Coco Gauff counters Aryna Sabalenka's Roland Garros claim by saying she 'wanted' Iga Swiatek in final

So more than a few players have expressed delight at the year-end championships after heading to the site in East London, and returning to their hotel downtown, via speedboat on the Thames. Given that plummeting, unusual temperatures are expected to bring a few inches of snow over the weekend, skating on the river might be next.

Andy Murray was on thin ice for comments he made in the wake of a 6-2, 6-2 win Thursday over David Ferrer that put the Scot into the semifinals against Rafael Nadal. Nadal ensured finishing atop Group A on Friday by downing Tomas Berdych 7-6 (3), 6-1 in a repeat of the Wimbledon final.

Not knowing his opposition at the time, Murray told the crowd he looked forward to facing the world No. 1. However, in his press conference, he startled journalists by saying, “I’m not sure I’ve got a whole lot of chance.”

Later, asked to follow up, he added: “I’m going to have to play my best tennis against him to win. I need to do it in a big match, in the semis. I have to see whether I can do that or not.”

“So, you’re not confident?” the question came.

“No, not really,” Murray, the victor in four of his past five hard-court tussles against Nadal, added. “But I’ll try and win against him.”
British newspapers ran with it. The online edition of the Sun trumpeted the headline, “Murray throws in the towel.”

Or was Murray playing the oldest trick in the book, trying to deflect pressure?

Now, Murray has been misunderstood, or unfairly targeted, in the past—remember the brouhaha when he jokingly uttered he would root for anyone except England at soccer’s 2006 World Cup? This time he brought things upon himself.

Trying to rectify matters and explain his responses, or so we think, Murray tweeted Friday afternoon, “If sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, why don’t smart people get it? Or are they smart?”

As fully expected, Nadal didn’t buy into Murray’s pessimism.

Why would Murray say what he did, Rafa?

“That’s easy,” Nadal said. “(Reduce) the pressure. The pressure comes back to him now.”

Nadal’s encounter with Berdych was far more entertaining than July’s drubbing in the Wimbledon final. The opening set, which lasted about an hour and 10 minutes, was the finest of the tournament.

There were the usual Nadal highlight-reel passing shots—yawn—and he almost converted on a ‘tweener that would have made Roger Federer proud. Chasing a lob with Berdych at the net late in the second set, his cross-court reply struck the tape and fell wide.

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Djokovic defeated Roddick to set up a semi with Federer. (AP Photo)

Most of the queries in his press conference, though, related to a disputed call. Yes, more controversy in Nadal vs. Berdych.

Nadal went berserk, relatively speaking, when Berdych was awarded a point outright successfully challenging an out call as Nadal served at 5-6, 15-all. Nadal jawed with chair umpire Carlos Bernardes, subsequently pleading with supervisor Tom Barnes. They’ve had a running dialog this week.

The sticking point was this: Nadal claims he didn’t stop play to challenge, and his forehand off Berdych’s shot landed in. Thus, he wanted the point replayed. Berdych, and presumably Bernardes, felt Rafa stopped.

Berdych was ticked about the delay the incident caused.

“It just shows how the referee is probably scared of him and allowed him to talk too much,” said Berdych. He tried to defuse the situation as his session with journalists came to a close. “(Nadal) didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t do anything that I said something wrong against Rafa.”

When the dust settled, Nadal, who didn’t quite know what to expect from himself at this event coming off a five-week layoff, impressively went 3-0 in the round robin.

“He has more control over his heart and head than any other player I have ever witnessed,” Todd Martin, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, said in an interview. “You don’t need to be spot on your game when this is the case. No longer is it worth being surprised by him.”

With three of the big four into the semifinals by Friday afternoon, Novak Djokovic needed a set against Andy Roddick in the evening session to progress. To advance, Roddick had to win in straight sets. Not the most unlikely scenario, since the longtime U.S. No. 1 had downed Nole four straight occasions.

After failing to convert a break point early in the first, Roddick looked flat, which almost never happens. Win or lose, he’s one of the best competitors around.

A difficult season physically took its toll.

“It’s been a tough battle between trying to get healthy and finding the right balance between working and not getting hurt,” Roddick, hampered by mono the middle of the season, said. “It’s been a tough six, seven months since the beginning of May. Tonight’s not a whole lot different. I’m looking forward to trying to get right physically before Australia comes.”

Djokovic, Martin’s former pupil, polished off Roddick 6-2, 6-3 in one hour, six minutes. His reward is a date with Federer, flawless in going unbeaten in Group B, in Saturday’s evening session.

Djokovic hasn’t kicked on since battling past Federer in their classic U.S. Open semifinal, falling to the 16-time Grand Slam champion in Basel and Shanghai.

“Roger has been the most impressive to me thus far, but the tournament changes this weekend with the transition to knock out,” Martin said.