Article

  • Masters Cup hopefuls descend on Vienna

    10/5/08 11:52 PM | Ricky Dimon
    - The Bank Austria Tennis Trophy in Vienna will be the center of the tennis world this week, as a host of Masters Cup contenders are looking for precious points.

    Neither a Grand Slam nor Masters Series title is at stake at the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy in Vienna this week. But for a relatively small tournament with a field of just 32 players, it does not get much bigger than this. A handful of contenders right on the brink of qualifying for the year-end Masters Cup in Shanghai--but currently on the outside looking in--will be trying to make a serious move.

    The question as of Sunday afternoon is whether or not Juan Martin Del Potro will pull out or stay in. Del Potro has played a ton of tennis recently, having won four consecutive tournaments following Wimbledon, reaching the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, and finishing runner-up in Tokyo last week. He did not feel well throughout his surprising loss to Tomas Berdych in the final, but the Argentine is ninth in the 2008 race and that could provide enough incentive for him to pick up his rackets yet again.

    No. 5 seed Fernando Verdasco, a potential quarterfinal opponent for Del Potro, certainly would not mind seeing him withdraw. Nor would little-known Austrian wild-card Martin Fischer, who is scheduled to play him in round one. Shanghai hopeful Fernando Gonzalez and Gael Monfils are both in the last quarter of the draw and they are arguably the second and third favorites to win this whole tournament; first and second if Del Potro is absent. Dangerous unseeded threats Philipp Kohlschreiber, Radek Stepanek, and Ernests Gulbis will look to wreak havoc in this section as well.

    The top half of the draw looks completely up for grabs. The playing field there is both talented and level. For example, No. 4 seed Ivo Karlovic could just as easily make the title match as he could lose in the first round to Juan Carlos Ferrero. Same goes for seventh-seeded Masters Cup contender Gilles Simon, who faces Eduardo Schwank in his opening match. No. 1 seed Stanislas Wawrinka could have his hands full with qualifier Philipp Petzschner in round one, and the Swiss will have a tough time as the favorite throughout his quest to the tile, as the top half also boasts sixth-seeded Tommy Robredo, Carlos Moya, Jurgen Melzer, and Feliciano Lopez.

Tell a friend »

Comments


Write comment

You have to be logged in to comment. If you do not have an account, click here to register. It only takes a minute and you'll be redirected back to this page.
Username:

Password: