Nadal Clinches Year-End No. 1

Current No. 1 Rafael Nadal ensured he will finish the year on top by winning his first two round robin matches at the World Tour Finals in London.  He accomplished the same feat in 2008 and 2010, but has never finished the year on top in consecutive years.  Can he defy the odds in 2014?

Here is a look back at the players who finished the season at No. 1 over the last ten years:

2013 - Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2012 - Novak Djokovic (SRB)
2011 - Novak Djokovic (SRB)
2010 - Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2009 - Roger Federer (SUI)
2008 - Rafael Nadal (ESP)
2007 - Roger Federer (SUI)
2006 - Roger Federer (SUI)
2005 - Roger Federer (SUI)
2004 - Roger Federer (SUI)

Nadal's "Magic Number" at 2

To clinch the year-end No.1 ranking, Rafael Nadal has a "magic number" of 2.  Nadal needs two wins (or two losses by Djokovic, or a combination of one win by Nadal and one loss by Djokovic) in the round-robin stage of the World Tour Finals.

Rafa currently has 12,030 ranking points, while Nole has 10,610.  Djokovic can still get a maximum of 12,300 points by season's end if he becomes an undefeated champion at WTF (which he accomplished last year) and if he wins his two Davis Cup Final matches.  By winning two round-robin matches, Nadal will add 400 points to his tally, pushing his total to an insurmountable 12,430.

Federer-Nadal at the US Open: Will it ever happen?

Tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal have played each other 31 times, but never on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows.

When the draw came out at this year's US Open, tennis fans looked forward to a first-ever meeting in New York between Federer (seeded 7th) and Nadal (seeded 2nd), who were drawn in the same quarter.  Nadal did his part, but Federer was knocked out in the 4th round.  In years past, it was Nadal who failed to reach the later rounds more often.  Here is a look back on the previous US Open results of Federer and Nadal since 2003 (Nadal's first US Open):

2013 - Federer(4R), Nadal(?)
2012 - Federer(QF), Nadal(DNP)
2011 - Federer(SF, lost to Djokovic), Nadal(F)
2010 - Federer(SF, lost to Djokovic), Nadal(W)
2009 - Federer(F), Nadal(SF, lost to Del Potro)
2008 - Federer(W), Nadal(SF, lost to Murray)
2007 - Federer(W), Nadal(4R)
2006 - Federer(W), Nadal(QF)
2005 - Federer(W), Nadal(3R)
2004 - Federer(W), Nadal(2R)
2003 - Federer(4R), Nadal(2R)

Between 2008 and 2011, Federer and Nadal came within one match away from meeting in the US Open Final, but either Roger or Rafa lost his semifinal match while the other man won his.  It just wasn't meant to be!

Well, maybe next year.  Or the year after that.  Hopefully, Federer won't hang up his racket just yet, AND Nadal's knees hold up!

Murray Joins Wimbledon Winners Circle

World No. 2 and British number one Andy Murray disproved his predecessor after all - although it took 77 long years, another British man has won Wimbledon, after Fred Perry last did in 1936. 

Murray has cemented his status as part of the elite "Big 4" of men's tennis by adding a second Grand Slam title to his name.  He is the first player to win multiple majors since Novak Djokovic won his second Australian Open title in 2011.

Can Federer Defend His Wimbledon Title?

Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal were successful in defending their Australian Open and French Open titles, respectively.  It is now Federer's turn to defend his major.  Is he up to the task?

To do so, Roger has to beat Rafa in the quarters, Murray in the semis, and Djokovic in the final.  It's a tall order, but it's not impossible.  After all, Federer is the "King of Grass".  This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Roger's first Wimbledon title (2003).

Of the six previous times Roger had to defend his Wimbledon trophy, this is how he fared:
2004 - Defended his 2003 title
2005 - Defended his 2004 title
2006 - Defended his 2005 title
2007 - Defended his 2006 title
2008 - Failed to defend his 2007 title (lost to Nadal in the final)
2010 - Failed to defend his 2009 title (lost to Berdych in the quarterfinals)
2013 - ????

If he is successful in his title defense bid, Federer will win a record 8th Wimbledon, joining Nadal (who earlier this month won a record 8th French Open) as the only players to win the same major eight times.

