The pressure is well and truly on at the top of the rankings. It's what Alex Ferguson would describe as squeaky bum time.
Djokovic's win in Rome and Nadal's early exit have really mixed things up. I predicted on Sunday night that the points gap would shrink to 400 or so points.
Turns out its even closer that than - just 310 points separate No 2 and No 3.
Meanwhile, Federer has put real distance between himself and Nadal, with a cushion of 1,400 points. As I wrote the other day, Federer's results on clay to date should be enough for him to hold on to his current position for a while yet.
For Rafa it's a different story with the Spaniard appearing to concede that Djokovic will overtake him in the next two months. Today he said "The logical thing is that he goes past me here in Hamburg, or at Roland Garros or Wimbledon."
It's not like Nadal to give up without a fight - maybe it's mind games - but it shows how tough it is at the top right now.
1 comment:
Hey Steve.
I could see Federer being safe for the rest of the year now. Good call on mentioning how the clay-court season could help him preserve the top spot!
What's shocking to me is how there doesn't really appear to be anyone out there who'll crack the top three, unless maybe Roddick gets ultra-hot after getting off the dirt.
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