A LOOK BACK

Latrobe City Traralgon Challenger (Traralgon, Australia): Top seed Jordan Thompson enjoyed the taste of victory on home soil in Traralgon, lifting his fourth ATP Challenger Tour trophy of the year. Thompson downed Grega Zemlja 6-1, 6-2 in 65 minutes, firing seven aces and converting five of 15 break points. The Aussie extends his win streak to 10 straight, following a title run in Ho Chi Minh City two weeks ago. He is one of four players to win four or more titles this year, joining Facundo Bagnis (5), Gerald Melzer (4) and Yen-Hsun Lu (4). 

“It feels great,” said Thompson. “I always love playing in Australia. It’s good to make the final, like I did last year, but to go one better is great. I’m playing well and winning two in a row is an awesome feeling. Going back-to-back in two different countries doesn’t come often.” 

WHB Hungarian Open (Budapest, Hungary): Unseeded Romanian Marius Copil dominated at the inaugural event in Budapest, not dropping a set en route to the title. The Tecnifibre player defeated fourth seed Steve Darcis 6-4, 6-2 in Sunday’s final, claiming his third ATP Challenger Tour title and first since 2013. Challenger tennis returned to the Hungarian capital for the first time since 2005 and will make its ATP World Tour debut next year on red clay.

Lima Challenger Copa Claro (Lima, Peru): It has been three years since a 16-year-old Christian Garin burst onto the scene in winning his first ATP World Tour match in Vina del Mar and claiming the Roland Garros junior title a few months later. Fast forward to 2016 and the Chilean is just outside the Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings after claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Lima, Peru. Garin defeated Guido Andreozzi 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) on Sunday, having not dropped a set all week entering the final. He joins Gonzalo Lama as Chilean winners on the Challenger circuit this year.

Andreozzi represented the 25th Argentine finalist (17-8 record) on the ATP Challenger Tour this year.

Argentine Dominance Of The South American Swing

KPIT-MSLTA Challenger (Pune, India): World No. 359 Sadio Doumbia completed one of the more improbable title runs of the year, claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Pune on Saturday. The Frenchman defeated four seeded opponents, including a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback over eighth seed Prajnesh Gunneswaran for the championship. It was the first final this year to feature players outside the Top 300 of the Emirates ATP Rankings.

The 26-year-old Doumbia is the ninth different Frenchman to win a title this year, impressively rallied from a set down in four of his five matches. His first career Top 200 victory came in defeating top seed Evgeny Donskoy in the quarter-finals.

China International Suzhou (Suzhou, China): Top seed Yen-Hsun Lu dominated the final at the $75,000 event in Suzhou, streaking past #NextGen star Stefan Kozlov 6-0, 6-1 in 52 minutes. It was the fewest games in a completed ATP Challenger Tour final this year. Lu extended his record title haul with his 26th crown, winning his second in as many weeks. Kozlov was appearing in his third Challenger final and remains in search of his maiden title. He will break into the Top 150 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time.

A LOOK AHEAD

There are four tournaments on four continents next week, with defending champion Gastao Elias the top seed in Guayaquil, Ecuador, reigning champ and #NextGen star Noah Rubin competing in Charlottesville, U.S.A., Jordan Thompson seeking a third straight Challenger title at the Canberra Tennis International, and home hope Florian Mayer leading a strong field in Eckental, Germany. 

Murray Eyes No. 1: Andy Murray comes into Paris on a 15-match winning streak after winning consecutive titles in Beijing and ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai and in Vienna on Sunday. During the streak Murray has won 28 of 30 sets played. His seven titles this season is a career-best and he’s co-leader (w/Djokovic) on the ATP World Tour. Murray is trying to catch Novak Djokovic and reach No. 1 for the first time. 

The Brit trails Djokovic by only 415 points in the Emirates ATP Race To London and will become No. 1 if he wins the title and Djokovic does not reach the final. He can also move ahead by making the final if Djokovic does not clear the quarter-finals.

And while attention is on Murray’s quest to rise to No. 1 for the first time, Djokovic this week could clinch the coveted year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Ranking for the third consecutive year and fifth time overall. Djokovic would lock that up if he wins the Paris title and Murray does not reach the semi-finals.

The 29-year-old Brit enters Paris with a 69-9 match record on the season (39-6 on hard) and a 7-4 record in finals. He began the first four months of the year with a 13-4 match record and since May he has compiled a 56-5 mark, including a career-best 22-match winning streak. He’s also won titles at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome, London/Queen’s Club, Wimbledon and a second Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Along the way, he reached a personal-best seven finals in a row and the streak ended with a quarter-final loss to Nishikori at the US Open.

Last Stop Before London: The final tournament of the regular season on the ATP World Tour takes place in Bercy with the BNP Paribas Masters. Seven players are in contention to battle for the final two spots at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. The 48-player draw includes four former winners, led by three-time reigning champion (four overall) Djokovic (2009, 2013-15), David Ferrer (2012) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2008), and Tomas Berdych (2005). Djokovic is the only four-time winner in the history of the tournament.

