TENNIS in DEPTH.

“I am so happy to have qualified; it is such a big thing to finish among the Top 8,” Verdasco said. “It is a new experience for me, my first time there. I will try my best as usual and enjoy it as much as I can. I have heard so many good things about the venue in London and I look forward to competing there against the best players in front of so many fans.”

Verdasco, a Madrid native, compiled his best season while qualifying for his first year-end championship. He captured his third career ATP World Tour title in New Haven and reached two other finals in Kuala Lumpur and Brisbane. He put together a personal-best 15-4 mark in Grand Slam play, highlighted by a run to the Australian Open semi-finals, where he pushed Nadal to five sets. After that result Verdasco ranked in the Top 10 of the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings every week for the rest of season, except for the week of August 10.

In another significant development in Paris Friday, reigning ATP World Tour Champion Rafael Nadal (who took out Tsonga) advanced to the semi-finals to further turn up the heat on Roger Federer in their two-man battle to finish the year No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Should Nadal continue on and win a 16th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, he would move within 305 points of Federer at the end of Paris. There are 1,500 points on offer for an undefeated champion at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Much wil depend on his semi final match with Novak Djokovic who is within point range to send Nadal down to the #3 position. With back to back victories Djokovic has an outside chance to finish the season as the #1 player.

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