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Monfils, Del Potro Top Seeds In Stockholm
| By: Sean Bradley |
Photo Credit: Tony Chang |
(October 16, 2011) The race for the Barclays ATP World Tour Championships is well underway, as David Ferrer captured the fifth seat with a final appearance in Shanghai.
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer hold the four other spots. The two 250-level tournaments this week feature several contenders for the coveted spots.
IF Stockholm Open
The historic Swedish tournament, which began in 1969, is played in the Kungliga Tennishallen on an indoor hard court.
Roger Federer claimed this ATP World Tour 250 series title last year, defeating Florian Mayer in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3 and receiving the trophy from Crown Princess Victoria.
However, he will not be there to defend his title, having already secured his place in London.
First seed Gael Monfils is making his debut appearance in Stockholm, desperately looking to claim one of the last three available slots at the Barclay's ATP Championships in London.
Juan Martin del Potro is the second seed, and he is looking for his third title of the year. He could face fellow Argentine David Nalbandian in a tantalizing third-round match-up.
Stanislas Wawrinka, currently ranked No. 19 in the world, is the third seed and is seeking his second title of the year, having earned the Chennai Open title in February.
The draw sees a potent match between sixth-seeded Milos Raonic and fourth-seeded Argentinean Juan Ignacio Chela in the third round. This would be the first time the two have played one another, each of them looking to earn their second titles of the year.
Monfils looks to face the tall, hard-hitting South African Kevin Anderson in the third round.
The two have never played one another, with Monfils looking for his first title of the year, while Anderson is seeking out his second.
Kremlin Cup
Russian players have historically dominated this event, claiming the title 11 of the last 14 years.
Viktor Troicki is the returning champion, having defeated Marcos Baghdatis in last year's final 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. He returns as the second seed in this year's tournament, looking for some redemption after early losses in Tokyo and Shanghai.
The first seed was given to Janko Tipsarevic, whose best finish at the Kremlin Cup came in 2009, when he reached the finals. He is still seeking points in a final push to qualify for London.
Three-time title holder Nikolay Davydenko is looking for his fourth crown, but faces a difficult match in the semifinals against Tipsarevic. Davydenko leads their lifetime head-to-head 2-1, but their most recent meet up, at the Malaysian Open this year, saw a retirement from Davydenko during the first set.
Alexandr Dolgopolov has been having a career-best year, but looks to face Troicki in the semis. The two have met twice before, Troicki taking both matches, but with Dolgopolov in great form, their potential match should make for good tennis.
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