ESPN Tennis

Exiting the tube station that leads to the O2 Arena, home of the ATP's World Tour Finals, you will see pictures of the players that are posted on several pillars.

Novak Djokovic is front and center, although are there two Djokovics? One has the Serb listed at 6-foot-2, while the other says 6-3. Must have been a misprint.

He is, for the record, 6-2, which is a fair bit more than David Ferrer. Yet the Spaniard continues to play substantially bigger than his 5-9 frame, as he knocked off the world No. 1 6-3, 6-1 to seal a spot in the semifinals from Group A. For the second straight night, a top-two player was crushed.

"I just wasn't there," Djokovic said. "It was the worst match I've played this season so far, definitely. So many unforced errors. You know, I'm not playing well. That's a fact. Maybe it's because of the length of the season. Maybe it's just because I'm not feeling well, you know, on the court."

At least Djokovic lasted a little longer than Ferrer's countryman, Rafael Nadal, who was taken apart by a sublime Roger Federer.

When Djokovic rallied from a match point down to beat Tomas Berdych on Monday, he seemed destined to turn the corner. He found a way to pull things out, which was sure to give him confidence in a stretch when he hasn't contested many matches. Perhaps the shoulder would continue to recuperate.

And early on, he was sharp. Unlike against Berdych, when he double-faulted on his first service point, he began with an ace. A good sign, or so it was thought.

In the first several games, Djokovic had much more zip on the ball from the baseline and was being aggressive, not pushed around, as he was versus Berdych. Incorporating the backhand slice threw Ferrer off, too, which made sense because Ferrer loves pace.

It seemed it was only a matter of time before he'd break, take hold of the encounter and cruise.

But it didn't happen, and when Djokovic was broken at 3-3, it was essentially over. There wasn't much fight, in truth. Midway in the second set, as errors mounted, Djokovic was rushing between points and looking as though he wanted to get off the court as soon as possible. The classy Ferrer, who beat a world No. 1 for the third time (Andre Agassi, Nadal and now Djokovic), obliged, not getting tight.

The stats demonstrate how far Djokovic is off his game. Entering the match as the second-best returner of first serves, having registered 36 percent of points won, he won a meager 14 percent against Ferrer. Ferrer might have had a little more pop on the serve, but he's not known as a massive server. Never has been.

Djokovic leads the tour in winning 58 percent of points on opponents' second serve; the figure against Ferrer finished at 31. Although he cleaned up behind his own first serve in the first two games (going 9-for-9), that number subsequently dropped.

Thankfully for Djokovic, he still has a good opportunity to advance to the final four. Such is the nature of round-robin tennis. But if he produces another shoddy display, fellow Serb Janko Tipsarevic is sure to take advantage Friday.

"If I don't play at least 50 percent better than I did tonight, I don't think I'll have any chance," Djokovic said. "You always hope that tomorrow will bring something better. That's the way I'm thinking now."

Time for Djokovic to stand tall, indeed.

LONDON -- Peter Gabriel was in the house at the O2 Arena on Monday, but there was no "sledgehammer" in sight.

The mammoth serves were missing between Andy Murray and David Ferrer, and, on a slow hard court with two of the game's best movers, it made for extended windshield-wiper rallies. Hitting winners was as tough as finding a seat on London's Tube at rush hour.

The outcome on Day 2 of the World Tour Finals was tough on Murray, who suffered a 6-4, 7-5 loss as Group A commenced. The tournament thus had its first upset after behemoths Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal escaped in three sets Sunday. As much of a bulldog as Ferrer is, he had lost all five of his previous encounters on hard courts and 11 of 12 sets against the newly turned world No. 3.

Murray, all of a sudden, has dropped two in a row after winning 17 straight. Not that Federer was overly impressed with the winning streak. "I'm not taking anything away from what he did, but was Asia the strongest this year?" Federer said. "I'm not sure. Novak Djokovic and I were not there, and Rafa Nadal lost early in Shanghai."

Federer, as if to rub it in, also appeared on court afterward to collect yet more awards, the fans' favorite and sportsmanship.

Ferrer and Tomas Berdych to advance from the group, anyone?

Even if Murray were hurt -- he took a medical time out following the first set for a groin injury and doesn't know if he'll be able to play his two remaining matches -- you can envisage the headlines in some of the newspapers Tuesday in these parts. "Murray bottles it" or "Not so dandy Andy" would be two tamer versions. In England, he'll go from being called British to Scottish.

