The autumn Asian swing will be highlighted this week by two ATP 500 tournaments in Beijing and Tokyo
World Number 1 Novak Djokovic start sas favourite at the China Open in Beijing, a ATP 500 tournament he won five times in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. Djokovic starts his campaign in the chinese capital against a qualifier before facing a potential quarter final match against John Isner and young Austrian star Dominic Thiem in the quarter finals. Isner could break Goran Ivanisevic’s all-time ace record in Beijng.
Djokovic has enjoyed an impressive 2015 season in which he collected seven titles, including three Grand Slam titles (Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open), four Master 1000 (indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Rome) and four more finals. He boasts a record of 63 wins to just five defeats
“The support I get here over the years with all the fans, the way they wait for me in front of the hotel and the club is something that I don’t experience really more or less anywhere. I have had a lot of success in Shanghai and Beijing. The record that I have in these tournaments gives me a lot of motivation to come back. A lot of great memories that I built my approach on for this year ”, said Djokovic
After his US Open triumph Djokovic visited refugee and migrant children in Belgrade and played an exhibition match against Rafa Nadal in Thailand
Djokovic was drawn on the opposite side of the draw as Rafa Nadal who won this tournament in 2005 and finihed runner-up in 2013. This means that they could meet in the final but first the Spanish player will face Chinese wild-card Wu Di before a possible quarter final against eighth-seed Jo Wilfred Tsonga. The Frenchman will play against Andreas Haider Maurer in the first round and Jack Sock in the second round.
Nadal could meet Tomas Berdych, who won the China Open title in 2011 and finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic last year. Berdych will meet Pablo Cuevas in the first round before a possible match against Croatian giant Ivo Karlovic in the second round and a quarter final against Belgian David Goffin who has recently led Belgium to the Davis Cup final.
Nishikori bidding to defend his title in Tokyo
Home favourite Kei Nishikori will be bidding to win his third title at the Rakuten Open in Tokyo. The Japanese star will face a tough first round match against Croatian rising star Borna Coric, the highest ranked teenager in the ATP Ranking. Nishikori won two of the last editions of this tournament beating Milos Raonic in 2012 and 2014. Nishikori is currently ranked sixth in the Race to London. Nishikori could meet either Aleksander Dolgopolov or Sam Querrey in the second round. The same half of the draw also features Richard Gasquet, Marin Cilic and Grigor Dinitrov.
Gasquet, runner-up to David Ferrer in the 2007 final in Tokyo, will face Roberto Bautista Agut. Grigor Dimitrov is set to play against Benoit Paire
Stan Wawrinka, who reached the quarter finals in Tokyo in 2009 and 2012, will play against Radek Stepanek in the first round before a potential quarter final against Feliciano Lopez and either Giles Simon or Kevin Anderson in the semifinal.