A Comeback For The Ages

After missing seven months on tour from July 2012 to January 2013 because of injury, Rafa Nadal has gone the distance in all the tournaments he played this year.  He has entered eight, winning six titles and losing in two finals:

Chile - Finalist (l. to Horacio Zeballos)
Sao Paulo - Winner (d. David Nalbandian)
Acapulco - Winner (d. David Ferrer)
Indian Wells - Winner (d. Juan Martin Del Potro)
Monte Carlo - Finalist (l. to Novak Djokovic)
Barcelona - Winner (d. Nicolas Almagro)
Madrid - Winner (d. Stanislas Wawrinka)
Rome - Winner (d. Roger Federer)

He is the favorite to win the French Open.  Nadal, the three-time defending champion, is bidding to win a record 8th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.  Seeded third, he is on course for a semifinal match against top seed Novak Djokovic.  2009 champ Roger Federer, who is seeded second, is on the other half of the draw.

Rafa timed his comeback perfectly - of the eight tournaments he entered, only one (Indian Wells) wasn't played on clay.

Happy New Year from Tennis Fun!

After a long absence, Tennis Fun is back for the 2013 ATP World Tour tennis season.  First, here's an obligatory recap of 2012.  As in the last four years, the top stories of last year were dominated by the "Big 4" of men's tennis.  For the first time since the "Big 4" era, each of the top four won a Grand Slam title in a single calendar year.

(1) Novak Djokovic (Australian Open)
The year-end No. 1 for two consecutive years, Serbia's Novak Djokovic won his 3rd Aussie Open trophy and 5th Grand Slam title overall.  He also won the ATP World Tour Finals defeating No. 2 Roger Federer.

(2) Roger Federer (Wimbledon)
 World No. 2 Roger Federer had a record-breaking season in 2012, surpassing the record of Pete Sampras for most weeks at No. 1.  The Swiss maestro pushed up his tally to 302 weeks (16 weeks more than Sampras') at the top after falling back to the No. 2 spot.  Roger also won his 7th Wimbledon trophy this year (his record 17th overall major).

(3) Andy Murray (US Open)
Third-ranked Andy Murray finally broke through the Grand Slam winners circle in 2012 by winning his first major at the US Open.  It was the Scot's fifth Grand Slam final.  Murray also won the gold medal in the men's singles competition at the London Olympics, defeating Roger Federer.

(4) Rafael Nadal (French Open)
World No. 4 Rafael Nadal won his "traditional" major in Paris - his record 7th French Open trophy and 11th Grand Slam title overall.  After a shock defeat to Lukas Rosol in the 2nd round of Wimbledon, he did not play a single match again for the rest of the 2012 season.  He will miss the first Grand Slam of 2013 after withdrawing due to a stomach virus.

It's Official: Federer Breaks Sampras Record for Weeks at No. 1

Roger Federer, who regained the top ranking after winning his 17th major and 7th Wimbledon crown, has broken Pete Sampras' record for most weeks at No. 1. Can Roger take aim at the all-time record for most weeks at No.1 (male or female) set by Steffi Graf? He just needs to stay in the top stop for another full year and nine months, not an easy task in the "Big 4" era.

Here is the list of players (both male and female) who have been No. 1 for at least 200 weeks:
1. Steffi Graf (GER) - 377
2. Martina Navratilova (USA) - 332
3. Roger Federer (SUI) - 287*
4. Pete Sampras (USA) - 286
5. Ivan Lendl (CZE) - 270
6. Jimmy Connors (USA) - 268
7. Chris Evert (USA) - 260
8. Martina Hingis (SUI) - 209
*active streak

Roger Federer: #7, #17, #1, #286

Seventh Wimbledon title. Seventeenth Major. World Number One for a record-tying 286th week. These are just a few numbers that highlight Roger Federer's achievement by winning Sunday's final at Wimbledon. To be able to do it at this stage in his career is truly remarkable. And he's not done yet.

