Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo moved to within one match win of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the third straight year after advancing on Friday to the Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-finals. The third seeds knocked out seventh seeds and fellow Nitto ATP Finals contenders Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus 7-6(3), 4-6, 10-7 in one hour and 48 minutes. Kubot and Melo let slip a 5-3 lead in the first set.

Last year’s runners up at The O2 in London are now looking to join Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who they will play on Saturday in the Shanghai semi-finals, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, and Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, as qualifiers at the 11-18 November season finale. Second seeds Marach and Pavic knocked out eighth seeds Ivan Dodig and Nikola Mektic 3-6, 6-2, 10-6 in 83 minutes.

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Sixth seeds Murray and Soares, who qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals on Thursday, will contest their fifth ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final on Sunday after sweeping past fifth seeded Colombians Cabal and Farah 6-3, 6-4 in a repeat of the Western & Southern Open final in August. The British/Brazilian team have a 9-7 record in finals.

Novak Djokovic extended his winning streak to 16 matches and maintained his bid to finish at year-end No. 1 in the ATP Rankings for the fifth time on Friday by reaching the Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-final. The second-seeded Serbian, a three-time champion at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, won a repeat of this year’s Wimbledon final over seventh seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa 7-6(1), 6-3 in one hour and 44 minutes.

Djokovic could move to within 35 points of No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal in the ATP Race To London — the year-to-date standings — if he lifts his 32nd Masters 1000 trophy on Sunday. He could also rise to No. 2 in the ATP Rankings if he advances to the final, and Roger Federer does not win the title.

He will now prepare to face fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev, who became the fifth singles player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 11-18 November, as a result of beating Kyle Edmund of Great Britain in the quarter-finals. Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Juan Martin del Potro had already booked their spots at the prestigious season finale.

Djokovic has now won 29 of his 31 matches overall since losing to then No. 72-ranked Cecchinato 6-3, 7-6(4), 1-6, 7-6(11) on 5 June in the Roland Garros quarter-finals. With a 43-10 record on the season (21-4 on hard courts), the Serbian has captured two Grand Slam championship trophies this year the Wimbledon and the US Open (d. Del Potro), plus the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (d. Federer). Victory in Cincinnati saw Djokovic become the first player to win titles at all nine Masters 1000 events since the start of the series in 1990.

In a tense first set, Anderson could not convert one set point at 6-5, with Djokovic serving at Ad-Out, when he hooked a forehand wide. Having completed an eight-minute service hold, Djokovic grew in confidence to win the first three points of the tie-break. The Serbian won 10 of the last 11 points and strike a backhand winner — his 17th of the 63-minute set — to gain the momentum in their eighth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

Anderson’s first-service began to falter and Djokovic soon seized his chance in the second set. When Anderson struck a backhand into the net at 0-1, 15/40, Djokovic didn’t look back and continued to mix up his service speed and placement. Djokovic won 85 per cent of his first-service points and withstood 16 aces from Anderson.

Anderson, a winner of four ATP World Tour titles including the inaugural New York Open (d. Querrey) in February, is now 40-16 on the year. He is currently in seventh position in the ATP Race To London, looking to clinch one of the three remaining singles berths at the eight-man Nitto ATP Finals.

In 2018, the South Americans are dominating on the ATP Challenger Tour and the continent’s top stars have descended on the Dominican Republic for this week’s $125,000 Santo Domingo Open.

Three of the Top Five win percentage leaders are in the Dominican capital, with Bolivia’s Hugo Dellien and Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi and Juan Ignacio Londero battling on the green clay. Dellien entered the week with a 31-11 (.738) win-loss mark and three titles, Andreozzi with a 30-11 (.732) record and also three trophies and Londero with an impressive 35-13 (.729) and two titles. 

The trio have grinded on the dirt all year and are reaping the rewards in the ATP Rankings. Dellien and Andreozzi have broken into the Top 100 behind breakthrough campaigns, while Londero is close behind, peaking at No. 118 last month.

“It has been a great season for me,” Londero told ATPWorldTour.com. “I feel great physically and have been playing very well. I have been spending the whole year doing the right things on court and working hard. I’m eating right, training right and taking the right breaks when I can. It has all been perfect.”

“I am very happy to get to the Top 100, because I worked really hard and it has reflected in my ranking,” Andreozzi added. “I am just happy with how I’m improving and the results on the court. It’s true that I’ve won three titles and at the beginning of the year I won in Punta del Este (Uruguay), which gave me a lot of confidence. I have played with a lot of confidence and at a good level.”

Play suspended in Santo Domingo once again, as moisture from Hurricane Michael persists.

Revised OOP to follow soon… pic.twitter.com/8ssr6XZZVS

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 10, 2018

It has been a trying week in Santo Domingo, with players braving brutal conditions from Hurricane Michael. Moisture from the storm wiped out play on Wednesday, after matches got underway at 7pm the night before due to the torrential rain.

