Two former Shanghai Rolex Masters finalists will get their 2017 campaigns underway in China on Monday.

Juan Martin del Potro, the No. 16 seed, returns to Shanghai facing a first-round encounter against qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili. Del Potro, who beat Rafael Nadal on his way to the 2013 final, has a tough opponent in the 25-year-old Georgian, who reached the final in Memphis earlier this season.

The ninth seed, Roberto Bautista Agut, who upset then-No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to last year’s final in Shanghai, will begin his attempt at a repeat run when he plays #NextGenATP Hyeon Chung.

The Spaniard, who lost in his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final last year against Andy Murray, is seeking his third title of the season (Chennai, Winston-Salem). He is on a third-round collision course with No. 8 seed David Goffin, who has won back-to-back titles in Tokyo and Shenzhen.

The match has plenty of implications for Bautista Agut, who is making a last-ditch effort to climb the standings in the Emirates ATP Race To London and possibly qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. The 29 year old currently sits in the 16th spot, 825 points behind Goffin, who is in eighth.

Also on Stadium Court, 38-year-old Ivo Karlovic clashes with 36-year-old Feliciano Lopez in the second-oldest match on the ATP World Tour since 1981. Tommy Haas’ win over Roger Federer in Stuttgart on June 14 featured a combined age of 75. Karlovic is 6-3 against Lopez, with all nine matches featuring at least one tie-break and eight of the nine first sets going to a tie-break.

Two of the ATP World Tour’s hottest players will meet on Union Pay 3 when #NextGenATP star Andrey Rublev faces fast-rising Bosnian Damir Dzumhur. Both men broke into the Top 40 of the Emirates ATP Rankings last month after winning their first career titles — Rublev at Umag and Dzumhur at St. Petersburg. Rublev defeated Dzumhur on 2 September en route to becoming the youngest US Open quarter-finalist since 2001.

American Frances Tiafoe will try to better his chances of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals when he takes on ATP World Tour veteran Benoit Paire. The qualifier is currently ninth in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, 155 points behind seventh-placed Daniil Medvedev, who occupies the last guaranteed spot (the eighth spot goes to the winner of an all-Italian wild card playoff tournament).

When it came to making moves in his professional career, Ben Mclachlan was ready to go the distance — literally. Mclachlan began 2017 as a 200-ranked doubles specialist, and as a New Zealander.

On Sunday, with Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako of Japan looking on, he lifted the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2017 doubles crown — as a Japanese player.

So how does one go about playing for a different country almost overnight and, more importantly, why?

Mclachlan grew up in New Zealand, spent summers in Japan and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in the U.S. — all by the age of 22. The doubles specialist claims ties to Japan through his mother, and possesses a Japanese passport.

“My dad was born in New Zealand; my mom was born in Japan,” Mclachlan said. “I lived most of my life in New Zealand, but when I was younger, I’d come once a year to Japan to spend time with my grandmother.” 

The reason for the change in allegiance was a practical one: Tennis’ popularity in Japan meant that between the added exposure and access to more advanced training facilities, Mclachlan stood to do better professionally as a Japanese player. Considering the support wasn’t there in New Zealand, the notion of playing for Japan, business decision or otherwise, proved too enticing to pass on.

“I decided to switch alliances from New Zealand to Japan as I felt it was best for my career as a doubles player,” Mclachlan said. Tennis isn’t very big in New Zealand; I figured I could get more support in Japan. When I’m in Japan, I work out of an international training center.”

Shortly after registering as a Japanese player, Mclachlan was selected to represent the country in Davis Cup play. That in itself produced an immediate, positive impact in Mclachlan’s attitude and morale.

“In being selected for Japan in the Davis Cup a few weeks ago, I improved and learned to believe in myself,” Mclachlan said. “It helped me with my confidence.”

Then comes his success in his freshly adopted country on Sunday. A wild card entrant, Mclachlan teamed with Yasutaka Uchiyama to defeat second-seeded Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-4, 7-6(1) in one hour and 32 minutes for their first ATP World Tour team title, becoming the first all-Japanese titlists in Tokyo since 2005. This week also marked Mclachlan’s first appearance in the main draw of an ATP World Tour tournament.

Though he’s decided to play for Japan, the move hasn’t required packing or any of the hassles associated with relocating nearly 6,000 miles. Mclachlan is still “based” out of Queenstown, New Zealand, and trains with his brother/coach Riki when he isn’t on the road. While he’s still getting to know his adopted country, Mclachlan hasn’t cut all ties with his native New Zealand. Whether for training purposes or just for rest and recreation, Mclachlan spends the bulk of his time in his home country. Just the idea of playing for a country far from home but close to his heart is invigorating.