Two Spots Left in London: Seven players are within mathematical reach of Marin Cilic, who holds the eighth and final spot with 3,090 points, 210 points ahead of Tomas Berdych. The seven players still alive in the London hunt are: Dominic Thiem, Cilic, Berdych, David Goffin, Roberto Bautista Agut, Vienna finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas Pouille.

A Look Ahead in Paris: There are several potential third-round matches that could be critical in determining who is eliminated from London contention.

In the top half of the draw, Cilic (3,090), who passed Berdych for the final spot in London, is on a third-round collision course with Goffin. Cilic will square off against countryman Karlovic or a qualifier in the second round, while Goffin plays the winner of Nicolas Mahut and Martin Klizan. Djokovic is looming as a likely quarter-final opponent in that section.

In the bottom half, No. 7 seed Berdych (2,880), who must reach the semi-finals to have a chance for London, could meet No. 10 seed Bautista Agut (2,340) in the third round – who must win the title to have a London shot. No. 11 seed Tsonga, who could face No. 5 seed Nishikori in the third round, must win the title to have a chance for London. No. 13 seed Pouille (2,106) will likely need to advance past World No. 2 Murray – and go on to win the title – to keep alive his London hopes.

2016 ATP Masters 1000 Finals: The Big Four have accounted for seven of the eight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles this season, with Djokovic leading the way with four crowns, Murray with two and Nadal with one.

Big Four Dominance: The ‘Big Four’ of Djokovic, Federer, Murray and Nadal have won 55 of the past 60 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).

Doubles Draw: There are 10 of the Top 12 teams in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race to London in the Paris draw. There are five teams battling for the final two spots in London. The No. 7 (Kontinen/Peers) and No. 8 teams (Huey/Mirnyi) meet in the first round. No. 9 Rojer/Tecau, last year’s champions in London, must reach the semi-finals AND have Huey/Mirnyi lose in the first round to have a chance. No. 10 Cabal/Farah must reach the final AND have Huey/Mirnyi lose in the first round to have a chance. No. 12 Benneteau/Roger-Vasselin must win the title AND have Huey/Mirnyi lose in the first round to have a chance.

World No. 1/Reigning Champion: World No. 1 and reigning champion (four overall) Djokovic is making his 12th straight tournament appearance. He has a 26-6 career record in Bercy, having won the title in 2009 and from 2013-15. He began with a 3-4 record in his first four appearances before going 23-2 the past seven years (W/O in ’11). 

Djokovic has compiled a 59-7 match record (41-4 on hard) on the season and is co-leader on the ATP World Tour with seven titles, including crowns at the Australian Open and Roland Garros and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Toronto. On Monday, it will mark the 223rd week overall he has ranked No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, which is fifth most (since Aug. 23, 1973). He has held No. 1 every week since July 7, 2014, a streak of 122 consecutive weeks. Djokovic is trying to finish No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the third straight year and fifth time in six years (except ’13).

Roland Garros/Bercy Double: In June, Djokovic completed a career Grand Slam by capturing his first Roland Garros title (d. Murray). It was his 12th attempt at Roland Garros. The only player to win Roland Garros and Bercy titles in the same year was Andre Agassi in 1999.

French Title Hopes: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the last French player to win the Bercy title. The 2008 champion is one of 11 Frenchmen in the main draw. Since then, Gael Monfils was runner-up in 2009-10 and Tsonga in ’11. The other French winners in Bercy are Sebastien Grosjean in 2001 and Guy Forget in 1991.

It’s been one of the great reigns in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings. A total of 223 weeks, including the past 122 consecutive weeks,. But now Novak Djokovic finds his hold on No. 1 on the line this week in Paris. Djokovic will need to hold off a surging Andy Murray at the BNP Paribas Masters.

The Brit is within touching distance of the Serbian, and can take over top spot by winning Paris if Djokovic does not reach the final, but the Serbian will come into the event physically rested and mentally refreshed after taking two weeks off following his semi-final loss to Roberto Bautista Agut in Shanghai.

“I feel good right now,” Djokovic said. “The last couple of months were not easy. Mentally I’ve had to redefine my goals and things that are happening on and off the court and just make sure that I’m in a good place and that I can perform as well as I expect from myself. Everything is clearer and I’m going in the right direction. I’m just focused right now on Paris.

“[Murray] definitely deserves to be in the position to finish up the year as No. 1. Whether or not that’s going to happen, it doesn’t depend only on him. It depends on me, as well.”

Djokovic has triumphed in Paris the past three years and is 26-6 overall at the final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event of the season. He also completed a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros earlier this year.

