Shanghai showdown for Nadal, Federer, Djokovic
Friday, 11 July 2008
SHANGHAI, July 10(AFP): Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are the first players to qualify for the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai in November, organisers said today.
The trio have already earned enough points to book their berths in the eight-player circuit finale which will take place from November 9-19, organisers said on the tournament's website.
"I have just been informed that I have qualified for the Masters in Shanghai," Nadal, a semifinalist in his two Tennis Masters Cup appearances, was quoted as saying in the statement.
"I have never managed to win it, so I am really looking forward for this year's event and as always I'll try my best knowing it won't be easy," the site quoted Nadal as saying.
Nadal, currently world number two and the first player since Sweden's Bjorn Borg in 1980 to capture the Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles back-to-back, has held the top spot in the ATP 2008 Race standings since winning in Paris.
The Spaniard currently leads the men's professional circuit with a 56-7 match record and six titles this season.
Federer, the world number one and defending Tennis Masters Cup champion, is set to return for a seventh straight year after playing Nadal in the Wimbledon final. The Swiss player's season record stands at 43-9.
Serbia's Djokovic has earned his second consecutive Tennis Masters Cup spot, with a 38-9 record and three titles in the first half of the season, including his first Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open.
New Wimbledon champions Daniel Nestor of Canada and Serbian Nenad Zimonjic, and American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, have also clinched the first two doubles places in the eight-team field at the Shanghai tournament, organisers said.
The trio have already earned enough points to book their berths in the eight-player circuit finale which will take place from November 9-19, organisers said on the tournament's website.
"I have just been informed that I have qualified for the Masters in Shanghai," Nadal, a semifinalist in his two Tennis Masters Cup appearances, was quoted as saying in the statement.
"I have never managed to win it, so I am really looking forward for this year's event and as always I'll try my best knowing it won't be easy," the site quoted Nadal as saying.
Nadal, currently world number two and the first player since Sweden's Bjorn Borg in 1980 to capture the Roland Garros and Wimbledon titles back-to-back, has held the top spot in the ATP 2008 Race standings since winning in Paris.
The Spaniard currently leads the men's professional circuit with a 56-7 match record and six titles this season.
Federer, the world number one and defending Tennis Masters Cup champion, is set to return for a seventh straight year after playing Nadal in the Wimbledon final. The Swiss player's season record stands at 43-9.
Serbia's Djokovic has earned his second consecutive Tennis Masters Cup spot, with a 38-9 record and three titles in the first half of the season, including his first Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open.
New Wimbledon champions Daniel Nestor of Canada and Serbian Nenad Zimonjic, and American twins Bob and Mike Bryan, have also clinched the first two doubles places in the eight-team field at the Shanghai tournament, organisers said.