The futuristic Qi Zhong stadium in Shanghai will once again be the venue for the 2008 season ending Tennis Masters Cup. This event wraps up the season for the men players in a 2 group round robin format to determine the winner, and in some ranking systems determines who is Number 1. Eight men will compete in singles, and 4 pairs will compete in doubles. Accumulated points throughout the season are the determining factor for qualification, these points are awarded for the four Grand Slam events and 9 other ATP tournaments plus points for certain International tournaments. Four singles competitors have qualified to date and the race is on to see who will fill the other 4 places.

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!

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