Shanghai Masters 2018: 5 players to watch out for
ATP events have always been a perfect platform for some of the higher ranked players to prepare for any major Grand Slam event. It also gives an opportunity for some of the lower ranked players to improve their rankings and get some much-needed match practice before any Grand Slam event.
After witnessing some intriguing contests at the Tokyo Open and the China Open, fans are expecting some high voltage contests in the upcoming Shanghai Masters event, which is about to start on Sunday. With Rafael Nadal already out of the tournament due to a knee injury and Andy Murray deciding not to play any further events in the current year, the focus will once again be on Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
Federer was the winner of the tournament in 2017 and will hope to lift the trophy once again. On the other hand, Djokovic has won two Grand Slam titles this year (Wimbledon and US Open) and will hope to continue with his good run of form. But ATP events have always produced new winners and this time too, there could be a surprise winner.
There are some players who could surely produce a shocking result and upset some of the best players in the business.
We take a look at 5 such players who could turn out to be a surprise element in this event.
#1 Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem is considered to be the next shining star in tennis circles. The 25-year-old produced some decent performances this year by winning the Lyon Open in May and finished runner-up in the Madrid Open in the same month, losing to Alexander Zverev in the finals.
The Austrian also finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in the French Open. He also won the Argentina Open in February by beating Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in the final with a 6-2, 6-4 scoreline. He also won the St Petersburg Open in Russia in September by beating Martin Klizan of Slovakia with a 6-3, 6-1 scoreline.
His destructive forehands combined with his solid groundstrokes can trouble any opponent. His baseline game is quite precise. His quick groundstrokes have outdone many opponents, while his top spins are quite effective during the run of play.
Thiem’s calmness helps him during pressure situations, which the Austrian has said helps him focus whenever he plays a tricky opponent. Thiem has also stated that maintaining a positive temperament will help him to overcome pressure situations. His single-handed backhands have always been his main strength.