WTFwatch: The lowdown on Group B
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(2) Rafael Nadal
Results against all eight 2009 World Tour finalists:
This year: 13 wins, 9 losses
Career: 54 wins, 22 losses
World No.2 Rafael Nadal stormed into 2009 with a stunning victory at the Australian Open – his first hard court Grand Slam title. Nadal’s sixth career major will be best remembered for the marathon semi-final clash with countryman Fernando Verdasco and the draining five set victory over Federer in the final. If the Spaniard had worn himself into the ground with his exploits in the sweltering Melbourne sun, the cracks proved to be telling come May, when the big-hitting Robin Soderling dumped him out of Roland Garros in the fourth round. Injury continued to plague Rafa from there on, costing him the chance to defend his Wimbledon title. But amid the injuries, the Spaniard still clinched five titles and recorded 64 wins to just 11 losses in 2009.
Not yet back to his best since returning from injury, Nadal’s Group B opponents are sure to make life difficult for the 23-year-old. While looking to bounce back from defeat to Robin Soderling in their first meet since Roland Garros, Nadal also faces Nikolay Davydenko, a man he has beaten just once on a hard court, back in 2006.
Then there’s the in-form Novak Djokovic, and despite holding the upper hand with 14 wins over the Serb in their 20 career meetings, Nadal has beaten the 22 year old just three times in nine clashes on a hard-court.
(3) Novak Djokovic
Results against all eight 2009 World Tour finalists:
This year: 30 wins, 30 losses
Career: 11 wins, 8 losses
Clinching the Tennis Masters Cup title in Shanghai in 2008, the defending champion heads to the O2 arena as the man to beat – and it will take something special to beat him in his current form. With back-to-back tournament victories in Basel and Paris already this month, the Serb has beaten both Nadal and Federer in November, and will be a feared opponent in London.
Though stretched by Soderling to a third set in Paris, in their five ATP meetings Djokovic has never lost to the Swede. While in the midst of a stalemate with Nikolay Davydenko – the pair share two victories apiece in their four career ties to date – the 22-year-old convincingly beat the enigmatic Russian both in the round-robin stage and in the final of last year’s Masters tournament.
As for Nadal, Djokovic will look to complete a hat-trick of wins over the Spaniard with a repeat of his convincing 6-1 6-4 and 6-2 6-3 semi-final wins in Paris and Cincinnati already this season.
(6) Nikolay Davydenko
Results against all eight 2009 World Tour finalists-
This year: 20 wins, 31 losses
Career: 5 wins, 6 losses
With four ATP Tour titles to his name this season, Davydenko remains capable of testing, and beating, the very best. After slipping out of the world’s top ten for the first time in five years just a few months back, the Russian clinched the first back-to-back titles of his career with victories in Hamburg and Umag to put himself back among the game’s elite. Perhaps more relevant to next week’s year ending showpiece is Davydenko’s showing at the Shanghai Masters last month, where he beat fellow Group B players Novak Djokovic in the semis and Rafael Nadal in the final.
His career record against both Nadal and Robin Soderling suggests the world No.7 is set for a hiding, but having recorded only one less ATP Tour title than Djokovic and Nadal in 2009, Davydenko should certainly not be discounted from progressing from Group B.
(8) Robin Soderling
Results against all eight 2009 World Tour finalists-
This year: 15 wins, 27 losses
Career: 4 wins, 9 losses
A late arrival in London courtesy of Andy Roddick’s withdrawal with a knee injury, Soderling may be lucky, but after recording his best year to date he is also a potential danger. Reaching a first Grand Slam final with that powerfully plucky run at Roland Garros, the leggy Swede also clinched a first ATP Tour title on clay to boot.
With just four career titles to his name Soderling is the least decorated player in Group B, but his 6-3 win-loss record against Davydenko suggests he will be able to hold his own. Though desperate to overturn a disastrous career record against Djokovic, Soderling’s performance in the morale-boosting first win over Nadal at Roland Garros gives indication of his ever-present threat to the bigger reputations in Group B.
