Rafael Nadal says he was among those struck by the lack of competitive matches during the ATP World Tour Finals, which featured just four three-setters and a withdrawal in the final.
Most of the round-robin matches lasted little more than an hour in duration. The most competitive match was the semifinal between Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, which Federer won, only to withdraw from the final with a back injury he picked up in the semis.
Speaking at a sponsor event, Nadal said, "It was a really strange World Tour Finals, the strangest ones I have ever seen—normally when you play between the best eight players in the world the matches should be close and be emotional. In this tournament no one match was like this, only Roger against Stan in the semifinals—but for the rest it was a little bit strange.
"The only thing which is negative is for a tournament in London to have no final is bad news for everybody, for the tournament, for the fans, for all the world of tennis, and especially for Roger," said Nadal.
Nadal qualified for the event but withdrew to undergo surgery and receive medical attention for his various injuries during the season.