“It gives me a lot of great emotions and butterflies in the stomach when I think of the last time I was in Paris and what has happened. I’m hoping that I can finish the season as well as I did the last couple of years. I had great records in the indoor season and always enjoyed playing in Paris,” Djokovic said. “So we are coming to the finish line, and I really do feel comfortable playing in the indoor events and on this surface.”

After receiving a first-round bye as top seed, Djokovic will open against Nicolas Almagro or Gilles Muller.

“It’s exciting to get on the court and battle for every point, because there is always something on the line,” Djokovic said. “Almagro and Muller are quality players. Muller almost beat Nishikori in Basel. Almagro has a big forehand.

“But at the end of the day, it’s the quality that I put on the court that counts for me. I know I have won against those players in the past and I know what to do, and I’ll just try to be on the level that I want to be on.”

The drama will be palpable at the BNP Paribas Masters, with the Emirates ATP Race To London coming down to one final week. Two berths are set to be decided at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, with seven players still in contention to secure their places at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Dominic Thiem and Marin Cilic control their own destinies, with both sitting in the final qualification positions. Cilic soared to 3,090 points with his title run at the Swiss Indoors Basel and is now 210 points ahead of Tomas Berdych.

“There were a lot of things at stake for me and looking ahead to the [Emirates ATP] Race To London, this can decide a lot,” Cilic said. “I was really motivated to be focused on every point… Next week is Paris and it’s another important week for the Race To London and to finish the season well. I hope to play well there.”

Sixth seed Thiem and ninth seed Cilic reside in the same half of the draw and could meet in the semi-finals. Looking to make his debut at the season finale, the Austrian opens against either Jack Sock or Philipp Kohlschreiber, while the Croatian will face either qualifier Dusan Lajovic or countryman Ivo Karlovic.

The five players in pursuit of Thiem and Cilic are Berdych, David Goffin, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Roberto Bautista Agut and Lucas Pouille. Goffin (2,690 points) must reach his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final to have a chance of qualifying, while Tsonga (2,370), Bautista Agut (2,340) and Pouille (2,106) need to win the title for their shot at joining the elite eight.

The lone player chasing Thiem and Cilic who may not need to reach the Paris final is Berdych, who currently has 2,880 Emirates ATP Race To London points. The Czech must advance as far as the semis to have a chance at appearing in the season finale for the seventh consecutive year. A quarter-final date with second seed and World No. 1 hopeful Andy Murray has blockbuster potential.

A pair of third-round match-ups with significant London implications are on the horizon, with Berdych vs. Bautista Agut and Cilic vs. Goffin looming large. Berdych is also in the same quarter of the draw as Pouille. Tsonga, meanwhile, will have to fight past fifth seed Kei Nishikori and fourth seed Milos Raonic to escape his quarter.

Barclays ATP World Tour Finals – The Remaining Contenders
Based on the Emirates ATP Race To London standings as of Sunday, 30 October 2016. Two qualification berths remain.

Two Doubles Berths Remain
Following the qualification of Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, two doubles spots are up for grabs in Paris. No. 7 Henri Kontinen and John Peers and No. 8 Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi hold the inside track, with defending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 295 points back. The Dutch-Romanian duo must reach the semi-finals to have a chance at returning to The O2 in London.

The two other teams in contention are the Colombian Power of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, who must reach the Paris final and Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who need to win the title.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has established itself as the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world since moving to London in 2009. Tickets to the tournament, which takes place from 13-20 November, can be purchased at: www.BarclaysATPWorldTourFinals.com.

Fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Jack Sock streaked to the Swiss Indoors Basel title on Sunday, lifting the trophy in their first tournament as a team.

“We knew well going into the week that if we played well, we could be a dangerous team,” said Sock. “We’re both crafty and like playing from the baseline, but are also comfortable at the net. We served well and he returned very well. He usually carries me on the return games. We just had fun out there and kept it light and loose.”

The Spanish-American duo prevailed 6-3, 6-4 over Robert Lindstedt and Michael Venus in exactly one hour at the St. Jakobshalle, saving three of four break points faced. They claimed an initial break to love in the second game of the first set and another to open the second set, eventually earning the win on their first match point.

“I will be playing with Ivan Dodig next season,” said Granollers. “That’s my plan, but I had a great week with Jack here. We had fun and won the title, so it’s a very good way to end the season.”

For Granollers, it was the 30-year-old’s 13th ATP World Tour doubles title and third of 2016. He previously triumphed on the clay of Bastad (w/Marrero) and in Tokyo earlier this month (w/Matkowski). Sock, 24, notched his eighth ATP World Tour doubles crown and second in three weeks. He recently lifted the Masters 1000 trophy in Shanghai with John Isner. The tandem earn 500 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points and split €114,100 in prize money.

Lindstedt and Venus, who were also playing for the first time this week, entered the final on the heels of an upset win over top seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau on Saturday. The Swede is 20-22 in ATP World Tour finals, while the Kiwi fell to 5-7. They plan to team together full-time next season.