That has created a manic day on Thursday, with the entire singles second round and quarter-final slate being completed, as well as the first two rounds of the doubles competition. All players remain huddled in the clubhouse of La Bocha, as mother nature dictates their fate. 

But spirits are high. Dellien, Andreozzi (2016 singles champ) and Londero  (2017 doubles winner) have all played here in previous years and feel at home in the club’s cozy confines. With world-class hospitality and a festive atmosphere, players are taking the adverse conditions in stride.

“I am very happy to return to a tournament that is very nice,” said Londero. “Here in Santo Domingo they organize the event very well. Last year I reached the second round as a qualifier and had the opportunity to win the doubles title. And I’m just happy to finish the year here and then in South America, where I will be close to Argentina.”

“I really like it a lot in Santo Domingo,” Andreozzi exclaimed. “The people treat you very well and I will always remember my title here in 2016. It’s a plus to come back to a place where you won.”

Christian Garin celebrates a second-round win in Santo Domingo

But the terrific trio of Dellien, Andreozzi and Londero aren’t the only Latin American stars in action in Santo Domingo. Christian Garin carries a 36-15 record on the heels of his second ATP Challenger Tour title in Campinas, Brazil. Arguably the most in-form player in the tournament, Garin has dropped just 10 games in reaching the semi-finals and extending his win streak to eight straight.

“The truth is that it’s been two years since I’ve come here, but I like it a lot,” said Garin about his experience in Santo Domingo. “I like to play here. The heat is strong and the humidity is heavy, but it’s a nice tournament and it has a lot of great energy.”

The 22-year-old Chilean is pushing towards a Top 100 berth as he rises to a career-high No. 121 in the ATP Rankings. While his victory in Campinas was just his first title of the year, Garin has carried a strong run of form from the summer months. After successfully qualifying at Wimbledon, he finished runner-up on the clay of Como, Italy. 

Entering the 2018 season, Garin owned just two Top 100 wins in his young career. He has exceeded that this year alone, registering three such victories over elite competition, including a stunning straight-set win over current World No. 15 Stefanos Tsitipas in Le Gosier.

“I’ve been working on the simple things this year,” said Garin. “I’m improving my first serve percentage and trying to be more aggressive. It’s paying off. I’m very happy with the things I’ve improved. It hasn’t always been perfect, but I don’t need to change much, because I feel great with the year I’m having.”

Garin will face Carlos Berlocq in Friday’s semi-finals, with the winner to play for the Santo Domingo Open championship. 

This time, when Kevin Anderson faces Novak Djokovic, the South African should have plenty of energy.

View FedEx ATP Head2Head for the following match-ups at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and vote for the players you think will win!
Federer v Nishikori | Djokovic v Anderson | Zverev v Edmund | Coric v Ebden

The last time they played, in the Wimbledon final, two days earlier, Anderson had won the longest Wimbledon semi-final in history, beating American John Isner 26-24 in the fifth set to make his second Grand Slam title match. The 6’8” right-hander admitted to feeling tired against Djokovic and fell in straight sets.

In Shanghai, however, both players have glided into the quarter-finals without dropping a set. Anderson served past Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan and then avenged his Rogers Cup semi-final loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.

Djokovic remained unbeaten in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Frenchman Jeremy Chardy (12-0) and gained revenge against Italian Marco Cecchinato, who beat Djokovic in the Roland Garros quarter-finals. The Serbian has faced only two break points so far in Shanghai, and he has won his past 15 matches, dating back to his titles at the Western & Southern Open and US Open.

Xie xie #NoleFam ??? @SH_RolexMasters #RolexShMasters pic.twitter.com/X02AqdOrkE

— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) October 11, 2018

“I’m really pleased with the way I have been using my serve accurately and effectively in the first two matches, which is very important on this kind of surface that’s really quick,” Djokovic said. “I was making [Cecchinato] play always an extra shot. I was aggressive when I needed to be. The second set was perfect, really. I’m really glad to be able to finish the match the way I did.”

Djokovic leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Anderson 6-1, including wins in their past six matchups. But if Anderson is to spring the upset, you have to think Shanghai – some of the quickest conditions on the ATP World Tour – could be the setting for the big-hitting South African, who’s enjoying his best year yet, at age 32.

Ever wondered what it’s like in a players locker room?@KAndersonATP gave us a guided tour of his following his win today…? pic.twitter.com/8bZUos5DaZ

— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) October 11, 2018

He is currently in seventh place in the ATP Race To London. The top eight will qualify for the prestigious season finale, to be held 11-18 November at The O2 in London. Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro have already booked their spots. Buy Tickets Now

Elsewhere in the bottom half of the draw, Brit Kyle Edmund will try to reach his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final when he faces three-time Masters 1000 titlist Alexander Zverev.

