Paris Masters 2018: 5 contenders to look out for

As the final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of 2018 starts off, a lot is at stake with the qualifying slots for the Nitto ATP Finals in London being up for grabs. It will be a race to the top of the rankings as well with a rejuvenated Novak Djokovic attempting to dislodge Rafael Nadal from the summit.

Rafael Nadal is playing his first tournament after retiring mid-way through his semi-final against Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open and will have his task cut out against a formidable challenger in Djokovic.

The Serb, with 4 titles at the Paris Masters, has won more matches than any one else at this event. With Del Potro pulling out of the tournament due to injury and his participation at the ATP Finals being questionable, another slot maybe freed up for the showpiece event in London, making it an interesting slugfest between the top players.

Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals if they make the semi-finals. John Isner will qualify if he reaches the final. Dominic Thiem will qualify only if he wins the title.

We take a look at the top 5 contenders at the ATP Paris Masters 1000:

#5 Kevin Anderson

The lanky South African won the Vienna Open last week and it propelled him to 6th in the ATP rankings, enabling him to cement his place at the ATP Finals. Brimming with confidence after his biggest career title win, Anderson will face Australian John Millman in the 1st round and could face off against his Vienna Open final opponent Kei Nishikori.

If Anderson were to win the title in Paris, he would probably have to beat both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the process. Anderson is one of few men to have beaten both of them and will be looking to grab his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

#4 Alexander Zverev

The youngest ranked player in the ATP Top-10 has already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in London next month and will be looking to win his 4th ATP Masters 1000 title. Since winning the Madrid Masters earlier this year, Zverev successfully defended his title at the Washington Open.

Zverev enjoyed good success at the Laver Cup and lost in the semi-finals to eventual champion Novak Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters. A defeat to Marius Copil in the Swiss Indoors saw him bow out in the semi-finals. Zverev will look to put his Swiss Indoors disappointment aside and look to capture his 4th title and 2nd ATP Masters title of the year. He has a fairly easy draw and will probably play against Francis Tiafoe in the 1st round.

#3 Roger Federer

Returning to the Paris Indoors after a 2-year hiatus, Roger Federer will look to carry forward his momentum from winning a record 9th Swiss Indoors title. Federer's form has been patchy since his defeat to John Millman at the US Open, barring a good outing at the Laver Cup and the Swiss Open triumph.

Federer hasn't been handed an easy draw and will face off against either Milos Raonic or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the second round. A potential quarter-final against the man who beat him at Wimbledon -- Kevin Anderson looms. If he manages to get past that hurdle, he will have to most likely face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and then his old nemesis Rafael Nadal in the final.

The path to the title certainly looks daunting but the Swiss legend has aced many battles far more challenging and it will be foolish to write him off on the basis of mere performances in the recent past.

#2 Rafael Nadal

Since being forced to retire against Juan Martin Del Potro in the semi-finals of the US Open, Nadal pulled out of the Laver Cup and also didn't take part in the Asian leg of the ATP Tour. The popular Spaniard earned many plaudits for his noble efforts to assist in flood rehabilitation work in his native Mallorca.

The Spaniard will look to fend off the challenge of Novak Djokovic and retain his Number 1 ranking and also look to win his first Paris Masters title. Likely to face off against fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the opening round, a potential quarter-final against Dominic Thiem or Borna Coric awaits and if he wins his quarter-final, a match against Alexander Zverev beckons in the semi-finals.

With the Paris Masters being only one of two Masters titles (the other being Miami Masters) not in Nadal's trophy cabinet, he will look to seize his opportunity and also retain the Number 1 ranking.

#1 Novak Djokovic

In ridiculous good form since his win at Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic is the clear favourite to win the Paris Masters and extend his streak there to 5 titles. From losing to Marco Cecchinato at the French Open, Djokovic has made giant strides in discovering his dominating form which he showed in 2015.

His serve, which was an issue earlier this year, looks to have been rectified and there are really no chinks in his armour now. If the Serb manages to win his 5th Paris Masters, he will not only reclaim the Number 1 ranking for the first time since 2016, but also tie Rafael Nadal's all-time ATP Masters tally of 33 titles.

Since winning at Cincinnati and Shanghai, Djokovic will look to add another Masters title in addition to his 2 Grand Slam titles. A third round match against Stockholm Open winner Stefanos Tsitsipas awaits before a quarter-final showdown against either Marin Cilic or Grigor Dimitrov.

If he manages to ace that challenge, Novak would be up against Federer in the semi-finals and a potential final against current World Number 1 Rafael Nadal beckons.

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