The doubles action at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has provided no shortage of excitement in years past, and the drama will be just as palpable this week in London. For the second straight year, the year-end No. 1 position in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings is in play at The O2, with top seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut looking to hold off the surging tandem of Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. Last year, it was Horia Tecau and Jean-Julien Rojer ending the six-year reign of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan with a thrilling semi-final victory, en route to clinching the title. "It would be a huge achievement, to finish the year as the best team," said Soares....
Just like every tennis fan watching this year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, John McEnroe is keen to find out whether Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic will leave The O2 in London as the year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Speaking from the ATP Champions Tour event in Seoul, former World No. 1 McEnroe said he was impressed with how Murray and Djokovic have set themselves apart with their outstanding seasons. McEnroe also found it fitting that the season-ending championships will determine who finishes 2016 at the top of men’s professional tennis. It will be the sixth time since 2001 that the World No. 1 spot will be decided at the year-end championship. But the last time the...
A proud Milos Raonic is determined to make his mark in London, declaring "I’m a much better player," upon his return to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The 25-year-old sparked his season to life by clinching the Brisbane International Presented By Suncorp, defeating Roger Federer in the final, before establishing himself in the upper echelons of the game by reaching the finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon. The Canadian first qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in 2014 but is eager to progress past the group stages in east London this time round. “Yeah it’s really different conditions this time. I had great parts throughout this season,...
Mike Bryan observed recently that “Twin energy is weird,”, and doubtless that weirdness is accentuated when you play elite doubles with your identical brother, with the public expecting you to win every tournament on the calendar (including this one). “When we are clicking and everything is strong, it feels like no one can touch us. But it is a double-edged sword. When we lose a few matches, it can go a little sour because we take jabs at each because we have the competitive twin thing,” he continued. And those “jabs” aren’t just verbal; they can also be physical. The most successful doubles team in history – consider how this is the 15th time they have qualified for the Barclays...