The end of season Tennis Masters's Cup began today in Shanghai. Basically, for those of you who don't know, it's a tournament for only the top 8 players in the world (pictured left) to battle it out to decide (unoficially) who the best player in world is, and crown the end of year world number one.
Unfortunately, for those of you who do know what it is, you'll be aware that it is largely a pointless add-on to a schedule that is already too overcrowded with tournaments where the best player in world, previously Roger Federer and now Rafa Nadal, often comes unstuck because they're tired and can't really be bothered.
This has come to the point this year where Nadal has pulled out, citing fatigue. What he really means is Spain are in the final of the Davis Cup in a couple of weeks and he doesn't want to be too tired. He's guaranteed to end the year world number one, has had a great year and has earned this rest.
The fitness of the other two favourites for the tournament, Federer (back) and Andy Murray (fatigue) have also been brought into question. Added to second seed Novak Djokovic's loss of form since May and there could well be some surprises in Shanghai.
This could see Andy Roddick, Nikolai Davydenko and Gilles Simon (who's in great form) with real chances of picking up some end-of-season wins. But Roddick apart, they're not really stellar names are they?
I'll blog again later in the week on progress at Shanghai, but I'm not holding out for much. The tournament is like taking the top 8 teams in the Premiership at the end of the season and after Man Utd have won the league for example, the 8 play off against each other in the Far East for no reason in particular other than to get a bit of extra money, because all the major prizes have already been won. Pointless.
Hopefully Sepp Blatter (President of FIFA) doesn't get any ideas...
Unfortunately, for those of you who do know what it is, you'll be aware that it is largely a pointless add-on to a schedule that is already too overcrowded with tournaments where the best player in world, previously Roger Federer and now Rafa Nadal, often comes unstuck because they're tired and can't really be bothered.
This has come to the point this year where Nadal has pulled out, citing fatigue. What he really means is Spain are in the final of the Davis Cup in a couple of weeks and he doesn't want to be too tired. He's guaranteed to end the year world number one, has had a great year and has earned this rest.
The fitness of the other two favourites for the tournament, Federer (back) and Andy Murray (fatigue) have also been brought into question. Added to second seed Novak Djokovic's loss of form since May and there could well be some surprises in Shanghai.
This could see Andy Roddick, Nikolai Davydenko and Gilles Simon (who's in great form) with real chances of picking up some end-of-season wins. But Roddick apart, they're not really stellar names are they?
I'll blog again later in the week on progress at Shanghai, but I'm not holding out for much. The tournament is like taking the top 8 teams in the Premiership at the end of the season and after Man Utd have won the league for example, the 8 play off against each other in the Far East for no reason in particular other than to get a bit of extra money, because all the major prizes have already been won. Pointless.
Hopefully Sepp Blatter (President of FIFA) doesn't get any ideas...
(Image courtesy of Tennis Masters Cup website)
2 comments:
Pointless tournament with only money at stake. Surely not in this modern sporting world!
If Blatter does get any ideas it's your fault...
I'll take full responsibility, but hopefully I'll get away with it.
I'll blog again about 'money for nothing' tournaments again later in the week.
Cheers for the comment!
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