Wk.43- Is Murray's Best Truly Enough?

Hey, all. Galileo here.

What an unbelievable WTA Finals. The White Group in particular was superb. And Svetlana Kuznetsova was no doubt the player of the tournament. [Ed.Note: Hmmm, just off the top of my head, I can think of another. - tds]

But Dominika Cibulkova is in this BACKSPINNER'S bad books because of her lack of sportsmanship. To hit a totally fluky let cord on match point is one thing. To not apologize and then to fall to your knees as if you just hit an incredible winner is another. Disgraceful. [I think someone is placing too big of a burden on an excited player... and this is coming from someone who has been occasionally irked by Cibulkova over the years.]

No wonder she got a shadow of a handshake from Sveta. Imagine your season ending on that note, on your opponent hitting a let cord and then not apologizing. [Personally, I think it's humorous when any player apologizes for that, as if they had any control over the matter. Truthfully, it they COULD control such things, I'd suggest trying to hit a ball off the net on EVERY point. But that's just me. Also, there were apparently a few possible reasons for the handshake...]

Kuznetsova sheds some light on today's icy handshake… Heard comments/complaints about Cibulkova team's noise from many opponents this year. https://t.co/rOHHIJ31CO

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) October 29, 2016

Kuznetsova complaining about Cibulkova's box. 'They are doing that on purpose for two hours'.

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 29, 2016

Dominika has always been fiery and has had issues with this before, particularly fist-pumping on opponent’s errors. It’s what Hewitt did, what Murray does. And it isn’t alright. You apologize and you do not fall to your knees. [I'm about 60% with you on most of that, except for the not falling to your knees when you win to reach a major final, though Cibulkova DID go a BIT far for winning a SEMI, considering she's played in a slam final. But sometimes emotions are just emotions. Of course, Cibulkova cut Sharapova zero slack earlier this year because she hasn't been "friendly" enough in the locker room during her career.... so I won't argue TOO hard in defense of Domi's "sensible (or not) sportswomanship."]

And it builds. A few incidents like this from Domi and the reputation in your mind of her builds. It may be a subconscious thing, but it’s there. Look at Vika Azarenka. When you think of her you think of her as a grunter, a cheater and a world number one. [Again, I raise my hand in disagreement, at least on the second one, which was always an absurd charge brewed up mostly by the Aussie sports media a few years ago.] Only one of those things is good. And that is wrong. But at the same time it is her fault, her folly.

Anyway, this BACKSPINNER was plenty impressed with Kuznetsova. But the other player was Madison Keys. One of only two players to beat Cibulkova in the tournament -- yes, two years in a row a two-loss player wins -- she showed game and gumption in the big moments. She didn’t show up consistently enough, but to get a win in her first finals was exceptional. [One should note that this was also Cibulkova's first Finals. I'm just sayin'.] Building a career is just that. You build. Next time, and there will be a next time, she will know she can win. Which means she will likely do so again.

Look out for Keys next season. A slam final -- Wimbledon, if I had to put a quarter on it -- must surely await the young American. And you know it won’t be long before she is America’s number one. And you know the pressure that will come along with that.

Halep was really unimpressive. Crumbling to Kerber like that was quite poor. She just didn’t turn up at all. No reports on her being injured, she was just poor. [Sorry, one more interruption. Actually, she did have a reported knee injury in her following match vs. Cibulkova, so it might have been an issue vs. Kerber, as well. But Halep DID almost revert to old form after losing the 1st set to the German, and that was a step back in a season in which she's made good progress with that sort of thing.] And in the big moment, in the breaker against Cibulkova, she did nothing. She lost it 7-5. That’s why she doesn’t feel like a slam winner to me. Stosur, Venus and Pliskova are all far less consistent, but all far more likely to win slams. Consistency will only get one so far. Has she hit her ceiling? She showed little to prove she is capable of winning a slam next year. Of course, she could turn it on, but it just doesn’t feel or look likely at the moment.

We’ll see the WTA in full force again real soon, but for us it is the ATP we turn to.

