Rafael Nadal ends year as world no.1 after win over Hyeon Chung

Source: AFP

Rafael Nadal has created history by becoming the oldest male player to finish the year as the world no.1 after securing his the top ranking for the fourth time in his amazing career in tennis.

The 31-year-old Spaniard assured himself the no.1 ranking by defeating Hyeon Chung 7-5, 6-3 in the second round of the Paris Masters. If you are interested to see how the other players fair at the Paris Masters, be sure to follow them at NetBetSport.

The 16-time major singles winner becomes the first player to finish no.1 for a whooping four times(!) in non-consecutive years since the ATP rankings were introduced back in 1973, while the nine-year gap between his first in 2008 and most recent number one year is another record.

Nadal had not finished the year at the top since 2013, with Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray dominating the sport after that.

Source: AFP

"One year ago, for sure I never dreamed about being number one again at the end of the season," said Nadal, who suffered a devastating wrist injury.

"It has been an amazing year."

Nadal's comeback from injury, loss of form which affected his confidence level, has been a truly remarkable one.

He reached three Grand Slam finals this year, losing to Roger Federer at the Australian Open but followed by a historical win after capturing his 10th French Open title before clinching the US Open for the third time.

"It was impossible for me to think about coming back from a tough period without playing, and with so many injuries in the last couple of years," Nadal said.

The only downside to his exceptionally remarkable season was losing to Federer. The Swiss maestro has beaten Nadal in four consecutive matches this year compared to Nadal's clear advantage in their head-to-head meetings in the past.

Nadal was not playing at his best level against the Chung, but was rarely tested. He is tied for a record 30 Masters titles with Djokovic but has never won the tournament in Paris.

If you are interested to see how the players fair at the Paris Masters, be sure to follow the betting lines at NetBetSport.

Roger Federer skips Paris, Rafael Nadal eyes No 1 finish

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Unexpectedly, Roger Federer withdrew from the Paris Masters happening this week which leaves ensuring Rafael Nadal has a clear opportunity to end the year as the world no. 1.

Federer claimed a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 victory over Juan Martin del Potro on his home ground tournament, the Swiss Indoors final in Basel last weekend and right after that withdrew from the Paris Masters as he looks to get back to full fitness. If you would like to find out how other players perform instead, be sure to check out the betting lines for Paris Masters.

Nadal, currently leads the rankings and it is now every likely that the old rivals will battle it out at the ATP finals at the end of the season event.

Federer, fresh from winning a 95th career title which puts him into second on the all-time list behind the 109 of Jimmy Connors, had said all week that he would make a late decision depending on his post-Basel fitness.

"My body is asking for a break," said the Swiss maestro.

"Basel takes a lot out of me emotionally. I had five matches in six days. I feel sorry and sad for Paris."

"I love to play at Bercy, it's a few times now that I've not played there. It's a tough one but they have to understand that it's for the cause of staying injury-free and healthy."

"I'd like to be fully fit for London (the World Tour Finals) and for 2018."

Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images Europe

According to ATP calculations, Nadal can clinch the year-end number one status by winning his opening second round match in Paris.

The Spaniard will open his campaign at Bercy against South Korean young player Hyeon Chung. If you are tracking the betting lines for Paris Masters, you know where to go to while keeping an eye on the players' performance during this period.

Federer last played Paris in 2015 and won the title in 2011.

"I did think about the ranking, but I'm so far back in the points race that it was almost out of the question," added Federer.

"I asked myself what I would do if the ranking (issue) was not there. I want to stay injury-free, not push it and maybe get hurt next week and then miss London."

"It would be a snowball. It was not really about the ranking to be quite honest. If I was closer in the points race (to Nadal) it might have been."

Federer is now 1,460 ranking points behind Nadal and misses out on the chance of the 1,000 on offer in Paris.

WTA Finals: Caroline Wozniacki advances to semis after thrashing world no. 1 Simona Halep

Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

Caroline Wozniacki thrashed world no.1 Simona Halep 6-0, 6-2 to reach the WTA Finals last four in Singapore.

The Dane, who beat Elina Svitolina in her first match, broke Halep's serve five times in a victory that secured progress from Red Group.