It was believed several years back that Wimbledon and the London Olympics 2012 would be Federer's last tournaments, especially if he wins both - much like the "exit on a high" Pete Sampras did when he immediately retired after winning his 14th and final Major at the 2002 US Open at age 31. Now nearing his 31st birthday, Roger isn't about to hang up his racket just yet. Able to find the right balance between his professional tennis career and his family life, and having maintained a relatively injury-free and low-mileage tennis playing style, Federer is aiming to put up more numbers and break more records. At least five more years in the ATP, perhaps? After all, Andre Agassi retired at age 36.

Is Roger Federer the Greatest Of All Time? Not yet, not now. Wait till he has played his last point.

Wimbledon Shock Exit: Nadal Upset in 2nd Round

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal - a two-time champ and three-time runner-up has been eliminated in the 2nd Round at Wimbledon. His conqueror is World No. 100 Lukas Rosol, who prevailed in five tight sets using a steady powerful serve and enough winners to keep Nadal at bay.

Nadal's defeat paves the way for World No. 4 Andy Murray, who is in Nadal's half of the draw. Murray has never been past the semis in Wimbledon. Nadal will drop to No. 3 when the rankings are published on July 9.

Wimbledon "Big 4" Ranking Projections: Number One Ranking Up For Grabs

In last year's Wimbledon, the men's top ranking changed hands with Novak Djokovic replacing Rafa Nadal as No. 1.  This year, Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer could end up as No. 1 after the fortnight at SW19.  Djokovic and Federer (drawn in the same half yet again) control their own destiny - for Djokovic, be in the final, and for Federer, be the Champion and the No. 1 ranking is theirs.  Nadal needs a little help - even if he wins his 3rd Wimbledon title, he must hope for Djokovic to lose before the semis for him to regain No. 1 he lost last year.

Here is the detailed ranking projections:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArXMd59RqOuFdG5QclF3QXMwSG9vRlVhM0JiSG84Q2c

"Big Four" Midyear Report

Two Grand Slam tournaments and five Masters 1000 events have been played so far. Let's see how our "Big Four" have done year-to-date.

#1 Novak Djokovic (36-6, 2 titles)
Australian Open - Winner (5th major, 3rd Australian Open title)
French Open - Finalist
Indian Wells - Semifinalist
Miami - Winner (11th Masters 1000 title)
Monte Carlo - Finalist
Madrid - Quarterfinalist
Rome - Finalist
Other notable tournaments: None

#2 Rafael Nadal (41-5, 4 titles)
Australian Open - Finalist
French Open - Winner (11th major, 7th French Open title)
Indian Wells - Semifinalist
Miami - Semifinalist
Monte Carlo - Winner (20th Masters 1000 title)
Madrid - R16
Rome - Winner (21st Masters 1000 title)
Other notable tournaments: Won Barcelona

#3 Roger Federer (39-6, 4 titles)
Australian Open - Semifinalist
French Open - Semifinalist
Indian Wells - Winner (19th Masters 1000 title)
Miami - R32
Monte Carlo - DNP
Madrid - Winner (20th Masters 1000 title)
Rome - Semifinalist
Other notable tournaments: Won Rotterdam and Dubai

#4 Andy Murray (26-9, 1 title)
Australian Open - Semifinalist
French Open - Quarterfinalist
Indian Wells - R64
Miami - Finalist
Monte Carlo - Quarterfinalist
Madrid - DNP
Rome - R16
Other notable tournaments: Won Brisbane

Up next, Wimbledon and the 2012 Summer Olympics!

2012 Roland Garros 4th Round Match: Federer vs. Goffin Tale of the Tape

[3] R. Federer (SUI)
Age: 30
Grand Slam titles: 16 <-- Record
Grand Slam W-L record: 235–35 <-- Record no. of wins
Win Percentage: 87%

 [LL] D. Goffin (BEL)
Age: 21
Grand Slam titles: 0
Grand Slam W-L record: 3-0
Win Percentage: 100% <-- Record!

 Goffin is the only unseeded player left in the men's draw.

Nadal's Hold on Monte Carlo To Be Challenged by Djokovic

So here we are in the final at the Monte Carlo Masters.  On one end, we find seven-time defending champion and undisputed "king of clay" Rafa Nadal.  On the other end, we find a worthy challenger in World No.  1 Novak Djokovic, who has defeated Nadal in 7 straight finals,  including last year's Masters clay tournaments in Madrid and Rome.

