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The final ATP Masters 1000 tournament is about to commence which will be the penultimate competition before the Nitto ATP Finals in London.
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is back after a near two-month injury layoff which forced him to retire from the US Open semi-final. The Spaniard is facing a threat from his arch-rival Novak Djokovic, who has a chance to topple Nadal from the No. 1 position this week. On the other hand, Juan Martin Del Porto has withdrawn from the tournament due to a right knee injury, which casts doubts on whether he will be able to make it for the ATP Tour Finals.
Here are the potential routes for the top players at the Paris Masters 2018:
Roger Federer
The World No. 3 Roger Federer is back in form after reaching the semis at the Shanghai Masters and winning his ninth Swiss Indoors title. The former champion is coming to the French capital after a hiatus of two years.
The Swiss maestro has been handed a tough draw with his opening round match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Milos Raonic. His potential quarter-final clash might be against Kevin Anderson, who has been in terrific form lately. Federer's semi-final opponent might be Novak Djokovic, with his arch-nemesis Nadal looming in the final stage.
Rafael Nadal
The World No.1 Rafael Nadal will have to match Djokovic's result to prevent himself from relinquishing the No. 1 ranking. Nadal will struggle to find form considering his return from injury and also due to the tournament being indoor, which makes it tough for him to generate top spin.
His opening round match is against the hard-hitter Fernando Verdasco, with a possible quarter final clash against Dominic Thiem. The Spaniard's semi-final opponent could be Alexander Zverev and the final showdown will most likely be against his biggest rival Novak Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic has had a spectacular year on the court and is the favourite to win the Paris Masters for the fifth time in his career. He is on an 18-match winning streak with his latest title coming at the Shanghai Masters last week.
The World No. 2's third round match will most likely be against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won the Stockholm Open last week. The Serbian's quarter-final opponent might be Marin Cilic or Dimitrov and his semi-final competitor could be his arch-rival Roger Federer.
His final showdown might be against Rafael Nadal, which would mark their 53rd meeting on the Tour. Djokovic is eyeing the No. 1 ranking, which he will regain if he wins the tournament or betters Nadal's result. If Novak wins the title, then it would be his third Masters title this year, taking his all-time tally to 33, equalling Nadal's record.
Kevin Anderson
The World No. 8 is in sublime form and has cemented his place in the ATP Tour Finals after clinching victory at the Vienna Open. Anderson has his opening round match against John Millman and his third round clash is likely to be against Kei Nishikori, whom he beat to win the Vienna Open.
The South African's quarter-final meeting would potentially be against the former champion Roger Federer and he would most likely have to face Novak Djokovic before reaching the final. Kevin would be gearing up to win his first Masters 1000 title and boost his chances in the closing tournament of the year.
John Isner would be a dark horse on this surface, considering his game is well suited for indoors. The French fans would be excited to witness the Top 3 in action and would be hoping for a Fedal final.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
