Two spots in the upcoming Nitto ATP World Tour Finals remain up for grabs and two contenders flamed out of the Rolex Paris Masters on Tuesday. Sam Querrey’s loss to Filip Krajinovic has eliminated the American from London contention. Pablo Carreno Busta bowed out to French wild card Nicolas Mahut but the Spaniard is still clinging to a place in the year-end championship.
Querrey, who needed to win at least one match in Paris to qualify for the World Tour Finals, fell to Krajinovic 6-4, 6-4. With Carreno Busta out of this week’s tournament, he no longer controls his own destiny for London and must play the waiting game. A whopping nine different contenders have a chance to overtake the U.S. Open semifinalist, which means David Goffin–who is currently seventh in the race–is also far from safe. Goffin, though, is still alive in Paris and has an opportunity to increase his point total. Check out betting odds for the Rolex Paris Masters.
The Belgian has 2,885 points this year, 280 more than Carreno Busta and 315 more than all other remaining contenders. A semifinal showing would guarantee Goffin a place at the O2 Arena in two weeks, although he may be in good shape regardless of his Paris result.
Kevin Anderson, the man who is 315 points south of Goffin, must reach at least the Paris quarterfinals. The 6’8” South African surged into contention with a runner-up finish at the U.S. Open, but he has struggled ever since. Anderson will begin his quest in Paris against Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday.
Juan Martin Del Potro has to advance to at least the Paris semis. The Argentine would have put himself in a temporary London spot by capturing last week’s Basel title, but he lost a three-set final against Roger Federer. Del Potro has made a major push this fall, having also reached the Shanghai semifinals to go along with a title in Stockholm. Joao Sousa is up first for the 2009 U.S. Open champion this week.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga must also make a semifinal appearance in Paris in order to have a shot at London. The Frenchman is coming off a runner-up performance in Vienna, where he succumbed to countryman Lucas Pouille.
Speaking of Pouille, he could qualify for the year-end championship with a run to the Paris title match.
Other outside contenders include Roberto Bautista Agut, John Isner, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Jack Sock, and Diego Schwartzman. All five must win the Paris title in order to have any chance. Either Isner or Bautista Agut will be eliminated in the second round, because they are going head-to-head against each other. Sock and Pouille could square off in the third round.
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how fun is this!
My guess is Goffin and Delpo to qualify.
Honestly a total collapse by Querrey to be this close to the WTF and lose to Krajinovic on an indoor hard court. That’s a joke
This guy is so unpredictable. He was playing so well 1st part of the season and especially at Wimbledon. And then slowly melted away.
F. Krajinovic was playing really well prior to their meeting, low tournaments but he was balling.
http://www.tennisexplorer.com/player/krajinovic-96172/
I picked N. Mahut( +1.5 sets) yesterday against P. Carreno and he will play Krajinovic tomorrow, the Frenchman might win this one but I haven’t started researching I will decide 2morrow.
F. Krajonovic is the prince of challenger’s, he loves clay Court as well.
I know but on this surface that’s just a match you have to win if you’re Querrey. Just the weakest way to end the season.
EDIT: the Querrey way to end the season