Murray often clutches at parts of his body when things aren't going well, but his irritability early in the first set -- more than his usual -- seemed to suggest something was amiss. He jawed at his camp, struck himself on the thigh with his racket and broke out in sarcastic smiles. He was making progress in that respect.

"I'll decide tomorrow whether or not I keep playing," he said in his news conference.

Some of the numbers also baffled.

When was the last time Murray made 24 unforced errors in a set, as he did in the first? He makes the other guy miss. Not so unusual was Murray's overall first-serve percentage of 44. Against a returner of Ferrer's quality, it had to be higher.

Murray was passive, allowing Ferrer to dictate throughout. In the opening stages, the most aggression he showed came, ironically, in the form of drop shots. Ferrer moved Murray around with his favored inside-out forehand. Still, Murray led by a break in both sets.

"I think maybe he had a little bit problems, but not too many strong problems, no, because he can play all the match," Ferrer said.

Murray can at least take solace in the fact that he won two highlight-reel worthy points, sending a backhand pass past Ferrer after he scrambled to stay in a rally and crunching a cross-court forehand midway in the first. It wasn't of Federer quality, but Murray additionally executed a 'tweener in the second set.

Murray, picked by many to win the tournament, now faces a struggle simply to get fit for Wednesday, a sledgehammer-like blow.

On Tuesday, the draw was made for the eagerly anticipated year-end championships in London. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych and Andy Roddick landed in Group A, while Roger Federer, Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and David Ferrer surfaced in Group B.

Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray to make the semifinals, you say? Perhaps not.

ESPN.com breaks down the field:

Group A

Rafael Nadal
Previous appearances: 3
2010 Slam results (chronological order): QF, W, W, W
Record versus group: 28-13

Outlook: Nadal needs matches to hit form -- it's been evident throughout his career. So not playing for a month heading into London, where the best in the world await, wasn't in the script. How will shoulder tendinitis affect the world No. 1? If he's unable to manufacture free points on serve, the kind he produced at the U.S. Open, things become tougher competing in his least preferred setting (indoors on a hard court).

Novak Djokovic
Previous appearances: 3
2010 Slam results: QF, QF, SF, F
Record versus group: 12-21

Outlook: This tournament is huge, yes, but Djokovic would rather win the Davis Cup final. That's a no-brainer. His Serbia hosts France five days after the London finale, with Djokovic the main man for the home team. Djokovic probably won't be overexerting himself in London, even if he is playing in a best-of-three format and has days off between matches.

Tomas Berdych
Previous appearances: 0
2010 Slam results: 2nd, SF, F, 1st
Record versus group: 6-17

Outlook: As the lone debutante, Berdych has no pressure. Maybe he'll wake up. The Czech baseliner with effortless power is riding a massive slump, going 3-9 in his past 12. At the Paris Masters last week, Berdych went from looking great in the first set to dreadful by the end of it against Nikolay Davydenko.

Andy Roddick
Previous appearances: 5
2010 Slam results: QF, 3rd, 4th, 2nd
Record versus group: 14-9

Outlook: Roddick didn't have the season he wanted. Thanks in large part to a bout of mono, he reached one Grand Slam quarterfinal. However, Roddick finished the regular season on a high, landing the final spot in London. He will have the fans on his side, possesses a good record against Djokovic and Berdych, and downed Nadal in their last meeting.

Group prediction: Nadal, Roddick to advance.

Group B

Roger Federer
Previous appearances: 8
2010 Slam results: W, QF, QF, SF
Record versus group: 29-9

Outlook: Sometimes banged up this time of the year, Federer says he feels good. Mentally, though, will any part of the Swiss be thinking about Paris, where he blew five match points against Gael Monfils? It was the fourth time Federer held match points in 2010, only to lose. Federer has owned Soderling since the French Open, never loses to Ferrer and beat Murray in London in 2009.

Robin Soderling
Previous appearances: 1
2010 Slam results: 1st, F, QF, QF
Record versus group: 12-19

Outlook: Soderling needed the title in Paris. He had dipped mightily since falling to Nadal in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, unable to defeat foes he should have and twice getting pummeled by Federer. Soderling toughed it out in Paris, battling illness in his opener, rallying from 5-1 down in the third round and saving match points in the semifinal.

Andy Murray
Previous appearances: 2
2010 Slam results: F, 4th, SF, 3rd
Record versus group: 11-10

Outlook: Murray has disappointed in 2010. The Scot couldn't raise his game in the Australian Open final and Wimbledon semifinal, then succumbed early to the still-mentally suspect Stanislas Wawrinka at the U.S. Open. Injury or no injury, call it a sizable upset. Unlike Berdych, Murray might be feeling the pressure because he's playing at home (sort of).