=RANKINGS WATCH=
Top 32 - Muller is up three to 34 in a week that sees a lot of flux. Johnson falls out of the magic 32. Busta and Kohl rise as a result of the American’s fall.
Top 10 – So much change. Cilic goes from 12 to 10, which moves Berdych and Goffin down. When was Berdie last out of the top ten? Fedex is barely clinging to the top ten at ninth.
Top 8 – Monfils moves up to 7th, equaling his career high. Thiem is up to 8th. Nadal is at 6th, but will be falling.
Top 4 – Nishikori pips Raonic to fourth in the world. Wawrinka still comfortable at world number three, Murray inches ever closer to Djokovic.

*WEEK 43 CHAMPIONS*
VIENNA, AUSTRIA (Hard Indoor)
S: Andy Murray def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3/7-6(6)
D: Kubot/Melo d. Marach/F.Martin
BASEL, SWITZERLAND (Hard Indoor)
S: Marin Cilic def. Kei Nishikori 6-1/7-6(5)
D: Granollers/Sock d. Lindstedt/Venus


PLAYER OF THE WEEK: ANDY MURRAY, GBR
...This guy is the best in the world. He has won a ton of matches in a row. He is barely losing. But still this year there are suspect losses, there are funny moments. When my Evonne made four consecutive U.S. Open finals and lost them all, we all wondered how. But Muzza is 0-5 in Aussie Open finals. Now how is that possible? He has barely won sets. Despite making the final in 2010, '11, '13, '14, '15 and '16 he has failed to even take it five sets. He has lost several of those in straights. Murray’s career can be observed this week in Vienna. In the absence of any big players, he does just fine. But as soon as the big matches come calling, as soon as it really matters, he crumbles. Luckily, this week there were no big guns waiting. He looked edgy in a 6-3, 6-7[5], 6-0 victory over Klizan and then struggled past Simon 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. There was no question he did not look himself. But a 6-1, 6-3 dismissal of Isner and a retirement from Ferrer saw the Scot into another final. He is now in double digits (11) on the year. In the final, he got past Tsonga 6-3, 7-6[6], but it was not the confident, smooth run you might expect from a world number one.
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RISER: MARIN CILIC, CRO
...Well, Cilic has now gone 2-2 in finals this year and also won eight indoors and eight outside. Strangely he lost the two 250 level tournaments, but has picked up a 500 and 1000 level tournament. Delightfully unpredictable, the Croat had another productive week. Despite having a winning percent overall of less than 65% he has put in a very solid career. A 6-4, 6-2 win over Youzhny and 6-0, 7-6[4] rout of recent titlist Busta was a good way to get his week going. A straight sets win over Granollers and come from behind win against Zverev saw him into the final. He had yet to face a seed, but he now faced the prospect of a U.S. Open final rematch. And during the final he did this. He won 6-1, 7-6[5] to seal the deal and take title number 16. The Croat is probably going to go to London. How will he cope in such a pressurized environment?
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FRESH FACE: STEFANOS TSITSIPAS, GRE
...From the people who brought you Bacsinszky, comes this dude. But his name is actually fairly easy to spell, so there you go. A really good junior, he won the Wimbledon Boy’s Doubles this year and made back to back singles semi-finals, too, in London and New York. His one-hander gives him loads of options, like droppers and angles, both of which he uses. And this week he won a qualifier. He beat Rajeev Ram 4-6, 7-6[3], 6-2. And then went down to Haase in a tight two-setter, 7-6[2], 6-4. He has made three finals this month, winning a futures event and losing in two challengers. So watch out for that name in the future. Along with Shapovalov. Geez, what’s wrong with calling your kid Nick Smith?
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VETERAN: GILLES MULLER, LUX
...Consistently Luxembourg’s best player, Muller has been around for ten years now. Three set wins over Dimitrov and Delbonis were impressive. Even the defeat to Kei lost him no respect. The moment this guy burst onto the scene was here:


