Game Week 7 results

 

Two tennis players announced themselves at the very top of the game in Indian Wells.  

Mirra Andreeva proved her WTA 1000 in Dubai was no fluke by picking up her 2nd consecutive title at this level beating some of the top players in the world in the process.

It was a first ATP 1000 title for Jack Draper who had a terrific week in Indian Wells and is beginning to look like a player who really can compete at the very top of the game for years to come.

Both players are now firmly established in the top 10 and the question now is whether they can do it at the Grand Slams. For Mirra, who has just turned 18, success at the slams seems inevitable.   Jack has had physical issues at the slams in the past but seems to be managing his schedule better and looks ready for the task at hand - he will definitely be a contender for the Wimbledon title but breaking the dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz at slam level will not be easy.

Remarkably, Mirra's route to the final was almost identical to the path tread by Madison Keys at the Australian Open.  Like Maddie she defeated Rybakina in the last 16, Svitolina in the Quarter Final,  Iga Swiatek in the semi final to reach a final against the same opponent Madison played in Melbourne -  Aryna Sabalenka.

Talking of Madison, the tennis world were keen to see how she would follow up her Australian Open success. She had another excellent week including a demolition of Belinda Bencic for the lost of just two games in the quarter finals.  Her semi final opponent was Sabalenka and it was almost as if Aryna had been waiting patiently for her chance to exact a brutal revenge for the Aussie Open final. Sabalenka defeated Keys 6-0, 6-1. A beat down!

On the men's side, the no 1 seed Zverev continued his poor run of form with an almost predictable defeat to Griekspoor in his opening match. Daniil Medvedev who traditionally does well at the Sunshine Double was looking strong as he progressed through the draw to set up a semi final with Holger Rune but the Dane put in a splendid performance to make the final.

Meanwhile Jack Draper was progressing impressively through the draw comfortably seeing off a trio of Americans in Brooksby, Fritz and Shelton to set up a semi final with Alcaraz.

Mirra Mirra on the Wall

The semi final with Carlos Alcaraz was an odd affair.  Alcaraz was strangely out of sorts and Draper powered to the first set 6-1.  It was almost as if the realisation of what he was about to do suddenly got to Draper as his energy and level fell of a cliff in the 2nd set with Alcaraz inflicting a bagel.  Draper later told an interviewer that he took himself off to the bathroom and looked at himself in a mirror telling himself to not let this opportunity pass him by.  He came out for the third set reinvigorated and took it 6-4 to set up a final with Holger Rune.

The bathroom mirror apparently had a part to play in the women's final as well.  After being swept aside in the first set, Mirra returned from her bathroom break with more focus and intent to turn around her match and defeat Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 playing some breathtaking tennis in the process.  

The men's final was a more straighforward affair as Draper made the most of his opportunity to sweep aside Rune in a surprisingly one sided contest.  6-2, 6-2.

And so to FTL.  Here are the global league standings for the Game Week.

Congratulations to Courtcowboy who topped the Global League Standings for this week with an impressive score of 679 points.   Lets take a look at the top two teams in the global league first.

Courtcowboy and Israel had the two eventual winners (Draper and Andreeva)  as Team Players. Phillipe also had semi finalists Keys and Alcaraz while Israel had Alcaraz, Medvedev and Swiatek. Courtcowboy had the stronger overall team with solid performances from all his players while Israel had a few weak links in Tien and the two dark horses who both lost their opening match,

But its Level 2 where the prizes are at so lets take a look at the two top teams in level 2.

This ended up being a remarkably close contest between Rydal 250 Sponsors Exemption and Surprise Surprise with Rydal just edging the chase by less than 2 points. Both had the WTA finalists in Andreeva and Sabalenka and men's semi finalist Alcaraz.  Rydal had two further semi finalists in Medvedev and Swiatek which compensated for the poor performaces by KP Zverev and TP Tien.  Its tricky to pinpoint the difference in such a close contest. Surprise Surprise had a solid starting 8 but perhaps the disappointing Dark Horse picks were the difference between being runner up and winning the game week.   Nevertheless a great week by both.  Congrats guys.