Swiss Indoors 2019: Men's singles draw analysis
Six out of eight spots for the ATP Finals have been filled, and the competition for the remaining two spots is getting more intense by the week. There are at least four players who can still qualify for tournament in November - Alexander Zverev, Matteo Berrettini, Roberto Bautista Agut and David Goffin are all in with a chance.
Except for Berrettini, all the players from this group are participating in the Swiss Indoors in Basel. The draw is being headlined by local star Roger Federer, and there are a few other top players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Fabio Fognini in the mix too.
Let's take a look at the singles draw.
Top half
Two-time defending champion Federer is the No. 1 seed and has Tsitsipas, Fognini and Stan Wawrinka in the top half along with him. The Swiss Maestro will play a qualifier in the first round before facing the winner of the match between Dusan Lajovic and Radu Albot in the second round.
Wawrinka, who reached the final of the Antwerp tournament earlier today, could face the winner of Frances Tiafoe and Dan Evans in the second round.
Fifth seed Fognini could meet the young Greek Tsitsipas in the quarterfinal. That promises to be a cracker of a contest assuming they both get there.
Federer struggled a bit last year as he got drawn into tough matches throughout the tournament, but still managed to win the title. Things might be similar this time around, and winning a record 10th Basel title won't be easy.
Federer might face countryman Wawrinka in the quarterfinal and either Tsitsipas or Fognini in the semis.
Bottom half
Alexander Zverev leads the bottom half as he is the No. 2 seed, and he has the likes of David Goffin, Roberto Bautista Agut and Jan-Lennard Struff for company.
Last year's runner-up Marius Copil has received a wild card into the tournament and he will face Bautista Agut in the first round. Goffin meanwhile will face Marin Cilic in the first round and could meet Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals.
Zverev will face Taylor Fritz in the first round and could possibly meet his countryman Struff in the quarter-finals. Benoit Paire, who is seeded eighth in the tournament, will face the Swiss wild-card entrant Henri Laaksonen in the first round.
Potential quarterfinal matchups:
1) Roger Federer vs Stan Wawrinka / Frances Tiafoe
2) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Fabio Fognini
3) Alexander Zverev vs Jan-Lennard Struff / Benoit Paire
4) David Goffin vs Roberto Bautista Agut