Everything you need to know about Shanghai Rolex Masters 2017
The Shanghai Rolex Masters is back for its ninth edition. Here’s all you need to know about the who, the what, the where and the when.
What is it?
The final stop on the Asian swing of the ATP (men’s professional tennis) tour, the Shanghai Rolex Masters is one of both the continent’s and the world’s biggest tennis tournaments. The Shanghai Rolex Masters 2017 will run from October 7 to 15 at the Qizhong Tennis Centre in Minhang. It’s played on hardcourt (the one that isn’t grass or clay) and there will be a total of 99 matches played over the week – 55 in singles, 23 in doubles and 21 in qualifying.
Who is going to be there?
The Shanghai Rolex Masters is an incredibly internationally diverse tournament, with players turning out from all over the world. Which exact players will be there depends on the ATP Rankings – a merit-based point system that works out who qualifies for entry to tournaments. Still, we know this year’s competition will feature such big names as Roger Federer (Switzerland) and recently crowned US Open champion Rafael Nadal (Spain), as well as other heavy hitters from the ATP circuit such as Croatia’s Marin Cilic and Canada’s Milos Raonic.
The 2016 Champion Andy Murray (Great Britain) won’t be coming to this year’s event, as part of an extended break from tennis to recuperate from a hip injury, but his brother Jamie is likely to be in action in the doubles portion of the tournament along with Brazilian partner Bruno Soares. Other high profile absentees include Novak Djokovic (Serbia) and Stan Wawrinka (Switzerland). But, there are plenty of exciting young players to look out for, including 20-year-old German wunderkind Alexander Zverev.
'Wo jiao Fed'
To help build publicity for this year’s event, fan-favourite Roger Federer, who missed the 2016 tournament due to injury, announced that he would be taking part this year by speaking Mandarin in a promotional video (that annoyingly isn't on QQ). The video ends with Federer looking to the camera and delivering his newly learned phrase ‘Lai Shanghai Laolishi Dashisai kan wo de bisai he xin de logo’ (‘Come see me and the new logo at the Shanghai Rolex Masters’). Already able to speak English, French, German, Swiss-German and a little Italian, it was no surprise that he could turn his hand to a little bit of Mandarin. Jiayou, Fed!
The future’s bright, the future’s...
Players who are under the age of 21 and also ranked in the top 200 of the ATP rankings are classed as ‘Next Generation’ stars of the ATP World Tour. The leading light of the current crop of #NextGen stars is young German Alexander Zverev, tipped by many to be the next big thing in men’s tennis. Here’s a rundown of four young players to keep an eye on at Shanghai Rolex Masters 2017.
Alexander Zverev
Just 20 years old, German superstar Alexander ‘Sascha’ Zverev has had a memorable two years, last year
becoming the youngest player to break into the ATP top 20 since Djokovic back in 2006 and currently sitting at number four in the ATP rankings. The ATP Star of Tomorrow in 2015, Zverev has six ATP titles to his name and earlier this year enjoyed his best run in a Grand Slam, reaching the fourth round of Wimbledon. His brother Mischa is also an ATP player and the pair play doubles together.
Nick Kyrgios
Technically no longer counting as a #NextGen player after turning 22 in April, fiery Australian Nick Kyrgios is definitely one to look out for at this year’s tournament – for both the right and the wrong reasons. Ranked at number 20 in the world, Kyrgios has reached quarter finals at both Wimbledon and the Australian Open, but is also known for his poor on-court behaviour. Last year he received a three-month ban for his outbursts – not giving his best effort, verbally abusing a spectator and unsportsmanlike conduct – in his second round Shanghai Rolex Masters match with Mischa Zverev. Hot-headed and unpredictable, yes, but there is no doubting his talent.
Taylor Fritz
Nineteen-year-old American Taylor Fritz is another youngster with the potential to make it big. A former winner of the Junior US Open, the Californian struggled with injury during the first half of the 2017 season, but bounced back to make two ATP Tour quarter-finals at Los Cabos and Winston Salem, as well as knocking out Marcos Baghdatis at the US Open. He was the secondfastest American to reach an ATP Final, doing so in Memphis in just his third-ever tournament last year.
Hyeon Chung
South Korean number one Hyeon Chung is another #NextGen player worth following. Twenty-one years old, Chung reached the third round of the French Open this summer, including a victory over 27th seed Sam Querrey. He has experience of rubbing shoulders with the big boys, taking Nadal to a tiebreak in the quarterfinals in Barcelona back in April, and taking a set off eventual semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov at this year’s Australian Open.
Shanghai Rolex Masters 2017 Qizhong Tennis Centre 5500 Yuanjiang Lu, near Kunyang Lu. Sat 7-Sun 15. 120-1,000RMB.
Photographs: courtesy Juss Event Management; CFP (Hyeon Chung)