’s column.
A Ferrer victory and Murray defeat of Nadal clinches the group’s No. 1 seed for the Scot. If Ferrer stretches Wawrinka in a three-sets loss, Nadal gets the No. 1 seed with a win against Murray.
Got that?
But how about flirting with the unthinkable? Suppose Ferrer hammers Wawrinka and Nadal? Could we see a three-way tie if Nadal defeats Murray and Murray defeats Wawrinka. Yes, a lot of “ifs,” but even more drama.
The Play is the Thing
No matter how the matches turn, we will learn more about each player as 2015 sets into the archives. We will see visions of 2016 hovering over their offseasons like so much London fog serving as a magician’s prop for the anticipation of more great tennis ahead.
So enjoy the show. This quartet of stars is a model of what hard work and tenacity will achieve. They are constructed in the images of their artistry, which most often means a lot of hustle and well-timed shotmaking.
There will be fierce concentration in their eyes, snarl in their groundstrokes and heightened mental battles as they turn sport into theater.
Shakespeare would applaud, and if he were a modern tennis fan, he would most definitely do more than to write Henry V with only a few lines about tennis balls.
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