A fact that was recorded in the history of the tournament and that will most likely never be repeated again.
I want to study in the United States through a sports scholarship: Click here
Without a doubt that the ATP Finals It is the tournament that every tennis player would like to play, since by some it is considered a Grand Slams due to the prestigious meaning it has. But the tournament experienced an atypical situation in 2008 when the world No.27 played in the tournament that in theory only the best eight in the world have the honor of playing.
The Circuit has given us great stories but without a doubt this is one of the most curious and one that very few remember, because in 2008 Radek Stepanek played the masters tournament after a series of losses and that by chance took him to Shanghai to fill a vacant place.
The eights qualified for the tournament had been Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Andy Roddick, Jo Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martín del Potro. But a last-minute withdrawal from Nadal caused Gilles Simon to take his place, so the tournament occupied the only substitute player who was in Shanghai.
Unfortunately for the organization, Roddick had to withdraw from the tournament after spraining his ankle in training prior to his match with Federer. But in the absence of an alternate, the ATP had to play all the cards and a problem was visible.
Jame Blake who was next in the race for the Finals He did not want to take the trip after having competed in Paris Bercy. While the other players who followed him on the list, such as David Ferrer and David Nalbandian, could not respond to the call because they were already They were preparing for the Davis Cup final. The distance from others led to a drastic decision.
With all the possibilities on the table, the ATP decided to call Stepanek, who was world No.27 and until that moment had never played in a Finals. After falling in the second round of the Paris Masters, the Czech took a vacation in Thailand, so He was the closest player to the tournament, being only a four-hour flight away..
With his equipment at home he decides to accept the challenge of traveling to Shanghai. While there he had to face Federer with a racket borrowed from Djokovic and socks that Murray had given him, since his team could not arrive on time and was delayed at customs. Despite this, the Czech managed to give Federer a fight, who ended up taking the victory 7-6 and 6-4.
The incredible story of Radek Stepanek at the 2008 ATP Finals 🃏
November 2008 – The year-end Masters Cup is held in Shanghai, China for the final time, with an absolutely stellar line-up:
#1 Rafael Nadal
#2 Roger Federer
#3 Novak Djokovic
#4 Andy Murray
#5 Nikolay Davydenko
#6… pic.twitter.com/LodCCt8Cqw— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) November 8, 2023
Editorial – Iván Aguilar
I like this:
I like Loading…
2023-11-08 20:22:31
#curious #situation #led #27th #world #play #ATP #Finals #Match #Tennis
