5 Players to watch out for in the London Masters

The final ATP event of the year is about to begin in London and it will be interesting to see how Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic fare in a tournament which will once again be without Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Andy Murray had already stated after the Beijing Open in September that he would not be taking part in any events in the ongoing year. Rafael Nadal will miss the tournament as he has opted out due to an ankle injury and abdominal pain.

Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina has also opted to miss the tournament due to an injury. As we all know ATP events provide a perfect platform for some of the unseeded and lesser-known players to gain experience by playing alongside some of the greatest players in the sport which eventually helps to them prepare for some of the bigger tournaments like a Grand Slam. It also helps them grow as a player. Roger Federer won the Swiss Indoors in Basel last month by beating Marius Copil of Romania in the final. He also made it to the semifinals of Paris Masters this month.

The Swiss legend will surely be amongst the favourites to lift the title and it will be foolish to not consider him as a contender for winning the tournament. On the other hand, Novak Djokovic would be brimming with confidence as the Serbian has looked in prime form since July winning 2 Grand Slam tournaments and ATP events. The 31-year-old recently made it to the final of Paris Masters this month where he lost to Russian Karen Khachanov.

Djokovic will be eager to continue with his fine run of form which would help him prepare for the events in the next year. At the moment the Serbian is occupying the number 1 position in the rankings and finishing the year on a positive note would be like an icing on the cake for him. Apart from Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are players like Alexander Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Marin Cilic etc who have qualified for the finals. We take a look at 5 such players who could be billed as favourites to win the title.

#1 Dominic Thiem

Rolex Paris Masters - Day Five

Dominic Thiem is considered to be the next superstar 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 against Rafael Nadal in the French Open last month.

He also won the Argentina Open in February by beating Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia in the finals 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. He also made it to the semi-finals of the Paris Open this month. Thiem's destructive forehands combined with his solid groundstrokes can trouble any opponent.

Thiem possesses tremendous accuracy while hitting the baselines. 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 had said helps him focus whenever he plays a tricky opponent. His single-handed backhands have always been his main strength.

#2 Alexander Zverev

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Alexander Zverev has been touted as the next big thing in the Tennis Circuit like Dominic Thiem, but the German hasn’t lived up to his reputation. Many think that may be the German may need some more time to develop the temperament one needs to excel in high-pressure games, especially in knockout rounds when the German tends to get a bit nervous.

Zverev also tends to get a bit erratic and this is one area where the German needs to show improvement. The number 5 seed had stated that playing more such events will help him to prepare for Grand Slam events. The 22-year-old won the Madrid Masters in May by beating Dominic Thiem in the finals and was runner-up in Miami Masters and Rome masters in March and May.

He also won the Bavarian International Tennis Championship in April. His precise baselines have at times outfoxed his opponents. He also won the Washington Open in July by beating Australia’s Alex De Minaur in the finals. He also made it to the finals of the Vienna Open in the doubles category along with his brother Mischa Zverev last month.

Zverev's blasting serves can outclass his rivals, while he has this ability to surprise his opponents with his quick serves. Zverev’s backhand strokes are considered to be his main strengths and it is an area where the German can be a big threat to his rivals.

# 3 Marin Cilic

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Marin Cilic is another player who hasn’t done justice to his talent. The Croatian was the runner-up in the last edition of Wimbledon losing to Roger Federer in the final when the 30-year-old lost his way in that game because of an injury. This year too he was a runner-up in the Australian Open as he once again lost against Roger Federer in the finals. Cilic won the Queens Club championships before the Wimbledon tournament.

The 2014 US Open champion had stated that doing well in the London Masters will give him a much-required boost to do well in the upcoming tournaments and the Grand Slam tournaments next year. Cilic is seeded 5th in the upcoming London Masters event and has stated that ending the tournament on a positive note will help him improve his rankings.

His sublime baselines have always unsettled his opponents combined with his powerful groundstrokes. Cilic has this ability to produce some brilliant groundstrokes during the run of play which can outclass his rivals. He can also execute some exceptional drop shots. Cilic can also cover a lot of ground with his reach and quick moves.

# 4 Kevin Anderson

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Kevin Anderson has looked in decent form in the calendar year. The 32-year-old made it to the finals of this year’s Wimbledon where he lost to Novak Djokovic. He also made it to the semifinals of the Madrid Open and Canadian Open in May and August. Recently he won the Vienna Open in October by beating Kei Nishikori in the final.

The South African can be a tricky customer because of his precise baselines. Anderson can outclass his opponents with his destructive forehands. Anderson is a quick mover on the court which at times makes it difficult to track his movements during the run of play. The 2017 US Open finalist is also quite good in playing drop shots. Anderson can also be dangerous with his backhands on which the South African has made improvements since the last few tournaments.

# 5 Kei Nishikori

Rolex Paris Masters - Day Five

Kei Nishikori is a surprise inclusion in our list. Kei Nishikori is the torch bearer for Asia in Tennis circles. The 29-year-old came into the tournament in place of the Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro who withdrew from the tournament due to an injury. The Japanese have looked sharp when producing his precise baselines. Nishikori is another who hasn't lived up to his talent as the 29-year-old tends to get a bit nervous during pressure situations, especially during big games.

His two-handed backhands can unsettle any opponent while his groundstrokes have looked quite destructive. Nishikori has the ability to play long rallies and his deceptive moves can trouble his opponents during the run of play. Nishikori made it to the semifinals of this year's US Open. Nishikori made it to the finals of the Vienna Open in October losing to Kevin Anderson of South Africa. Nishikori can also be a tricky player because of his clever drop shots. Nishikori can also be a threat with his powerful serves, especially on hard courts.