Event of the Day: ATP Finals Day 2

is the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals at the O2 Arena in London where the season’s best singles players and doubles teams of men’s tennis are gathered. After four matches played on the opening day, the competition begins for players and teams in the two remaining groups. In Group ‘Pete Sampras’ of the singles tournament, Dominic Thiem from Austria faces the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, while the world Number One from Spain, Rafael Nadal, takes on the Belgian David Goffin during the evening session. This is the second time for Thiem to play at the ATP World Tour season finale, after last year’s debut, while Dimitrov makes his first appearance. Both players have come to London with career-high ATP rankings:

Thiem is currently 4th and Dimitrov is two places lower in 6th. The Austrian has a better head-to-head record with two victories compared to one for the Bulgarian, and although two of those matches were played on hardcourts, this will be their first meeting indoors. Number one seed Nadal, is looking to prove his claims that his knee is in good condition and start the tournament on the front foot with a win against Goffin, who participates for the first time as a direct qualifier, after playing as an alternate in 2016. Nadal has won 16 Grand Slam titles, the Davis Cup, gold medals at the Olympics, and is now hoping to finally be victorious at the season-ending event. He’s won both of his two competitive matches versus Goffin, but they were both played on the Spaniard’s favorite surface – clay. The opening match of the day within the Group ‘Woodbridge/Woodforde’ is Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares versus American veterans, Bob and Mike Bryan. The twin brothers have won the tournament on four occasions, but were defeated at the O2 Arena last year by the British and Brazilian pair of Murray and Soares in the group stages. In the second doubles match, the Polish and Brazilian team of Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo will step on the court to face the Croatian and Spanish team of Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers. With some of the world’s best tennis players taking part there should be plenty of exciting points and four great matches from the O2.

 

around the globe go to the NFL clash between the Carolina Panthers and the Miami Dolphins at the Bank of America Stadium. The teams last met in 2013 with the Panthers victorious by 20 points to 16. In the second leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the San Siro, Italy will try to overturn the 1-0 deficit from the first game against Sweden. In NHL action, the Calgary Flames host the St. Louis Blues at the Scotiabank Saddledome. In the NBA, the Denver Nuggets take on the Portland Trailblazers at the Moda Center. In field hockey, the men’s teams of Germany and Great Britain play the first match of their three game series.

 

Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!

 

Fixture

 

Photos by ATP World Tour