We gear up for a tennis extravaganza, so who are Barry, Petch and Annabel backing?
Tuesday 15 November 2016 12:48, UK
We asked our panel to give their predictions. Check out how our Sky Sports pundits think the World Tour Finals will go when it gets underway this weekend and cast your vote at the end.
Can Andy Murray finish of the season in style or will Novak Djokovic reign supreme? There are six other top class players involved, including two former Grand Slam winners and two former major finalists.
The competition is red-hot this year so we have asked our panel to give their predictions.
The blockbuster week of action will take place at London's O2 Arena, live on Sky Sports.
Former greats of the game have all had their say on the big week ahead and make sure you cast your VOTE at the end...
Two players that have shown this year that they can win Slams, but Stan is the wildcard. No one really knows how he's going to play. He could come out and play unbelievable tennis but it was my fear this match could happen.
I think Nishikori, certainly at the US Open this year, had a couple of twists, serving and volleying a bit. He's definitely trying to protect his serve a bit better this year against obviously great returners. He's a great returner himself which is why I kind of like the match-up. There's going to be a lot of opportunities for both players to break serve and it's just a question of who can play the big points well.
Stan is always unpredictable, always dangerous and obviously shocked everyone like he always does to win the US Open. Every Slam that he's won, he crept through the draw and then suddenly he wins it. He's probably going to be quite fresh and hungry. I think he hasn't played his best tennis leading into it necessarily, but I just think for me that match stands out.
I think every possible scenario could happen in that group because you've got Cilic, in great form, you've got Nishikori as Petch said, in great form. You've got Stan, who beat Murray a couple of years ago, and you've got Andy in the form of his life. All those four guys are going to have to play an 8 out of 10 or a 9 out of 10. If they don't, they're behind.
He's a guy with his serve that can take the racket out of the hand. The other ones you feel have got some play on the ball, whereas Marin - if he serves well, as we saw at the US Open in 2014 - actually is unplayable. He's the guy people feel is possibly not going to get through that group, but is equally as dangerous as everyone else. And he's confident.
The last few matches I've seen him play, his level has been extremely high apart from the last match in Paris when he suddenly ran out of steam against John Isner. But the improvements have been huge. He just moves better, he's more consistent from the back, he's extremely aggressive. He just seems more self-confident as well.
I think he will win it with two wins.
I think he will win the group, yep.
It's impossible not to say Andy. With the form that he's in, you feel he's a level above everyone else at the moment.
There's no method in that pick. It's just a gut feeling. I think he's a little bit more reliable than the other two, although if Wawrinka plays his best tennis, then he comes through that group, but that's a big if.
There's no science, there's no stat, there's no form guide that can lead you to knowing what is going to happen between those three guys. I feel that Stan is due a big week again and I think he will want to finish this year strongly. Roger Federer is not about due to injury so Swiss eyes are all on him solely and I think he will be motivated to put in a great week.
It's impossible to say. You don't know what mood Stan is going to be in. But I'm going for him because he's so unpredictable.
I saw Djokovic and Thiem play in Miami and although that was straight sets, it was one of the best couple of sets I saw all year actually, where Thiem showed how dangerous he can be. But he has really struggled recently so I would say Djokovic and Monfils. I think the Frenchman will be a great addition this year. He has the personality to be able to perform and has the game to be able to perform.
Going on head to heads, the most interesting match-up will be one which Novak is not involved in. Given his dominant head-to-head record against everyone else in the group, he should feel very good about things and that should give him a lift coming in here. I'm definitely looking forward to Novak against Gael, if Gael is fit and healthy. I think he certainly has become more consistent, so I think it will be the match that everyone will remember.
I think this match because of what happened at the US Open. It was such an extraordinary match in terms of the goings on - it was just bizarre. He was trying to physiologically get into his head and he did. A lot of what he did, did have an impact.
Monfils for me, definitely. I just think with what happened with Milos pulling out in the semis at the Paris Masters, and although he played well last week, I think he was won five and lost five out of his previous 10 matches, so I'm going to Gael.
I do feel as though he has the fire power and foot speed to hurt players. He needs to serve big, rather than kick it in. He needs to use that first serve that he has. But if he can do all the things that he's shown, he can do this year, effectively, then I like his chances.
Monfils is a scary athlete. Out of all of the players he is the quickest and I think they're all intimidated by his athletic ability and that serve. Everything seems to be coming together under coach Mikael Tillstrom. He's the first coach that's been able to harness the talent and rawness, but still allow a bit of that flair to flourish, but also making him more consistent as well.
I think he will win all three matches. I saw enough from him last week and I don't think his best tennis is too far around the corner.
He has a great record against all of them.
I would say Raonic if he is completely fit. Other than that, I do think Monfils has a chance. He'll be a real crowd pleaser and serious entertainer.
What swung it for me was actually the order of play and the fact that Djokovic is going to play on the first day means that he will get an extra day's rest. I think he's got the easier group, while the Murray group will be punishing, and I think Novak will have an extra day off before the semis.
Hard to argue against that logic and I do think that the odds have stacked up against Andy in terms of the obvious reasons and also in his group everyone can beat everyone so it's coming down to sets and games. It has made it much trickier for him to come through. However, I really sense he would dearly, dearly love to win this tournament and I think he'll be thinking 'I'm better than everyone else in the top eight'. That desire he has will see him find a way, but it won't be easy.
I think he's come into this in the best form that we've ever seen him play. He's contented and all the stars are aligned and I just think he's playing at a level above everyone else at the moment.
Check our game-by-game coverage from all group matches at the ATP World Tour Finals in London - including Andy Murray - on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis.
