New Faces In Early Contention For Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
New Faces In Early Contention For Barclays ATP World Tour Finals
Five players have put themselves in position to qualify for the first time
With the halfway point of the 2016 ATP World Tour season quickly approaching, the ATP Race To London is showing that that this year’s Barclays ATP World Tour Finals could be set to welcome multiple new faces.
Currently inside the Top 8 of the ATP Race to London are Dominic Thiem (No. 6), Gael Monfils (No. 7) and David Goffin (No. 8), while Roberto Bautista Agut (No. 10) and Nick Kyrgios (No. 11) have also put themselves in contention to become potential first-timers with their strong starts to the year. All five players have either won at least one ATP World Tour title this season or produced inspired runs at the biggest tournaments of the year.
Thiem has won two ATP World Tour titles so far this season in Buenos Aires and Acapulco, in addition to a runner-up showing in Munich. He’s also established himself as a contender to reach the very top of the Emirates ATP Rankings with wins this season over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
Monfils has produced consistently solid tennis throughout the year. He was in dominant form at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo, advancing to the final without losing a set, and also reached back-to-back quarter-finals at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami. Monfils also finished as runner-up in Rotterdam.
Goffin has also been going deep in the biggest events of the season. In ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events this year, he reached back-to-back semi-finals in Indian Wells and Miami, and recently double bageled Tomas Berdych en route to a quarter-final showing in Rome.
Bautista Agut started out the year in dominant form by winning ATP World Tour titles in Auckland and St. Petersburg. His four career ATP World Tour titles have come on three different surfaces, proving that he’s a contender at any point in the year. Kyrgios won his first career ATP World Tour title this February in Marseille and has also recorded five Top 10 wins this season over the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych. In addition to reaching the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami, he’s also cracked the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time.
In addition to new faces, several familiar ones are also in position to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who has already picked up 5,950 Emirates ATP Ranking points this season, has all but confirmed his spot. Should he participate, the five-time champion would make his 10th consecutive appearance in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
Several of the game’s top players have also given themselves a strong chance to head to London at the end of the year. Andy Murray is currently No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Race To London, followed by Rafael Nadal at No. 3 and Kei Nishikori at No. 4. All three men would be looking to win the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time in their careers.
Reigning Roland Garros champion Stan Wawrinka and perennial Top 10 fixture Tomas Berdych are, currently ranked at No. 9 and No. 12 in the Emirates ATP Race to London. Both players have historically produced big results in the second half of the season and will be eager to keep their familiar place in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.
Six-time champion Roger Federer is also firmly in contention at No. 13, despite missing several key tournaments in the first part of the season due to injury. He is looking to make his 15th consecutive appearance in London.