If he drops out of the competition his place will be taken by the first alternate player Giles Simon, leaving James Blake as the other alternate. The Shanghai event is scheduled to begin Friday, and unlike regular ATP tour events where the seeded players often have an easy game or two in the early rounds, all the matches in the Master’s Cup will be tough and probably long, so if Rafa has any notion of showing up to play in less than top condition he will be quickly defeated and on his way home. We all want to see him play in this event, but if he is injured he should stay home. Rafa echoed his coach’s frustrated remarks during an interview after his withdrawal from the Paris tournament suggesting that in light of the number of injuries suffered by the players at the end of the season, the ATP should take a careful look at its grueling schedule. If it’s any consolation Rafa, I am on your side and in complete agreement with you. It must have already become evident that to remain at the top position for any length of time takes an enormous amount of discipline and a playing style that does not punish a player’s body. The demands of the ATP schedule are high, but so are the rewards!

The four doubles pairs to qualify are, the Bryan Brothers, Nestor/Zimonjic, Bhupathi/Knowles, and Erlich/Ram. It will be the first time for the successful pair of David Nestor and Mark Knowles to be on opposing teams in a Masters Cup Final event. As a team they were former winners of this event.

This Masters Cup Australian open tournament event promises to be the most highly competitive event in its history, there can be no favourite, no player who stands out as a sure winner, but whoever emerges as the winner will move on to the 2009 season brimming with confidence.

Rafael Nadal…..1265 points.

Roger Federer….921

Novak Djokovic 899

Andy Murray 520

Nicolay Davydenko 417

Andy Roddick 354

David Ferrer 337

James Blake 309

Del Potro is just 2 points behind Blake for the 8^th. Position, and could displace him with a win in Tokyo or Madrid in October.

Federer is the defending champion, he has won 4 times in the past 5 years, only losing to David Nalbandian in 2005. This year is expected to be a different story. Rafa is now Number 1, and has shown that he can play on hard courts almost as well as he plays on clay. Both Djokovic and Murray have lots to prove, and either one could ‘get hot’ and win the $1.2 million prize. The Tennis Masters Cup concludes the official 2008 season, and sets the stage for the first Grand Slam event of 2009. The players have a well deserved rest and start preparing for the 2009 Australian Open in January.

Tickets for the Shanghai Cup are expensive. A series ticket for a good court side seat will cost $4800, a ticket for the series located in the bleachers costs $2200, but everyone is assured of witnessing the 8 best players in the world and every match will be as good as any tour final. For the players it is a gruelling tournament, the winner will play 5 matches in 7 days, and unlike regular events or even Grand Slam events where the top seeded players often have relatively easy matches in the first rounds, here every match is tough. For the first time in 5 years there is no odds on choice to win. Rafa is the Number 1 player, Federer is the defending champion, and Djokovic and Murray have shown that they can both beat the top two players. Last year’s runner up was David Ferrer, don’t count him out, and if Del Potro makes it to this select group, he could win it all. Maybe Roddick will finally get his act together and make history, and now that Davydenko has been exonerated for betting he might be ready to concentrate on tennis again.

It is shaping up to be the greatest finale ever. Let’s see, tickets, hotel, air fare, food, a little entertainment and a couple of souvenirs, I think $20,000 should cover it!