Events / Sean Calvert / 21 October 2010 /

We know that the fabulous foursome of Djokovic, Murray, Nadal and Federer will be in London for the end of year razzmatazz but who will be joining them, asks Sean Calvert...

As the tennis season enters the autumn, the one big question that remains as far as 2010 is concerned is 'who will make it to London?'

The ATP World Tour Finals hits the O2 Arena in a month's time, where the top eight players in the year-to-date rankings will battle it out for the £2.27 million prize fund.

Four men have booked their spots at the O2 already - Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, but the remaining four spots could go down to the wire with eight players in with a shout of making it.

There are just six events left over the next three weeks (other than this week's tournaments) in which to earn precious ranking points, with the final event - the Paris Masters - being the best opportunity to earn big points.

We know that neither of last year's ATP World Tour finalists, Nikolay Davydenko and Juan Martin Del Potro, will be with us in London - both have been badly affected by wrist injuries this year, so who's in the mix instead?

Well, last year's semi finalist and all-round indoor king Robin Søderling will almost certainly be there as the current number five in the race, but after him just 500 points separate the next four players in the race.

The guys in the box seat at the moment are Tomas Berdych, David Ferrer and Andy Roddick, with Fernando Verdasco just 155 points behind the American in ninth.

Behind the Spaniard but still in with a chance are Jurgen Melzer, Mikhail Youzhny and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the latter duo are in action this week in Moscow.

Tsonga, currently at number 12 in the race, is the lowest ranked player still in with what can be described as a realistic chance to qualify, although it is mathematically possible for others to sneak in should they win everything between now and Paris inclusive.

The upcoming events this month are all ATP 250 tournaments, which of
course means 250 ranking points to the winner, with only Valencia and Basel left of the ATP 500 events before Paris on November 7 (1000 points).

So, who's coming into the autumn with momentum and who's hanging on by
their coattails? And the short answer is they're all hanging on
really.

You would have to say that Roddick's recent spate of injury and illness has dented his chances of making the finals and he is next due to play in Basel, where he'll face three-time champion Federer, last year's champion Djokovic and fellow hopefuls Berdych and Melzer.

A-Rod's October form over recent years has been pretty average to put it kindly and I'm not convinced that he's that fussed about the year-end event in any case, so I'm tipping him to be one to miss out.

Fernando Verdasco made the finals last year (by default) and didn't win a match. His form in the second half of 2010 has been so poor that I can't see him making it either unless there's a significant improvement in the coming weeks.

The Madrid man has lost in the first round of all three events since the US Open and his season looks to be petering out. He could well have to win Valencia and make the last four in Paris to make it and on current form that seems most unlikely.

Berdych is at a career high of 6 in the world rankings and on his performances in Slams this year deserves his spot at the O2.

However, his recent form is almost as bad as Verdasco's and he has a 2-7 recent record, including a straight sets thrashing by Jarkko Nieminen in Stockholm this week.

Youzhny has just pulled out of the Kremlin Cup citing a week-long viral illness, while Tsonga is just coming back after injury and Melzer is as totally unpredictable as ever.

David Ferrer is one that I think will probably have the consistency to qualify, which leaves two spots up for grabs and it really is a lottery with none of the others showing any sort of form.

Berdych should just about scrape in, as he has the most points in the bank, while the last spot could go to a late surge from Tsonga.

The Frenchman is the only one with energy left after several months out this season and the others look knackered, ill, injured and generally clapped out at the moment. He's the kind of guy who can ride a wave over the next month, culminating in Paris, and I wouldn't put it past him doing enough to book his place at O2.

So, there you have it. My eight for London are Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Soderling, Berdych, Ferrer and Tsonga, but there will be many twists and turns along the way first.

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