Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, London

The ATP World Tour Finals is the toughest tournament to win and getting an opportunity to play in this tournament is an honor.  No match is easy; thus, the competition is usually fierce.  Although some may be overwhelmed by nerves, everyone wants to hoist the trophy at the end.  Bopanna and Mergea have made the most of their opportunity. They won both their matches in straight sets, leading their group and propelling them into the semifinals.  Berdych and Nishikori both lost their first match and each needed a victory today to keep their chances alive of making the semifinals.  Berdych fought valiantly but, Nishikori elevated his game at the crucial moment to win the match 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

The Bryan brothers are the number one seeded team; however, they are not the number one ranked team and would have to win this tournament to retain their number one year-end ranking dating back to 2009. They got off to a very slow start and needed a convincing win to keep their chances alive. They defeated their opponents twice this year, so that was in their favor if they needed a boost in confidence. The brothers were much sharper today and bounced back nicely with the 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Fognini and Bolelli.

The last match of the day was going to be the match of the tournament, Federer against Djokovic.  It was never really a contest as Federer took Djokovic completely by surprise.  The first set was competitive with top quality tennis from both players.  The second set was strange, as Djokovic seemed unsettled.  After exchanging breaks, Federer broke the tie by defeating him 7-5, 6-2 and moved on to the semifinals.