“Queenstown is home. I can relax there, “Mclachlan said. “It’s more ‘country’ … I have friends there and it’s outdoors-y.

“But I like that Japan is still pretty fresh to me because I haven’t really lived here, I’ve just come to visit. I like the food and I enjoy the culture. I don’t have a regular doubles partner so when it comes to planning [which events to enter and where] I’m pretty flexible.”

Flexibility is a proven trait of Mclachlan’s on the court as well: This year alone, he’s reached four doubles finals with three different partners. In June, he captured the ATP Challenger Tour title in Todi, Italy, with Steven De Waard, then reached the final at Cortina with the Australian a month later. Last month, Mclachlan teamed with Taiwan’s Ti Chen to lift the Gwangju Challenger title in South Korea.

Though short, his collaboration with fellow Japanese player Uchiyama has been his most successful to date: “I feel like we haven’t played too much together, but every match we played, we got stronger and stronger,” Mclachlan said. “I look forward to playing with him again sometime.”

The strong showings have also created interesting options that weren’t available to him just a short time ago, such as competing in Grand Slams. Still, Mclachlan isn’t looking too far ahead; instead he’s relishing what he considers the most memorable experience of his career.

“I thought I played really well this week in Tokyo,” Mclachlan said. “I enjoyed the atmosphere and played with high energy. I haven’t really thought about the end of the year yet because my ranking has jumped up a lot. There might be some other opportunities [of playing bigger tournaments] I didn’t think were available before. Now, the Australian Open is a possibility and I’d like to play there.”

The #NextGenATP wave is getting bigger and bigger and Lloyd Harris is looking to put South Africa on the map among the stars of tomorrow.

The 20 year old battled through to the semi-finals this past week at the Kaohsiung OEC Open in Taiwan, winning four of five tie-breaks over four matches to equal his best result on the ATP Challenger Tour.

Harris’s impressive 2017 campaign has seen him compete at all three tiers of competition. Contending at ITF Futures events at the start of the season, the Cape Town native eventually transitioned to the ATP Challenger Tour as a regular competitor before making his ATP World Tour debut at the inaugural Antalya Open as a lucky loser.

Just inside the Top 300 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at the start of the year, a higher level of tennis has come quickly for the 20 year old, but it has not been without its learning curve. Now up to a career-high at No. 199, the newest member of the #NextGenATP contingent is steadily plotting his ascent.

“Getting to the Challenger level was a big stage for me and it took me a while to get used to it,” Harris said. “I don’t think I was consistent enough; I had the game definitely – the serve, the forehand – but not consistent enough.

 “Starting out the year, if I think back, I feel like a lot has changed and I’ve made a lot of improvements,” he added. “I really tried, especially in the last few months, to play the highest level of tournaments that I could get into. Trying to go for some ATP qualifying events and playing as many Challengers as possible. I think that’s helped my game tremendously and improved small things quite a lot.”

?? 20-year-old Lloyd Harris is on the cusp of a Top 200 breakthrough after reaching his second #ATPChallenger SF of the year in Kaohsiung. pic.twitter.com/iKeD3naCLj

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 6, 2017

Last week, Harris managed to successfully qualify for the Shenzhen Open just three months after his first ATP World Tour main draw appearance on the grass of Antalya. He bowed out to eventual finalist Alexandr Dolgopolov. But the South African cites a different match as the turning point in his tennis, when he believed that he belonged with the game’s best.

“I really had a moment when I played in Montreal. I played against Mikhail Youzhny in the [Masters 1000] there … I ended up losing 7-6 in the final set,” said Harris of his first round qualifying encounter at the Coupe Rogers, a 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 6-7(5) loss to the Russian veteran. “That’s kind of where I realised, ‘okay, you’re on this level. This guy has been Top 10 in the world, you lost 7-6 in the third; it’s just a little stepping stone and you can beat some of these guys.’”

Harris’s own success comes in the wake of a landmark moment for South African tennis: compatriot Kevin Anderson’s astonishing run to the US Open final. In spite of this, Harris and Anderson are just two of three South Africans in the Top 1000 of the Emirates ATP Rankings (the other being Nicolaas Scholtz.) According to the 20 year old, the scarcity of fellow nationals in the rankings isn’t due to a lack of talent.

“Travelling from South Africa, you need to have a fortune of money to travel all over the world. That is one of the big problems,” said Harris, adding that instead of going pro early, many young South Africans elect to go to the American collegiate system for an education and for training – a path that compatriot Anderson himself took.

“Unless you come from a super wealthy family, you’re not going to have enough money to travel freely and around the world, if you’re from South Africa. I think with the right systems in place there’s the potential for more players in the Top 1000.”

