Alex Williams looks back on the ATP World Tour Finals and wonders if it will be given a permanent home at the O2
Tuesday 12 November 2013 12:09, UK
After facing five different top-nine players in seven days and beating them all, Novak Djokovic leaves London with a legitimate claim of being 'best of the best'.
Nadal was arguably the most impressive player during the round robin stage, dropping just one set to Tomas Berdych despite being taken to two close tie-breaks by the hugely impressive Stanislas Wawrinka. On semi-final day, the large Swiss contingent was still present in the stands following Federer's defeat in the afternoon, but could not will their No 2 man Wawrinka to an upset victory over Djokovic. It was in that contest when Djokovic firmly re-established himself as the man to beat. He had been taken to three sets in each of his group matches but on Sunday put on a defensive mastercalss to blunt the numerous weapons of his powerful opponent on his way to a 6-3 6-3 win. And so the final came down to a showdown between Nadal and Djokovic - the top two players in the world. Ultimately the contest did not quite live up to expectations as Djokovic retained his title in relatively routine fashion with a straight sets win against his Spanish rival. But the event had already proven to be more than value for money and, for at least two more years, remains a welcome part of the British sporting calendar.
