As the Asian swing of the ATP Tour comes to a climax, the race for places at the O2 Arena is hotting up.
We look at which big names are struggling to make the ATP Tour Finals
As the Asian swing of the ATP Tour comes to a climax in Shanghai, the race for a place at the ATP Tour Finals is hotting up with Juan Martin Del Potro the big name set to miss out.
The game's big four may have safely secured their spots at the showpiece event at London's O2 Arena, but the remaining four spots are well and truly up for grabs.
David Ferrer looks the most likely to be the next name on the confirmed list, having reached the fourth round or further in all four Grand Slams and making the final of the Monte Carlo Masters.
With 3,760 points to his name, the Spaniard is over 800 points clear of American Mardy Fish, who has enjoyed the finest year of his career and currently sits sixth in the year-to-date rankings - 10 places above his highest previous season-ending position.
Fish has reached three finals this year, winning one, during the American swing.
Drought
Fish is
1/8 with
Sky Bet to make the Tour Finals for a first time, while Tomas Berdych is the same price after ending a 29-month trophy drought with
victory at the China Open.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga occupies the final qualifying spot having endured a relatively disappointing campaign in the Masters events, only progressing past a third round once, but he has produced the goods on the big stage.
The Frenchman knocked Roger Federer out of Wimbledon to make the semi-finals before making the final eight at the US Open, but has previously only made the Tour Finals once, exiting at the round-robin stage on that occasion.
But Tsonga should relish the chance to take on the game's top names in London, given he has claimed four of his six career titles indoors, and is
20/1 to win the season-ending event.
Nicolas Almagro is the closest contender to break into the top-eight, but would have to improve on his career high ranking of number nine to make the finals, with Sky Bet making him
5/1 to do so and
125/1 to triumph in London.
Despite previously being the online bookmaker's fifth favourite to win the event, it is 2009 Tour Finals runner-up Del Potro who is currently on course to miss out at he sits 12th in the YTD rankings.
The giant Argentine has struggled to rediscover the form which saw him win the 2009 US Open following a long-term wrist injury, with two 250 titles, a semi-final appearance at Indian Wells and quarter-final exit at Wimbledon his modest highlights of 2011.
Outsider
At 10th in the YTD rankings, just 30 points ahead of Del Potro, world number six Robin Soderling faces an even more difficult task in reaching London.
Illness has ruled Soderling out since victory in his home event, the Swedish Open, in July, with his absence at Shanghai meaning he has missed the entire Asian swing.
The Swede's priced up at
9/1 to make London, while Gilles Simon (5/1), Janko Tipsarevic (8/1) and Gael Monfils (8/1) have even more ground to make up.
However, with half of the world's top six absent, the Shanghai Masters could provide the perfect platform for one of the outsiders to make their move.
And those not expecting an outsider to prevail in China can get
2/1 for another final showdown between Murray and Nadal, after the Scot
prevailed in three sets in the Japan Open final on Sunday.
