Novak Djokovic has seemed like a man often having an argument with himself since he was unexpectedly knocked out in the third round of Wimbledon in July. Once an uncomplicated, all-business competitor, a less motivated, more philosophical Djokovic has emerged in recent months.Signs of this tension in Djokovic were on display Tuesday evening at the ATP World Tour Finals in Londons O2 arena in what was the closest thing he has ever had to a must-win round-robin match. The familiar, fierce competitor ultimately prevailed as Djokovic punched through to the semifinals with a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5) win against Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, against whom he is now 9-0.But it wasnt without signs of his ongoing interior struggle.If I had to pick one thing [to explain why I won], I would say it was my just hanging in there mentally, waiting for my opportunity to come, Djokovic said in his on-court interview after the match. Milos was playing very well. It was a very close match, just a few points separated us.True, but ...How often did the dominant Djokovic of recent memory allow an opponent who has never beaten him reach set point after Djokovic had forged ahead by a break?There were dangerous lapses against Raonic, who is capable of taking an opponents racket out of his hand with the sheer efficiency of his monstrous serve. Just as significant, Raonic led by a mini-break in each of the tiebreakers. His wounds from that point on were largely self-inflicted. Put them down to an understandable lack of confidence in key moments.Djokovic has probably dallied in like fashion before, but rarely at this event and in this venue, where he has routinely been at his zenith. He has won 20 of his past 21 matches at the O2 and captured the title four years in a row.All that raises a question: Why would anyone mindful of Djokovics 23-0 record against the other three men in his group call this round-robin engagement a must-win match?For one, Djokovic was recently stripped of his No. 1 ranking by Andy Murray. If Djokovic hopes to get it back and finish the year ranked No. 1, he will need to win one more match than Murray. Murray won his opener and plays Kei Nishikori on Wednesday (9 a.m. ET on ESPN3).?Heres another reason: Despite that 0-9 record against Djokovic, Raonic might be the best player who has yet to win a major. Hes hungry, dedicated and on the cusp of a breakthrough prefigured when he eliminated Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semifinals.But perhaps most important, Djokovic is under pressure to show hes not at war with himself. His identity as a hard-edged tennis champion is in conflict with self-absorbed concerns about his evolution as a person and the peace-and-love philosophy espoused by his Svengali-like adviser, Pepe Imaz.Things have gotten complicated for Djokovic in recent months. His nerves have showed signs of fraying. He has had a year that qualifies as spectacular, with two Grand Slam titles and a career Grand Slam in the books, yet his struggles after Wimbledon have been conspicuous.If he wins this event for a fifth consecutive time and retakes the top ranking, the losses in his past four outings will pale in significance. The crushing defeats inflicted by Juan Martin del Potro in the Olympic Games and Stan Wawrinka in the US Open final will be put down to his minor injuries.It was a very close match, Djokovic told reporters after beating Raonic. It really could have gone either way.It was a close match against Raonic, one that could have gone either way. 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PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif. -- The days appear numbered for the Stone Fort, a venerable edifice that was illegally erected decades ago by a group of surfers and became a beachhead in their ongoing war to keep outsiders away from some of the best waves in Southern California.Under pressure from the California Coastal Commission, the City Council in tony Palos Verdes Estates voted unanimously Tuesday to have the concrete-and-stone structure torn down.A public hearing is scheduled in September to discuss how to do it, but the city manager in the seaside community of multimillion-dollar homes and priceless views says jackhammers are the likely solution.The impressive structure is made of rock walls and sits on the beach just above the tide line at the base of towering cliffs. Its amenities include a table, bench, fire pit, shaded patio and a place to store boards and kayaks.Critics have claimed in a lawsuit that a murky group of local surfers known as the Lunada Bay Boys use it an observation point to spy on arriving outsiders then harass them when they reach the shore.The lawsuit indicates most members of the Bay Boys are middle-aged men and longtime residents of Palos Verdes Estates. Members, however, make a point of not advertising their affiliation in public or on T-shirts or surf gear.Many residents deny the group exists at all, and no one identified themselves as a Bay Boy at the council meeting.Surfer Magazine recently listed the Lunada Bay beach as one of five places to avoid -- no matter how good the waves break.To get there youll have to duck rocks chucked by the Bay Boys, the magazine said while mocking the wealthy locals. And your car windows will get waxed. And your tires might get slashed. Youll endure chest-thumping and lip-quivering threats shouted froom the beach shack the Boys inhabit near the shore.ddddddddddddhile calling for the removal of the fort, council members cited liability issues, including concerns that an outsider might fall from one of the fairly treacherous pathways to the breakwater while toting a board.But the fact is that the Stone Fort has been under assault for months by an increasingly agitated group of outsiders who say the Bay Boys use it as a staging area to keep others off the beach and away from the primo waves.The class-action lawsuit filed against the city and several residents in March by a pair of outsiders describes the Bay Boys as more thugs than surfers. It accuses them of running out-of-towners over with their boards in the water and even taking their wallets, wetsuits and surfboards.Police say the fort is almost always deserted by the time officers respond to complaints about the treatment.The Coastal Commission, noting the structure was built without a permit, told the city to either remove it or apply for a permit with the promise of ending the harassment and providing better access to the beach.Locals say waves along the beach can be spectacular but only occur about 30 days a year in the winter. When the surf is up, everyone wants to be there and thats when the Bay Boys get busy.They tend to be aggressive in keeping other surfers out or intimidating people who look like they are going to surf, 15-year resident Cliff Filepe said as he walked his dogs along the bluffs, noting that he has never been bothered by the group.I dont know that they bother anybody who just wants to stand around here, but they consider the surfing their territory, he said. ' ' '