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Brian Swartz · 01-06-2016, 01:36 AM

World Tour Finals
Helsinki, Finland

Group Stage

There was one surprise in the initial draw, with Benda being placed in the B Group along with Iglar. Mehul's foes were to be Hogue(4th), Alvarez(5th), and Gaskell(7th). As the round-robin matches played out, there were few surprises. He crushed Alvarez, got through a fairly tough one against Hogue 7-5, 6-4, and took a routine victory over Gaskell for a perfect mark. On the other side, Iglar was perfect as well and Benda beat the other two(Marcek and Mockler). None of this surprised anyone a whole lot.

Semifinals

Anil Mehul met Benda in the first match, and the year-end #2 ranking was to be finally determined. There was a slight chance that Benda could still take it, but he'd need to win the title here. Mehul dominated the first set, and was good enough to handle a tiebreak in the second for a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory. Iglar was also successful against Gaskell on the other side in straight sets.

Final

And so it was that the two titans met for the 10th time this year. Antonin Iglar was bidding to become the fourth man to win the tour finals three times; Mehul going for his first, is somewhat the better indoor player but of course Iglar's overall resume is well known and he was fresher also. As always, he had achieved his goal by giving himself a chance. And like at Wimbledon, he was rewarded here. Mehul returned exceptionally well today, and saved 8 of 9 break points in a 6-4, 6-4 victory that broke the usual mold of serve domination on the indoor courts. He broke the Czech three times; it was an uneven match with both players having loose games at times. Mehul takes a second of the five great pillars of tennis; there's no question who the best is, but he's had one heck of a year as the clear #2 now with this title. Given how many matches he's played over the last three months, it's really a pretty amazing accomplishment.

Elsewhere ...

Prakash Mooljee reached the third round in both singles and doubles at the Orange Bowl('A' Tier). Another rough draw ensured he ended his participation there.

Coming Up

In two weeks, the WTC Final awaits. My projection hasn't changed -- Germany is a considerable favorite to win a close tie on their favored clay. But we've got a chance, as happened this last week. The following week, Mooljee's final junior event at the Casablanca Cup will be played, and that will do it for 2042.

01-06-2016, 01:36 AM	#230
Brian Swartz Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2006	World Tour Finals Helsinki, Finland Group Stage There was one surprise in the initial draw, with Benda being placed in the B Group along with Iglar. Mehul's foes were to be Hogue(4th), Alvarez(5th), and Gaskell(7th). As the round-robin matches played out, there were few surprises. He crushed Alvarez, got through a fairly tough one against Hogue 7-5, 6-4, and took a routine victory over Gaskell for a perfect mark. On the other side, Iglar was perfect as well and Benda beat the other two(Marcek and Mockler). None of this surprised anyone a whole lot. Semifinals Anil Mehul met Benda in the first match, and the year-end #2 ranking was to be finally determined. There was a slight chance that Benda could still take it, but he'd need to win the title here. Mehul dominated the first set, and was good enough to handle a tiebreak in the second for a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory. Iglar was also successful against Gaskell on the other side in straight sets. Final And so it was that the two titans met for the 10th time this year. Antonin Iglar was bidding to become the fourth man to win the tour finals three times; Mehul going for his first, is somewhat the better indoor player but of course Iglar's overall resume is well known and he was fresher also. As always, he had achieved his goal by giving himself a chance. And like at Wimbledon, he was rewarded here. Mehul returned exceptionally well today, and saved 8 of 9 break points in a 6-4, 6-4 victory that broke the usual mold of serve domination on the indoor courts. He broke the Czech three times; it was an uneven match with both players having loose games at times. Mehul takes a second of the five great pillars of tennis; there's no question who the best is, but he's had one heck of a year as the clear #2 now with this title. Given how many matches he's played over the last three months, it's really a pretty amazing accomplishment. Elsewhere ... Prakash Mooljee reached the third round in both singles and doubles at the Orange Bowl('A' Tier). Another rough draw ensured he ended his participation there. Coming Up In two weeks, the WTC Final awaits. My projection hasn't changed -- Germany is a considerable favorite to win a close tie on their favored clay. But we've got a chance, as happened this last week. The following week, Mooljee's final junior event at the Casablanca Cup will be played, and that will do it for 2042.