The Shanghai Rolex Masters could be the stage on which Rafael Nadal makes a return to the top form he was exhibiting in the spring. After reaching the Indian Wells semi-finals (l. to Djokovic) and clinching back-to-back titles in Monte-Carlo (d. Monfils) and Barcelona (d. Nishikori), the Spaniard looked set to mount a title charge at Roland Garros, when a wrist injury cruelly forced him out of action for two and a half months. Since his return at the Rio Olympics, where he won the doubles gold medal with Marc Lopez, Nadal has been inching his way back to top form and, on the eve of his Shanghai campaign, explained that he is still hoping for a strong finish to...
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...
Rafael Nadal returns to the China Open in Beijing this week with two goals in mind. The Spaniard, the second seed in the Chinese capital, will try to win his third title of the season, matching his trophy haul of last season and 2011. He also wants to boost his standing in the Emirates ATP Race To London. Nadal is currently in eighth place, prime position because the top eight players qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be held 13-20 Nov. at The O2 in London. But with 3,200 points, the left-hander doesn't have his bid locked up just yet. Tomas Berdych, who defended his Shenzhen Open title on Sunday, is in ninth place, 330 points behind Nadal,...
Gael Monfils, the No. 2 seed at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016, is a hit wherever he goes. The flashy Frenchman believes that his fan appeal originates from the sincerity with which he approaches the sport. “I’m a very natural person on the court. I try to be myself and forget about the pressure,” Monfils said. “Some may think that I am really trying to be entertaining, but for me that’s just the way that I enjoy playing the game. I’m happy to see that people like the way I play and that I help them have fun.” The 30 year old’s charm has won him many fans in Tokyo, where he reached the semi-finals twice in three...
At the start of the season, Novak Djokovic’s position atop the Emirates ATP Rankings appeared certain for at least another 12 months. The Serb defeated Andy Murray in the Australian Open final to further distance himself from the second-placed Scot and gathered pace in the spring with back-to-back Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami. But Murray came roaring back. Between the Mutua Madrid Open in May and the US Open, Murray compiled a 41-4 mark, winning the Rome title, finishing runner-up at Roland Garros, claiming his fifth Aegon Championships crown followed by a second Wimbledon, then later, a second Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. It was a titanic stretch that saw Murray significantly close the gap...