ATP Shanghai Rolex Masters: 4 Players likely to appear in the semi finals

With the curtains being dropped on the Grand Slam quest for the year, the action is scheduled to shift to the hard courts of Shanghai come the 6th of October. In its tenth year of existence, the Shanghai Rolex Masters is the penultimate ATP 1000 Masters event in a calendar year. The last few editions have been shared mostly among the Big Four with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, each winning thrice whilst Roger Federer won twice.

Crowned as the champion in 2017, Federer is undoubtedly a hot favourite for a shot at the title. Along with that, there is also Djokovic who is raring to have a go and clinch his fourth title. Come October, things are bound to look exciting in this part of Asia as the best of the game will assemble to hope to win and make a dash for the year-ending ATP Finals in London later in the year! Here are few of the favourites and most probable names to become the semi-finalists!

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#1 Roger Federer

The defending champion is a hot favourite for this year's ATP Shanghai Masters!

2017 saw the rebirth of a certain man called Roger Federer who evolved like a phoenix to surge back to the top berths of the game. Missing out a major chunk of the 2016 season, Federer scripted a fairytale comeback when he won his 18th Major title at the Australian Open in January 2017 only to follow it up with a Wimbledon win.

Exhibiting a remarkable form and class of play, Federer outplayed his arch-rival Rafael Nadal on several occasions in the previous year to establish his dominance all over again. In the finals of the ATP Shanghai Rolex Masters 2017, he was pitted against the Spaniard who he toppled over with ease to get crowned as the Champion for the second time after 2014.

It goes without saying that the 37-year-old with 20 Grand Slam titles to his name is the clear favourite heading into the event as the defending champion. Given his awe-inspiring display of tennis at the freshly concluded Laver Cup, Federer is the one sure shot semi-finalist to watch out for!

#2 Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic will look to clinch his 4th ATP Shanghai Masters title

There is really no stopping Novak, is there? The 31-year-old has charged back into the circuit and the extra spaces in his trophy cabinet are getting filled with one Grand Slam title after the other. Also returning from an injury layoff, Djokovic has been able to find his rhythm to jolt his opponents in the classic Djoker style and with the recently added Big W and US Open titles, he has tied with Pete Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slam wins.

Probably one of the fittest players to step on the court, few can raise a finger at Djokovic's sheer dedication and love for the sport. Holding the rave record of winning all 9 Masters Titles in his career and completing his Golden Masters, Djokovic is looking to add a fourth Shanghai Rolex Masters title to his tally.

Having won the early October event in 2012, 2013 and 2015, he is a steady favourite for the tournament celebrating its one decade anniversary. If Djokovic manages to win the title then he will surpass Andy Murray, who also has also won thrice at Shanghai, to become a record holder for the highest number of titles won in this event.

With 2 Grand Slam wins to boast of from the recent past, the firebrand athlete is in exceptional form to go get his fourth title!

#3 Kevin Anderson

Anderson is the latest threat who is likely to cause trouble

By this time of the year, one should not be surprised to find the name of the lanky South African present in the list of top contenders for a title. Anderson has been the latest threat to the likes of Djokovic and Federer having the rare opportunity of serving them out in the last few months.

While the quarter-final clash at Wimbledon was a humiliating defeat for the King of Grass, it was Anderson who went on to reign supreme by keeping a Federer away from clinching the match when he was leading 2 sets to love and was on match point. After Federer meeting with a shock exit, Anderson went on to play John Isner in the longest semifinal in Wimbledon history which lasted over six hours, draining both players of their energy.

However, Anderson had prevailed yet again to enter into the finals of Big W. Although he was unable to defeat a motivated Djokovic in the July finals who steamrolled past him, Anderson made up for the loss by winning against him in the recently concluded Laver Cup clash.

If Anderson's advances aren't checked early into the tournament then he is most likely to get a ticket to the semis and given his spirited form, there is hardly any doubt that the big-serving fellow will make it to semis of the event.

#4 Alexander Zverev

There is no underestimating the newest kid in tennis town

The newest force in tennis town has to be the 21-year-old Alexander Zverev. Cited to be the next big thing like Roger Federer, he boasts of defeating his Laver Cup teammates Federer and Djokovic in the Canada Masters and the Italian Masters respectively in 2017. Currently ranked 5th in the world, Zverev is an opponent to be wary of.

In the recently concluded Laver Cup, it was Zverev who led Team Europe to a sailing victory for the second year in a row. The lanky 6 ft. 6-inch player made little of John Isner and battled past Kevin Anderson to equal a 4-0 single's record in the Laver Cup alongside Roger. Zverev, with his current form, has a strong chance to come make the best of his opportunity if he eases into the semis of the Shanghai Masters.