Scouting Report: ATP Stars Converge On Shanghai

Oct092016

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week on the ATP World Tour

Shanghai Rolex Masters (Shanghai): The eighth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament of the season features a star-studded field, including 17 of the Top 20 in the Emirates ATP Race To London. This is the eighth year of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament at the Qizhong Tennis Center, which was the site of the Tennis Masters Cup from 2005-08. World No. 1 and three-time champion (2012-13, 2015) Novak Djokovic and 2010-11 titleholder Andy Murray are the former champions. There are five finalists in the field: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2015), Gilles Simon (2014), Juan Martin del Potro (2013), David Ferrer (2011) and Rafael Nadal (2009). Murray was also runner-up in 2012.

Emirates ATP Race To London: There are valuable Emirates ATP Race To London points at stake and players will add to their total for each round reached. Players with a bye and a loss in their opening match (2R) will receive 10 points. Here is the rest of the breakdown: first round (10), second round (45), third round (90), quarter-finals (180), semi-finals (360), finalist (600), winner (1000). Seventeen of the Top 20 players are the draw. The three missing are Kei Nishikori, Dominic Thiem and Roger Federer. Here is the updated Top 20 Emirates ATP Race To London going into finals in Beijing and Tokyo on Sunday:

Position	Player	Points
1	Novak Djokovic	10,240
2	Andy Murray	8,685
3	Stan Wawrinka	4,970
4	Milos Raonic	4,600
5	Kei Nishikori	4,360
6	Gael Monfils	3,535
7	Rafael Nadal	3,290
8	Dominic Thiem	3,205
9	Tomas Berdych	2,870
10	Marin Cilic	2,580
11	David Goffin	2,465
12	Nick Kyrgios	2,415
13	Roger Federer	2,130
14	Lucas Pouille	2,016
15	Grigor Dimitrov	1,900
16	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga	1,890
17	Roberto Bautista Agut	1,740
18	Pablo Cuevas	1,680
19	David Ferrer	1,630
20	Alexander Zverev	1,565

2016 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Finals: The Big Four have accounted for six of the seven ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles this season, with Djokovic leading the way with four crowns and Murray and Nadal with one. Here is a look at this year’s finals:

Masters 1000	Final	Score
Indian Wells	Novak Djokovic d. Milos Raonic	6-2, 6-0
Miami	Novak Djokovic d. Kei Nishikori	6-3, 6-3
Monte-Carlo	Rafael Nadal d. Gael Monfils	7-5, 5-7, 6-0
Madrid	Novak Djokovic d. Andy Murray	6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Rome	Andy Murray d. Novak Djokovic	6-3, 6-3
Toronto	Novak Djokovic d. Kei Nishikori	6-3, 7-5
Cincinnati	Marin Cilic d. Andy Murray	6-4, 7-5

2016 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Wins Leaders: Here is a look at this year’s ATP World Tour Masters 1000 match wins leaders:

Player	W-L
Novak Djokovic	26-2
Milos Raonic	20-7
Kei Nishikori	19-6
Andy Murray	18-5
Gael Monfils	18-6

Big Four Dominance: The Big Four of Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Nadal have won 54 of the past 59 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments, which dates back to Nadal’s triumph at Monte-Carlo in 2010. The only other players to emerge with an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title are Robin Soderling (2010 Paris), David Ferrer (2011 Paris), Stan Wawrinka (2014 Monte-Carlo), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2014 Toronto) and Marin Cilic (2016 Cincinnati). Here is a breakdown of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles won during that time: Djokovic (25), Nadal (13), Federer (eight) and Murray (eight).

World No. 1/Top Seed: World No. 1 and three-time champion Djokovic is making his seventh Shanghai appearance in eight years (except ’11), and he comes in with a 24-3 career record. The reigning champion is the top seed in Shanghai for the fourth straight year. He’s won 18 of his past 19 matches in Shanghai with his only loss coming to Federer in the semi-finals in 2014. Djokovic has compiled a 56-6 match record (38-3 on hard) this season. He’s also won an ATP World Tour-best seven titles, including crowns at the Australian Open and Roland Garros and at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Toronto. Monday will mark the 220th week overall he has been ranked No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, which is fifth most since 23 August 1973. Djokovic has held No. 1 every week since 7 July 2014, a streak of 119 consecutive weeks. He is trying to finish No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the third straight year and fifth time in six years (except ’13).

Novak Dominates in China: Djokovic comes into Shanghai having won 38 of his past 39 matches in China. He’s won six titles in Beijing, 2009-10 and 2012-15. Djokovic captured the Shanghai crown in 2012-13 and 2015. His 28-match winning streak in China ended in 2014 when he lost to Federer in the semi-finals in Shanghai. Overall, Djokovic has won 10 career titles in China (six in Beijing, four in Shanghai, including the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup). He has never lost at the China Open in Beijing (29-0) and is 24-3 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters (since 2009). He also went 4-4 at the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai in 2007-08, winning the title in 2008. Djokovic has never lost in a final in China (10-0).

Del Potro Returns: The leading candidate for ATP Comeback Player of the Year, Juan Martin del Potro, makes his return to Shanghai for the first time since reaching the final in 2013 (l. to Djokovic in three sets). The 28-year-old Argentine has compiled a 23-13 match record this season and climbed to No. 64 in the Emirates ATP Rankings after reaching the quarter-finals at the US Open (l. to eventual champion Wawrinka). He is No. 66 as of 3 Oct. Prior to that, he earned a silver medal at the Rio Olympics (d. No. 1 Djokovic in 1R, No. 5 Nadal in SF, l. to Murray in four sets). He also helped his country to the Davis Cup final by beating No. 2 Murray in a five-set marathon in the semi-finals last month. The former World No. 4 was ranked as low as No. 1,045 on 8 Feb.

Top 10 Doubles Teams: Seven of the Top 10 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings are in the draw, led by top seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who are the No. 2 team behind Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. Here are the Top 10 ranked teams entered in Shanghai:

2) Jamie Murray/Bruno Soares

3) Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan

5) Feliciano Lopez/Marc Lopez

6) Raven Klaasen/Rajeev Ram

7) Treat Huey/Max Mirnyi

8) Henri Kontinen/John Peers

10) Oliver Marach/Fabrice Martin

ICYMI

Andy Murray joined the “40 Titles Club” in Beijing. Read

#NextGen star Nick Kyrgios won the biggest title of his career. Read

London is calling Milos Raonic. Read

Spaniards captured the China Open doubles crown. Read