The German dismantled #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4 in only 68 minutes to make the last eight. Edmund also looked sharp while beating Marin Cilic’s conqueror, Nicolas Jarry of Chile, 7-6(5), 6-3.

Zverev leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 3-0, including a straight-sets win earlier this year in Rome.

In the top half, defending champion Federer, after two three-set wins, will meet Japan’s Kei Nishikori, who beat American Sam Querrey to make the quarter-finals. The last time Federer and Nishikori played on hard courts, in the fourth round of the 2017 Australian Open, the Japanese right-hander pushed Federer to five sets.

Federer is looking to win his third Shanghai title this week and hold onto the No. 2 spot in the ATP Rankings. Nishikori, meanwhile, is attempting to make a late push for the Nitto ATP Finals. He is currently in ninth place in the Race with 3,000 points, 535 points behind eighth-placed Dominic Thiem.

The winner of Federer-Nishikori will meet either Croatian Borna Coric or Aussie Matthew Ebden. Coric advanced to the quarter-finals – his third at the Masters 1000 level this year – when Juan Martin del Potro retired with a knee injury after the first set.

Ebden gained one of the biggest wins of his career in the second round, upsetting No. 7 Dominic Thiem before beating Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk to return to the Shanghai quarter-finals for the second time (also 2011).

After retiring during his third-round match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Thursday evening due to a knee injury sustained in the match’s 10th game, Juan Martin del Potro is awaiting test results before deciding his immediate playing future.

“During the match I had a bad fall. I made a weird movement with the knee and hit the floor very hard. I felt intense pain,” Del Potro said. “After, I lost the stability and strength on my leg, so not to continue was the best decision. I didn’t want any more risks after that.

“The doctor observed me and told that we need to wait for the examinations results in a few hours. Then we will know how bad it was and how to proceed for the next tournaments.”

The Argentine is scheduled to compete at the Swiss Indoors Basel, which begins on 22 October, and then the Rolex Paris Masters before finishing his season at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time since 2013. Del Potro, who was the fourth player to book his trip to The O2 in London from 11-18 November, earned a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 3 in August. The ‘Tower of Tandil’ also captured his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells this March.

Rafael Nadal, uncle Toni Nadal and coach Carlos Moya led a minute of silence with staff and players on Thursday at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar for those affected by the Mallorca floods. At least 10 have died, and the Spanish island has suffered catastrophic damage because of torrential rains and flash flooding.

The nearby town of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar, where more than 200 people had to flee their homes, was especially hard hit. Nadal spent three hours helping with the cleanup there on Wednesday, joining a group of 20 to remove mud from a mechanical workshop, where water levels reached two metres.

The 33-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion also opened up rooms at the academy for at least 50 people who needed refuge.

His peers are competing at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, the season’s penultimate Masters 1000 event. But Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev all took time to share their condolences for those affected.

“I’m very sorry about the news, and I know how important Mallorca is to Rafa. I’ve been in touch with him and asked him if I could help with anything, and I’ve seen Rafa helping the villages around where he comes from. It’s nice to see and it’s super inspiring,” Federer said in a video.

“You know you have our support, Rafa. We think of everybody in Mallorca. We wish you a lot of strength in these difficult times… I hope to be back to Mallorca soon.”

Federer was in Mallorca two years ago to help Nadal launch his academy.

“You have our support.”@rogerfederer offers his condolences to those affected for the recent events in Majorca. pic.twitter.com/Rg1iIsjUuZ

— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) October 11, 2018

Djokovic also sent his condolences and best wishes. “I can only imagine how difficult it is, especially for the people who have been in the epicenter of everything. I want to send a big hug and a friendly regard to Rafael Nadal. Well done, amigo, for helping out,” he said.

“I want to invite anyone who is watching this video and is following the news from Mallorca to support in any way they can.”

?@DjokerNole has a message for those affected by the recent tragic events in Majorca. pic.twitter.com/IwW1v3r1Hp

— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) October 11, 2018

Zverev, who grew up in Hamburg, Germany, has seen first-hand the island’s attractions.

“I’ve also been to the beautiful place of Mallorca many, many times. My prayers are with you guys, all the thoughts are with the people of Mallorca, not only to Rafa, but of course everybody there. I hope you guys recover soon, and take care everyone.”

A message from Sascha Zverev to all those affected by the tragic recent events in Majorca.@RafaelNadal pic.twitter.com/26UbtjlmdZ

— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) October 11, 2018

Nadal is at home in Mallorca continuing his recovery from a knee injury that forced his retirement from the US Open. He is next scheduled to compete at the Rolex Paris Masters, beginning 29 October.