Monte Carlo and Roland Garros are the only two titles Nadal has left to defend this year.  Can Djokovic take them away as well? 

Indian Wells Final 4: Big 3 + Big John

The first ATP World Tour 1000 of the year at Indian Wells is down to the last four. The tournament's top three seeds of Djokovic, Nadal and Federer are expected to be in the semis, but American John Isner crashed the "Bigs".

[1] Djokovic (SRB) vs. [11] Isner (USA)
Have only played twice before (both in 2010) with Djokovic winning both matches

[2] Nadal (ESP) vs. [3] Federer (SUI)
This is their 28th career meeting, but unbelievably their first ever at Indian Wells

Tennis-fun's picks:
Djokovic d. Isner, Federer d. Nadal

"Big 4" in Back-to-Back Grand Slam Semis

The ATP's "Big Four" is through to the last four for the second straight Major. It's a different semifinal pairing this time around, but this goes to show how Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray have dominated the men's game in the last few years.

Since 2008, at least three of the bigs have been in 10 semifinals of all Grand Slam tournaments played (17 total including this year's Aussie Open). Each man reached the semis in more than half of these tournaments:

Federer - Reached 14 of the last 17 Major semis
Nadal - Reached 13 of the last 17 Major semis
Djokovic - Reached 11 of the last 17 Major semis
Murray - Reached 9 of the last 17 Major semis

By contrast, the rest of the current top ten (Ferrer, Tsonga, Berdych, Fish, Tipsarevic, Almagro) have combined for only 5 semifinal appearances in the last 17 Grand Slam tournaments.

Here are Tennis Fun's Aussie Open 2012 picks:
Semifinals: Federer d. Nadal, Djokovic d. Murray
Final: Federer d. Djokovic

US Open 2011 Update: "Big 4" in QF

After two days of rain in New York, the men's quarterfinals cast is finally set.
Here are the match-ups:

::Top Half::
[1] Djokovic (SRB) vs [20] Tipsarevic (SRB)
[3] Federer (SUI) vs [11] Tsonga (FRA)

::Bottom Half::
[2] Nadal (ESP) vs [21] Roddick (USA)
[4] Murray (GBR) vs [28] Isner (USA)

The "Big 4" are through to the quarters for the first time in 3 years.
(Murray missed out in 2009 after losing in the 4th Round and again last year after losing in the 3rd Round).

Djokovic 2011 Watch: 53-1 and 9 Titles Thus Far

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic is on pace to break the best single-season record set by John McEnroe in 1984. Earlier in the season, Djokovic fell one win short of tying the best start in a season (42-0) also achieved by McEnroe that same year. Can the "Super Serb" do it this time around? He still has a long way to go, as he is scheduled to play seven more tournaments, including this week's Cincinnati Masters and the year-end WTF. That's about 35 more matches if he keeps on winning. Let's see if the rest of the "Big 4" can impede his progress going forward.

Here are the three best single-season records in men's tennis:
1. John McEnroe (1984) - 82-3, 13 Titles (2 Majors)
2. Jimmy Connors (1974) - 93-4, 15 Titles (3 Majors)
3. Roger Federer (2006) - 92-5, 12 Titles (3 Majors)

Canada Masters Update: Nole Last Member of the "Big 4" Standing

It has only been the third round at the Canada Masters in Montreal, and already we've seen three big upsets in succession. The first to go was two-time defending champion Andy Murray in his opening match, and then it was No. 2 Rafa Nadal who also lost in the second round yesterday. Tonight, it was No. 3 Roger Federer who was beaten in the third round by Tsonga, the same opponent who beat him at Wimbledon.

Which leaves us with Novak Djokovic, who enters his first tournament as the new World No. 1. He is through to the quarterfinals, winning his first two matches here with relative ease and pushing his record to 50-1 this season. With the rest of the "Big 4" already eliminated, he will be well on his way to win his ATP-tour leading 9th title of 2011.

Adje, Nole!

The 125th edition of the Wimbledon Championships will be remembered as THE tournament where Novak Djokovic fulfilled both his ambition of being the world's best player and his dream of being a Wimbledon champ. Well done, Nole!