David Ferrer
Previous appearances: 1
2010 Slam results: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th
Record versus group: 6-20

Outlook: Ferrer has done a nice job climbing the rankings when most thought his better days were long gone. Although he's the solitary attendee to miss out on a Grand Slam quarterfinal this campaign, the relentless Spaniard won two titles, reached five finals and tallied 60 victories, usurped only by Nadal. Ferrer sports a winning record against Murray and is 2-1 in his past three against Soderling. Against the odds, Ferrer progressed to the tournament final in 2007.

Group prediction: Federer, Soderling to advance.

Semifinals: Federer def. Roddick, Soderling def. Nadal.

Final: Federer def. Soderling.

Five down, three to go.

With Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Robin Soderling guaranteed spots at the year-end championships in London, attention shifts to the final three places up for grabs.

Six players remain in the hunt heading into this week's Paris Masters, the last stop of the regular season.

ESPN.com breaks down the contenders:

Outside looking in

Jurgen Melzer

Standings: 11th; 2,605 points

Outlook: Melzer has already booked his ticket to London -- he's assured a spot in the doubles year-end championships after winning Wimbledon with Philipp Petzschner. But the gifted Austrian lefty needs a minor miracle to become the first man since Spaniard Emilio Sanchez in 1990 to compete in both singles and doubles.

Melzer, who can't finish higher than eighth, must win the title in Paris (1,000 points) and hope others stumble badly. An elbow injury that forced him to withdraw from Basel last week and a tough draw -- he could face the surging David Ferrer in the third round -- won't help.

Mikhail Youzhny

Standings: 10th; 2,910 points

Outlook: Illness and injury hit the highly watchable Russian at the wrong time. Youzhny pulled out of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow with a virus, and after a punishing week in St. Petersburg, where he lost in the final, a back injury led to his omission from the Valencia Open.

Youzhny has to reach the final in Paris, at least. If he does get there, and if Andy Roddick drops his opener and Fernando Verdasco fails to surpass the third round, Youzhny is in.

His first opponent in Paris, Ernests Gulbis, is tricky.

Fernando Verdasco

Standings: 9th; 3,150 points

Outlook: Given his form, Verdasco's prospects aren't good. The Spanish lefty is 1-5 in his past six, snapping a four-match losing streak in Valencia last week only to get pummeled by a resurgent Gilles Simon in the second round.

However, one final push might be enough to secure a berth in London for the second straight year. If Verdasco is unable to reach the semifinals, he's eliminated. Even if he's still around Saturday, Verdasco needs other results to go his way.

Verdasco's quarter of the draw includes Andy Murray and Frenchman Gael Monfils, particularly difficult at home (although the Davis Cup final might be on his mind).

Looking good

Andy Roddick

Standings: 8th; 3,485 points

Outlook: Roddick missed last year's championships due to a knee injury. When the five-time Grand Slam finalist was forced to retire from the Shanghai Masters because of a bum leg, his chances of competing this November didn't appear great, either.

But Roddick ensured he was ready for Basel, picking up a valuable 180 points despite a straight-sets loss to Federer in the semifinals.

If Roddick prevails in his opener against in-form Finn Jarkko Nieminen, the American could knock out Youzhny in a potential third-round clash. And if Roddick makes the quarterfinals, Melzer is eliminated from the year-enders, irrespective of his results.

David Ferrer

Standings: 7th; 3,645 points

Outlook: Ferrer hasn't done much in the Slams this year, failing to reach a single quarterfinal. However, fine results on clay, a solid display during the Asian swing and last week's victory in Valencia mean the tenacious Spaniard can start lining up his dinner reservations in London.

He can't be caught by Melzer. In the unlikely event that Ferrer loses his opener to Italian clay-court specialist Fabio Fognini, the only way Ferrer can't reach London is if Youzhny wins the title or Verdasco reaches the final.

Tomas Berdych

Standings: 6th; 3,665 points

Outlook: It's a good thing Berdych racked up most of his points prior to the U.S. Open Series. The Wimbledon finalist is in a major slump, triumphing in only three of his past 12 matches.

Like Ferrer, though, the tall Czech baseliner is realistically safe -- Youzhny must win the title or Verdasco has to reach the final, just to start. That doesn't take into account Berdych's own performance.

Berdych begins with Frenchman Florent Serra, who has troubled some of the big boys in the past.

