Nadal v Ferrer, Wawrinka’s backhand and the five highlights of Mubadala Championship

Feliciano Lopez was a late replacement for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and proved a great addition, winning his won match against Kevin Anderson. Ali Haider / EPA

Osman Samiuddin looks back at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship and picks his five highlights from this year’s event.

Best sight

You could argue there is no better sight in tennis than Stan Wawrinka’s single-handed backhand. He may have lost both his matches here but on Saturday, against David Ferrer he hit three backhands in a row (in one rally) to both corners of the court. Each one deserved a tournament win, not just a point.

Best shot

Milos Raonic is such a big server that even his second serve is quicker than most. In Saturday’s final, he hit one at 156km/h, getting it to kick and bounce high to Nadal’s forehand. Nadal misjudged the line a touch, but as casually as swatting away a fly, slapped back a forehand winner while in mid-air … at 158km/h.

Round-up: Nadal tames the Raonic serve to win title, '5-2 curse' strikes again for Wawrinka

Best match

For much of Friday’s semi-final between David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal, it was difficult to tell that they were playing in a season-starting, exhibition event. It was a ferocious, three-set tussle, full of long, lung-busting rallies. Nadal edged it, but afterwards acknowledged it’s quality, saying it felt like a match played midway through the season. It was one of the tournament’s longest ever contests.

Best quote

“No I have enough personality to do it when I feel ready for it.” Four of his countrymen, all in the upper reaches of the men’s circuit, got married in 2015 but Nadal is clearly not one for following the herd. He has been with his current partner (Maria Francisca Perello) for 11 years now, which is, if you think about it, as good as married.

Best replacement

Given his record at Mubadala and that forearm niggle, perhaps it was for the best that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did not play his 5-6th position play-off on Friday. In his stead came Feliciano Lopez, the 34-year old Spaniard whom Judy Murray, mother of Andy, calls ‘Deliciano’. He was good value too, an entertaining 7-6 7-6 win over Kevin Anderson equalling Tsonga’s total wins here in his last four visits.

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