The 27-year-old, a former world number one, took the first set in 24 minutes against Halep, making only two unforced errors. Overall, Halep committed 17 unforced errors throughout the match, compared to just seven from Wozniacki. If you are following the betting odds for WTA Finals, keep an eye on the players' performance in Singapore during this period.

Wozniacki, now ranked no. 6 in the world said, "I didn't expect to be leading by this much, so I was asking myself, 'What's happening, am I really playing that well?'.

Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images AsiaPac

"I just tried to stay positive, stayed aggressive, take the ball early and go for my shots."

Wozniacki is one of five players who could finish the year as world number one by winning the tournament.

Meanwhile, Caroline Garcia won the last four games to beat Svitolina 6-7 (9-7) 6-3 7-5 in the other Red Group's match.

The result means any one of Halep, Garcia or Svitolina could join Wozniacki in the semifinals depending on the results of Friday's last robin-round matches.

Karolina Pliskova has already qualified from the White Group, with Garbine Muguruza and Venus Williams playing for the second qualifying spot on Thursday.

WTA Future stars attracts largest field of junior tennis players from Asia-Pacific

In its fourth edition, the 2017 WTA Future Stars initiative hits a new high with 48 qualifiers representing 21 countries across the Asia-Pacific, all gathering in Singapore to play against each other from October 17-22. Each country sends two representatives, one each in the U14 and U16 categories, with host city Singapore represented by nine participants this year.

Held in conjunction with the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the WTA Future Stars features the best of the U14 and U16 junior players from the region who will compete in Singapore at the Kallang Tennis Center. The champion matches will be played under the bright lights of the WTA Finals Center Court at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. If you're exploring tennis betting for WTA Finals, do follow up on the performances of the women players in Singapore during this period.

The WTA Future Stars platform was developed to showcase the best of Asia-Pacific’s next stars, and began with just 12 countries and 24 players in its first year. Since its inception in 2014, Singapore has welcomed more than 150 WTA Future Stars participants to compete against each other and alongside activities to breed friendship and encourage sportsmanship.

Singapore U14 and U16 Future Stars with WTA Future Stars Tournament Director, Donna Kelso and Singapore Tennis Association's President, Mr Nicholas Lim Han Kong (Source: WTA)

Participation has continued to grow year-on-year, with new countries signing up, and more players from the region continuing to build on the quality of the competition. Kazakhstan will be represented for the first time while Cambodia and Laos return after a one-year absence.

To build on the momentum, a new partnership was also formed with Eleven Sports, which delivers world-class international and domestic sports and lifestyle entertainment. Tennis fans will be able to watch the progress of the WTA Future Stars through exclusive content from behind-the-scenes access with these junior players to match highlights on the Eleven Sports platforms both in Singapore and in Chinese-Taipei.

This year, the WTA Future Stars will also be participating in the inaugural WTA Charities Community Day held on Saturday, October 21. In a clinic led by former British Fed Cup Captain Judy Murray, the WTA Future Stars will be joined by children from SportCares and the Tennis For Every Child program by SC Global, as well as members of the wheelchair tennis club in Singapore.

Winners of the WTA Future Stars tournament will receive their trophies from WTA Legends Yayuk Basuki from Indonesia and Tamarine Tanasugarn from Thailand, who have been involved in the initiative since 2016. They will be joined this year by newly-appointed WTA Finals Legend Ambassador Lindsay Davenport, who will be in Singapore and meeting with the WTA Future Stars for the first time, through a Q&A session with the young girls.

In addition, WTA Legend Martina Navratilova will be presenting the Li Na Inspiration Award to two WTA Future Stars who embody the spirit of the game both on and off the court, as well as qualities that made Li Na well-loved with fans, players and sponsors throughout her career. (Refer to Appendix A for more details)

Tanasugarn, WTA Legend and former World No.19, who hosted a tennis clinic in Bangkok as part of the WTA Future Stars regional grassroots outreach, “The WTA Future Stars is an amazing initiative by the WTA to not just introduce the sport to more young children in the region, but also to encourage those who are already playing to continue on their journey. I am very pleased to be involved in the program again and I hope we can continue to see more great talent emerge from this region.”