In some ways, the French Open was predictable: Rafael Nadal won the whole thing. In other ways, it was far from it. Roger Federer lost sooner than expected, the Queen of Clay stuttered, and a scrappy Italian with a big smile made history.

What did we learn from the tournament? Here are seven things from the seven rounds:

First round: Gasquet is the lead in Groundhog Day

Where have we seen this before -- Richard Gasquet blowing a two-set lead at a Grand Slam? Was it at this year's Australian Open, last year's Australian Open or Wimbledon 2008.

Wait, it was all of the above.

Not content with squandering advantages against Mikhail Youzhny, Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Murray, respectively -- an admittedly talented trio -- Gasquet buckled again versus the Scot.

The tormented Frenchman claimed he had nothing left in the tank for the final 2½ sets against Murray after playing a long three-set final in the French Riviera two days earlier. He took a pop at organizers for not giving him an extra day to recover, although he seemed to forget they did him a favor by sticking him on Court Suzanne Lenglen, away from the Center Court cauldron. (Gasquet can't handle the pressure of playing at Roland Garros.)

Murray, rightfully, questioned why Gasquet chose to compete at a tournament a week before the French if he wasn't prepared for the quick turnaround.

Gasquet always has an excuse. He'll never change, and more importantly from a tennis perspective, never reach a Grand Slam final.

Second round: They don't need lights

Who needs lights at the French Open when darkness will do?

In what is believed to be the latest finish in tournament history, Gael Monfils and Italian clay-court specialist Fabio Fognini were finally hauled off Philippe Chatrier at 9:55 p.m. local time on the opening Wednesday. Adding to the drama, it was 5-5 in the fifth set.

"In my 30 years of tennis -- watching qualifiers, Grand Slams, whatever -- I've never seen a match played in that kind of darkness," said ESPN analyst Darren Cahill.

Fognini drew the ire of the crowd -- or what remained of it -- for wanting to stop roughly 25 minutes earlier, at 4-4. Chair umpire Carlos Bernardes finally got fed up of his stalling tactics and hit him with a point penalty. When they returned the next day, Fognini had the last laugh, prevailing 9-7.

The saga overshadowed Monfils' poor play. Like countryman Gasquet, he blew a two-set-and-break lead. Monfils played ultra-conservatively from the baseline, content to soak up pressure instead of taking the initiative.

Third round: Rome is one thing, a Slam is another

Who was the second-hottest player on clay this season? David Ferrer.

Besides winning a title and reaching another final on the Latin American clay-court swing, Ferrer got to the semis in Madrid, Barcelona and Monte Carlo, and went one step further in Rome. His draw in Paris suggested a quarterfinal showing, at worst.

Ferrer came unglued against the unlikeliest of opponents, Jurgen Melzer, and in straight sets. Melzer has always had the talent to trouble the elite, but between the ears has been a problem.

Boosted, Melzer finally reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, rallying from two sets down against the slumping Novak Djokovic. He went out (as usual) swinging against Nadal in the semis.

Fourth round: Henin isn't the old Henin

This was supposed to be Justine Henin's Slam, since she had won 21 straight matches at Roland Garros.

But Henin hasn't fully mastered the art of the comeback, unlike fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters. Henin looked nervy in a three-set defeat to eventual finalist Samantha Stosur.

"When you come back at this level after two years off, you know it's not going to be easy to deal with a lot of situations, and that means I still have to work harder and see it as a big challenge," Henin said. "I took this year as a year of transition, so of course it's hard, but in another way it seems a bit normal."

The seven-time Grand Slam champion continues to glance at Carlos Rodriguez incessantly between points, he continues to coach from the stands, and against Stosur, Henin annoyingly uttered "allez" after "allez" when her opponent missed.

Wasn't Henin supposed to have matured on court?

Quarters: Every streak must end

Among Federer's numerous achievements, reaching 23 straight Grand Slam semifinals is up there. The streak, realistically, had to end sometime, and it was most likely to transpire in Paris.

A year after being toyed with in a French Open final that completed Federer's Grand Slam collection, Robin Soderling ended his 0-for-12 skid against the Swiss by winning in four riveting sets. The slow, heavy conditions hurt Federer.

That said, Federer was flawless in the opening set, hitting 16 winners and only three unforced errors. Soderling's serve picked up, he saved a set point in the third with an outrageous backhand smash -- impressive enough was Federer forcing him to play a shot -- and overturned a 40-15 deficit to break at 5-5 in the third. Not a bad way for Soderling to follow up his 2009 upset of Nadal.

