By Chris Oddo/ Monday, October 7, 2013

 

With just under a month until the World Tour Finals in London, the battle for the last few spots should heat up this week in Shanghai.

Photo Source: AP

With the year's eighth Masters 1000 event underway in Shanghai this week, the tour's elite have lots to play for.

Only three spots for the World Tour Finals are locked up, and one of those is by Andy Murray, who is likely to miss the event while recovering from back surgery. What that means is there are six spots on the line and a big crowd of players all jockeying for spots six through eight.

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One of those players is Roger Federer, who will open his Shanghai bid against either Andreas Seppi or Lleyton Hewitt in the second round after a bye. Federer could then hypothetically meet Richard Gasquet in the third round, another player with strong chances of reaching the London Draw. Roger is currently sixth in the Murray-less race, but only 105 points ahead of Richard Gasquet, who is currently eighth. Right behind him is the red-hot Milos Raonic, playing the best tennis of his life and sensing an opportunity to sneak into the mix for London.

Lurking ever so ninja-like is the dangerous Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who could be rounding into form after missing significant time due to a knee injury, and with another Masters 1000 coming soon on home soil in Paris.

Behind Tsonga are Tommy Haas and John Isner, but they really need to make some noise fast or they'll soon be eliminated. Even now, although each has a shot mathematically, the odds are slimmer than a Novak Djokovic down-the-line backhand.

Whatever the outcome, and whomever steps up in Shanghai, it should make for a good tennis-watching week for fans.

Here are the current standings after the conclusion of Sunday's finals in Tokyo and Beijing: