If Rafael Nadal is going to win his first ATP World Tour Finals, he is going to have to do it the hard way. Not that there really is an easy way when the Top 8 players in the world get together for a round robin tournament.
The No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic, the winner of this year’s China Open and the Barclay’s Dubai Tennis Championships, joins Nadal in a group of four that also includes Tomas Berdych and Andy Roddick.
Djokovic lost to Nadal in four sets in the finals of the U.S. Open this year and will, no doubt, be looking to avenge that defeat in the season finale.
No. 2 Roger Federer headlines the other group, which includes Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and David Ferrer. Play begins Sunday in London, with the final round being held Nov. 28.
Nadal, who has won three Grand Slam titles this year, has never won the year-end tournament. Federer is bidding to win the ATP Finals for a record-tying fifth time.
Last year’s winner, Nikolay Davydenko, failed to qualify.
The top two players from each round robin group will play in the semifinals at London’s O2 Arena.
In the opening round match-ups, Soderling is +100 vs. Murray -140, Federer is -900 against Ferrer +450, Djokovic is -350 against Berdych +225 and Nadal is -225 against Roddick, who enters at +175.
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