By Ros Satar
(November 8, 2012) LONDON – Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan def Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi/Jean-Julien Rojer 7-5, 6-4
Having arrived just in time to watch the Bryan Brothers close out a straight sets win against Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer, the twins were then honoured on court with two ATP awards.
ATP Executive Chairman and President Brad Drewett presented them with the ATP World Tour No. 1 Doubles Team trophy in the 2012 ATP World Tour Awards (sponsored by Moët & Chandon).
The Bryans have won this award for the fourth successive year, and a record eighth time overall (2003, 2005-07, 2009-12).
Also for an eighth time, the popular twins were voted as the ATPWorldTour.com Fans’ Favourite.
Juan Martin Del Potro def Janko Tipsarevic 6-0, 6-4
Most tennis fans watching the evening singles session on Day four will have had some opinion regarding Janko Tipsarevic’s Bercy retirement, some six points before giving Jerzy Janowicz another extraordinary win.
Usually quite tenacious on court, Tipsarevic had already been handed a bit of a lesson at the hands of Federer in his first round match.
Reportedly unwell prior to the match, during the warm up, Tipsarevic seemed unhappy with the tension in his racquets, and things did not start well for him in the match with an early break for Del Potro.
It looked as though he was struggling to find his range, either at the net or painting the lines.
Whatever the issue was, it really was not working for him, and the set very rapidly got away from him, although the crowd burst into wild applause whenever he got a point.
Another racquet was flung away for restringing, but by this time the set was as good as gone.
The second set saw Tipsarevic trying to take a little more control in his service games, and again was given a rousing cheer for getting a game on the board.
In fact in the second set, it looked as though he was settling down into his game, holding to love in his next service game.
But that was short-lived as he was broken in the fifth game.
All was not bad though, and in a great rally, Tipsarevic dug out a low ball for a fantastic passing shot, hanging in by a single break of serve.
Del Potro played certainly within himself, although the crowd were treated at times to some decent rallies.
“I play[ed] much better than my first match here,” said Del Potro, “[a] win in two sets gives me a chance to go to the next [match].
“I know if I want to beat Roger, I should play much better than today and my first match.”
After the match, Tipsarevic said: “I wouldn’t really blame my loss on the sickness.
“I am generally feeling fine.
The problem was that I was sick and I didn’t play a lot of tennis lately.”
Controversially, though, Tipsarevic tweeted to his followers about having passed the one hour mark one more time, making some twitter tennis followers wonder whether Richard Gasquet, alternate at this event, might have made more of a match of it, if he’d been given the chance to play instead.
The perhaps earlier than expected finish meant that those in the crowd who stayed were treated to Del Potro having a hit and kick about with fellow Argentinean, Sergio Aguero (Manchester City Football Club).
The final Group B round robin matches will be played on Saturday.
Del Potro faces Roger Federer, and Tipsarevic will close out his year against David Ferrer.
Ros Satar is a British Journalist- an IT journalist by day, and a sports journalist in all the gaps in between. She is the co-founder of Britwatch Sports (britwatchsports.com). Follow her on twitter at @rfsatar.