And he has stuck to that style of play. He has made it his own. And that’s something to be admired. He can still make things work even after all these years. That serve is still one of the best in the business, and it has helped him become the latest veteran to have a banner year.
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SURPRISE: MISCHA ZVEREV, GER
...The old journeyman is having a very good year, and it is another semi-final for him. He is only eight spots from his career high of 45. The ATP Tour is really becoming a rich hunting ground for the more experienced guys these days. He beat Pospisil 6-4, 7-6[3] in qualifying, which is a great results by itself. But then to go and back it up by seeing off Harrison 7-6[4], 6-3 is something else. He beat Fritz 7-6[4], 6-0, but seemed to get better in the next round, dismissing Pella 6-4, 6-2. A 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 victory over defending U.S. Open champion Wawrinka was next. He had the final in his grasp, but agonisingly let it slip in a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 loss to Cilic. But this week is a great way to cap off the season for the German. Perhaps he is like a fine wines.
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DOWN: TOMAS BERDYCH, CZE
...He is not the only player whose career is in decline, but his is one of the most noticeable. Berdych has finished at six or seven the last six seasons in a row. In today’s tennis that is a noteworthy feat. He has done it by being consistent, by having only one weakness, his brain, and by challenging for the bigger titles. He has also mastered the art of a consistent high level of results, but never achieving so much he cannot defend his points. He has even done alright at the World Tour Finals. But this loss to Bashilashvili is just the latest in a string of small things. In qualifying, he dropped a set to Albot 6-0. And then he goes out and beats Berdych? Incredible. The surgery back in September is no excuse.
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UPSET: RICARDIS BERANKIS, LTU
...Raonic is a paper tiger right now. Except even on paper he is beginning to look more and more like a kitten. Last week he was the world number four, but played like the world number 400. Is he injured? Is he just out of form? There is a bigger underlying problem there. Berankis dropped just eight games in qualies, and he continued that form. But how did he beat Raonic 3-6, 6-3, 6-3? How did he break three times? How did Raonic hit 30 errors in the 1 hour, 50 minute contest? The Canuck completely unraveled. He has qualified for London, but why bother turning up?
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Notes from the Week...
1 - Cilic and Thiem will likely take up the final spaces in the World Tour Finals. They need to win just a couple of matches and that will see them through. For the other five contenders, only the semi-finals or better will do.
2 – In Ferrer’s 1024-match career, he has retired twice. The second time was against Murray this past week. The other was 2009 in Valencia.
3 – Karlovic could claim his sixth leading aces season. He would tie Ivanisevic. He has a 50 ace lead over Isner, so he should be safe.
4 – Six years. That’s how long Berdman has been in the top ten. Since before the French in 2010. It has come to an end today.


1. Vienna SF - Tsonga d. Karlovic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6[6]
...The Frenchman saved a match point in this serving duel. But this was more than just serves. After all, there was a Frenchman playing.


The Frenchman, who had not beat his opponent in nine years, came back from a break down in the second, and from early breaker, struggled to win through.
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2. Basel SF - Cilic d. M.Zverev 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
...What a way to all but ensure qualification for the Croat. A comeback win against a determined opponent. With so much on the line it was almost a shock to see Cilic pull it off. The German is not the younger German, but the older. And Mischa has had a sneakily good year.
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3. Basel SF - Nishikori d. Muller 4-6, 7-6[3], 6-3
...This BACKSPINNER does love a contrast in styles. And this is precisely that. Muller is not interested in rallies lasting more than four shots. Nishikori loves it when they go over six. Kei has now won 56 matches, a career high. Impressive considering he was twice just a point away from staying on 55. But when he is not injured, he is tenacious to the last.
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*PARIS*
=SF=
Djokovic [1] d. [12] Gasquet
Tsonga [11] d. [2] Murray
=FINAL=
Djokovic [1] d. [11] Tsonga

...Frenchies have a kind of magic here. And Tsonga will take advantage to upset the odds, while Gasquet will also make a decent run here. It's Paris, anything can happen, and Murray looked to be running out of steam a little in patches last week. But Djokovic always comes up big and Murray has not faced a murderer's row the last few weeks.

Mladenovic and Garcia finish the year by blowing set points in a straight sets WTA Finals semi-final loss to Mattek-Sands/Safarova and crashing out of the race for world number one. Had they taken any of those points they could now be atop the summit. But in a fitting way to close out the season, that now won’t happen. But they will surely take it at some point in 2017.

The Fed Cup is just around the corner. Well, it is coming in two weeks. If they could win that then that would definitely push Kiki’s season into the B+ area.


Thanks all and visit WTA BACKSPIN please.

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