At least the quarterfinal streak remains, as Federer pointed out.

"I really felt like my tennis was good enough to come here and do it again, but that wasn't the case today," Federer said.

Given he'll be nearly 30 next year at this time, the odds are against Federer reaching another French Open final.

Semis: Elena just isn't meant to win one

In the women's game, Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina are the two best active players never to have won a major. Although there's still hope for Safina (so long as she gets healthy), the same can't be said of Dementieva.

The French draw opened up nicely for the Russian. And despite being hampered by a calf injury, she managed to reach the final four. That was where the road ended.

Dementieva, almost in tears on court as the pain escalated, retired trailing Italy's Francesca Schiavone 7-6.

She's 0-6 in her last six Grand Slam semifinals.

"I really wanted to go and play, and even with the pain, I was waking up every morning and couldn't really make a first step," Dementieva said. "It was that painful. But I really wanted to play because it's a very special tournament for me. So I was pushing myself very hard to go through the pain. I couldn't do any better."

We all know what happened in the final. Schiavone's smart, flawless and beautiful tennis made her one of the sport's unlikeliest Grand Slam champions.

Final: Rafa is back

There were times during the French Open when Nadal didn't seem invincible. He looked ragged against Lleyton Hewitt, down a break early, did just enough in each set to top fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, and bizarrely blew a 5-3, 30-0 advantage in the third set against Melzer. Eventually taken to a tiebreak, Nadal almost let that slip.

Given the way Soderling was crushing the ball -- and taking into account last year's eye-popping result -- more than a few were expecting a tight affair in the finale.

It didn't happen. Nadal played some of the best defense of his career, transitioned from defense to offense wonderfully and bested Soderling mentally to win a fifth French Open crown.

"He is very difficult to play against," Nadal said of Soderling, "because he has a big serve, very flat shots, very good shots from both sides, and is very difficult to control. Today I felt great physically. I felt perfect mentally, too."

Nadal didn't drop a set.

In this form, he's the favorite at Wimbledon.

4. Who are the dark horses?

Given that Rafael Nadal is the overwhelming favorite to win the French Open, and Roger Federer is hands down the distant second favorite, any dark horses are more like dark, dark, dark horses. Before Rafa came along, the French Open was easily the most wide-open major.

There are a few dark horses out there, however, and two are fellow Spaniards. David Ferrer is enjoying a renaissance. Ferrer leads the circuit in clay-court victories this season, transferring his success from the Latin American swing to European dirt. Still one of the game's best returners, the aggressive baseliner with the wicked inside-out forehand is on the verge of returning to the top 10 following a two-year absence, which is impressive since he's one of the tour veterans at 28. How can you not like this attitude? Although Rafa sends a message to foes by sprinting to his side of the court as a match begins, Ferrer's boxer-like skip returning serve is pretty menacing. Ferrer showed his heart, again, in saving a match point with a gutsy stretch volley against Marcos Baghdatis in Madrid.

Nicolas Almagro accomplished a rare feat by taking a set off Rafa on clay this spring. Long an underachiever, Almagro possesses a huge serve and rips the ball from both sides. Negatives? There are a few: Almagro's court coverage isn't great, his return of serve on the second serve is predictable (more so on the backhand), and, crucially, unlike Ferrer, he remains shaky between the ears. Prior to Madrid, Almagro was having a dismal clay-court campaign. Reaching the semifinals or losing in the first round wouldn't be a surprise.

A tired John Isner managed to test Rafa in Madrid, and the baby-faced giant from North Carolina is growing in confidence with every tournament, clay included. Ernests Gulbis has matured under the guidance of coach Hernan Gumy (who has experience with jilted geniuses).

Santiago Giraldo might not even reach the second week, but the Colombian newcomer is a Nikolay Davydenko clone, taking the ball on the rise and hitting ultra flat. You won't see many better clay-court performances than Giraldo's against a rejuvenated Juan Carlos Ferrero in Rome. He was unlucky not to beat Isner in Madrid.

On the women's side, Madrid winner Aravane Rezai deserves more attention than first thought. (See question No. 10.) No one, perhaps, hits harder in the women's game than the Frenchwoman, as Jelena Jankovic can vouch for. Rezai's ball-striking against Jankovic in the Madrid quarterfinals wouldn't have looked out of place in the men's game. Spanish late-bloomer Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, whose style is completely different to Rezai's, won in Rome, although she got a fatigued Jankovic in the finale.