Standing at 6-foot-5 and citing Roger Federer as an idol, Harris has the booming serve and rocket of a forehand that could see him make a lasting impact in tennis, akin to how Anderson did match after match at Flushing Meadows. Looking ahead, the Emirates ATP Rankings aren’t his biggest concern. Instead, his preparations for 2018 are focused solely on improving his game, including forecourt play and returns. 

“I’m not going to talk any goals—that’s going to come in its own way,” added Harris. “If I keep improving on my tennis the way I want to and keep improving the things that I am working on, then I believe that I can become the best player that I can possibly be.”

One word can sum up the reason why everything appears to be clicking for Filip Krajinovic… Belief.

Krajinovic will step back into familiar territory as he re-enters the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since May 2016, after clinching the title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Almaty, Kazakhstan on Saturday. The 25 year old is projected to leap past his previous career-high of No. 86 to No. 79.

“I believed that to break back into the Top 100 was possible, but I was not sure if I was going to be able to do that,” Krajinovic said. “Now, all of a sudden, I won one tournament from the qualifiers, then I started to play better. I believed and got closer and now here you go.”

The Serbian, who leads the Challenger circuit with five titles this year, returned to the winners’ circle once again, overpowering countryman Laslo Djere 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday to go back-to-back on the clay of Rome and Almaty. His ruthless run included a combined 37 games lost, not dropping a set en route to notching the consecutive crowns.

“It has been an unbelievable year for me,” Krajinovic said. “Last year I was injured so I really couldn’t play, and the beginning of the year wasn’t good for me, and then this summer I believed in myself that I could do it. Now, I’m going to have five titles and be in the Top 80 in the world. I think I achieved my goal, and it is just the beginning of my career.”

The run continues! Back-to-back #ATPChallenger ? without dropping a set for ?? Filip Krajinovic. Defeats Laslo Djere 60 63 in Almaty final. pic.twitter.com/zsuv1YQs3B

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 7, 2017

Having endured a series of setbacks in 2016, including wrist and shoulder injuries, the Serbian has flipped the script. He owns an ATP Challenger Tour leading 47 match wins this year. Although Krajinovic’s run has been impressive, he is not the only Serbian making his mark on the tour in the wake of Novak Djokovic’s absence due to injury. Looking to each other for inspiration and that extra push, Janko Tipsarevic has claimed four Challenger titles, and Laslo Djere and Dusan Lajovic have each captured one. Players from the European nation have amassed a tour-leading 11 titles this year.

“Serbia now has six Top 100 guys, which is amazing for that small country,” Krajinovic said. “We are sad that Djokovic is not playing, but we have a lot of players that are coming up which is good for us. We push each other. For example, Djere, I lost close matches to him this year, but he pushed me to play better and to make the goals. We are going to have more players and it is very good for Serbia.”

While the rise of Serbian tennis is worthy of excitement, the 6-foot-1 Krajinovic still has a ways to go to prove that he belongs among the top players, as he continues to climb the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“Next year my goal is to play only tour-level events. I will have a very good preseason. I have already set everything up for that. I will work even harder. I know what I need to improve to play with those guys,” Krajinovic added. “I have had a couple of setbacks in my career. I had two big injuries so I couldn’t really play. I couldn’t use my potential. I think now it’s time. I have learned that I need to take care of the body. Right now I have a great team behind me, and they are helping me a lot. It is not just me, it is all of us together.

“To be honest, I already achieved my goals. It was Top 100…Now I am Top 80. The goal is now Top 70 to finish stronger, but in my mind I am just going to play relaxed. I have a lot of confidence after winning so many matches. I am just going to go to the tournaments and enjoy and see how it goes.”

If Rafael Nadal is to finish as the year-end No. 1 for a fourth time, his recent performances on hard courts will be of critical importance.

Nadal extended his win streak to 12 straight with the China Open title on Sunday, defeating Nick Kyrgios 6-2, 6-1. The Spaniard, who remains undefeated since returning to World No. 1 on 21 August, tightened his grip on the top spot in the Emirates ATP Race To London. Now up to 2,360 points over Roger Federer, he has put himself in prime position to cap his 2017 campaign in No. 1 fashion.

Victory in Beijing gives Nadal his 75th career crown, moving to within two titles of John McEnroe for fourth on the Open Era list. It was his second triumph in the Chinese capital, having previously defeated Guillermo Coria for the 2005 trophy.

The Manacor native, who notched his 60th match win of the season with a semi-final victory over Grigor Dimitrov, added a sixth title this year. He previously emerged victorious at the US Open one month ago, in addition to wins at Roland Garros, the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo and Madrid, as well as in Barcelona.

More to come…

A 75th career title—and first in Beijing since 2005—for @RafaelNadal!

?#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/bTYE5tBOnX

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 8, 2017