Paris Masters Preview

When the words ‘Paris’ and ‘Tennis’ are heard together, connecting that with Roland Garros is inevitable for any tennis fan. However, quietly, in the shadows of Rolland Garros, the BNP Paribas Paris Masters (Bercy) has been churning out champions for the last 40 years. A lot of big names in the past have won at Bercy, but till last year, this was probably the biggest tournament on whose silverware neither ‘Roger Federer‘ nor ‘Rafael Nadal‘ had ever been etched. Thankfully for the tournament, Federer took off that oddity by winning it in 2011, for if he had not, the streak would have continued this year as well, as both Federer and Nadal have opted out of the event.

What’s at stake?

Leading the line-up of stars is Novak Djokovic, the World No.2 this week and No.1 next week – irrespective of what happens here. Apart from proving his authority and getting back atop the rankings chart, the 2009 champion has nothing much to prove. For Andy Murray, vital points collected here can help him set his sights on the No.2 spot, which he would happily accept if he can get there by the end of the year or in time for the Australian Open 2013. For other top stars like Berdych, Tsonga, last week’s victors Ferrer and del Potro, wins against one another in the latter stages of the tournament could give a much-needed confidence ahead of their clashes-to-be at the O2 arena in London next week. The last berth for the World Tour Finals is up for grabs and the likely contenders Tipsarevic and Gasquet would be itching to take a deep plunge into the draw. However, outsiders like Raonic & Almagro can never be ruled out, with these players still mathematically in the running to make it to the World Tour Finals. For the rest of the field, a good performance at the last event of the year would give them some confidence for the season ahead.

What’s the draw like?

Top Half:

Victor Hanescu is the lucky loser who replaces Federer after the latter’s last minute withdrawal. He is a lucky, lucky loser, as he also gets a bye directly into Round 2. Murray and Berdych are the top seeds in the top half. Murray has a tough draw on paper. He has to contend with Paul Henri Mathieu, the man who had a good last week at Basel, in Round 2, and has to go past Cilic in Round 3 if he wants to help himself and Gasquet’s chances in a potential quarter-final match against Tipsarevic.

For Berdych, a Round 3 clash with Gasquet is in the offing, for which Gasquet needs to overcome either the Brazilian left-hander Bellucci, who has an uncanny knack of playing well against top players, or the South African giant Kevin Anderson! Going by the draw, if you were to choose between Tipsarevic and Gasquet over who’d end up buying tickets to London, the Serbian would be a safer bet.

A good first round match to look for in this half would be the one between the new father in the circuit, Marcos Baghdatis, and home boy Gilles Simon. Whoever wins that game will fancy their chances of reaching the last 16/last 8 thanks to Federer’s withdrawal.

Bottom Half:

There are a number of potential mouth-watering clashes in this half as well. With Novak Djokovic expected to face Raonic in Round 3 and del Potro in the quarters, he has his hands full! For del Potro, who has a staggering 17-1 record at the indoors this season and is looking for a third title in three straight weeks, Isner might offer some resistance if they meet in Round 3. In other possible match-ups, it would be nice to see if Wawrinka can realise his potential if and when he takes on the in-form Ferrer in a Round 3 clash. For the 2008 champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the quarter appears easy to reach, as he has to contend with men like Troicki/Almagro, against who he has the power and skill to dominate. If Benneteau can get inspired like he did when he upset Roger Federer at this event in 2009, it would help the French crowd see an all-French clash in Tsonga vs Benneteau.

A good first round match from this half would be the one between Llodra and Stepanek. For people fed up with the baseline slugfests, this could be one match to look forward to, as the two are known for their approach to the net.

All in all, with a lot of promising match-ups and a vociferous Paris crowd, we can expect quite a few fireworks in the last regular event of the year. If that is not enough, here’s a trivia. Since 2003, the event has seen different men win each edition, and this year, one man has the skill and form to end that streak. Novak Djokovic, of Serbia. However, there is a Scot practising somewhere in Bercy who would want to ensure that the streak continues! Let us see how it pans out!