Shanghai Rolex Masters
All the big names assemble again as the season enters it’s finale. Roger Federer returns to action after a three-week break, looking to win his 23rd ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown.
Rafael Nadal slowly coming back from injury last week in Beijing, looks to win the elusive Shanghai crown for the first time, while Andy Murray will chase valuable points in Shanghai. The Scot has a strong record here, winning the title in 2010-11.
Tennis in China is exploding and with Li Na retiring, they are looking to their men for future stars. Wildcards are awarded to the Chinese players Di Wu, Ze Zhang, Chuhan Wang and Argentine Juan Monaco.
Let’s break it down:
ATP Level: 1000
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Defending Champion: Novak Djokovic – Djokovic is chasing his 20th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title coming off an unbeaten run of 12 matches.
Nasty Floater: Richard Gasquet – Not seeded and could face Berdych in the 2nd round who he beat recently at Davis Cup
Up and Coming: Dominic ‘The Dominator’ Thiem – Showed what he could do at the US Open and could face Djokovic in the 2nd round.
Slumping: David ‘The Wall’ Ferrer – Are all the miles catching up with him? Recent losses to Granollers, Simon and Troicki have been unusual.
On Fire: Tomas Berdych – The BerdMan is hitting form at the right time chasing berth in London.
My pick: Novak Djokovic – Looks to be on another tear on the hard courts.
Did You Know? In its first three years in 2009-2011, Shanghai was awarded ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Tournament of the Year
Watch: Shanghai Uncovered
Thanks for reading and check back next week for more picks and amusement!
