checkmate

Djokovic quickly narrowing gap on Federer

Roger Federer and  Novak Djokovic AFP FILE PHOTO



PARIS: Novak Djokovic, who won the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, has closed the gap on Roger Federer at the top of the latest ATP rankings, as the Swiss player enters his 300th week as world number one.


The Serb, who beat Britain’s Andy Murray 5-7, 7-6 (13/11), 6-3 to take his 13th masters series title, is now just 195 points behind Federer, who was beaten in the semifinals of the tournament, and could even take his position in the coming weeks.

Neither of the players is due to play in the three tournaments scheduled for this week in Moscow, Vienna and Stockholm.

The only change in the latest world top 10, published on Monday, is Czech player Tomas Berdych and France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who a week after changing position to 7th and 6th, are again back to 6th and 7th respectively.

Berdych beat the French number one in the quarter-final in Shanghai.

Meanwhile, the former world number two, Tommy Haas, of Germany, makes a return to the top 20 at the age of 34, despite his career appearing to be over due to a succession of injuries. He has not been in the top 20 since May 2010.

In the WTA rankings, Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka remained on top after her victory in Linz, Austria, 1,800 points ahead of Russia’s Maria Sharapova and 3,055 ahead of Serena Williams, of the United States.

Heather Watson, meanwhile, jumped from 71st to 50th after giving Britain their first WTA tour victory since 1988 by winning in Osaka, Japan.

ATP world rankings on October 15:
1. Roger Federer (SUI) 12165 pts
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 11970
3. Andy Murray (GBR) 7690
4. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6995
5. David Ferrer (ESP) 5360
6. Tomas Berdych (CZE) 4840 (+1)
7. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 4810 (-1)
8. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 3670
9. Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 3265
10. Juan Monaco (ARG) 2775
11. John Isner (USA) 2565 (+1)
12. Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 2435 (-1)
13. Richard Gasquet (FRA) 2415
14. Marin Cilic (CRO) 2370 (+2)
15. Milos Raonic (CAN) 2335 (-1)
16. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2000 (-1)
17. Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 1955
18. Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 1830 (+1)
19. Gilles Simon (FRA) 1815 (-1)
20. Tommy Haas (GER) 1727 (+1)

WTA world rankings:
1. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 10955 pts
2. Maria Sharapova (RUS) 9135
3. Serena Williams (USA) 7900
4. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 7265
5. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6515
6. Angelique Kerber (GER) 5470
7. Li Na (CHN) 5095
8. Sara Errani (ITA) 4855
9. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 4330
10. Marion Bartoli (FRA) 3850
11. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 3585
12. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) 3075
13. Nadia Petrova (RUS) 2845 (+1)
14.Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 2845 (-1)
15. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 2405
16. Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 2373
17. Kaia Kanepi (EST) 2249
18. Lucie Safarova (CZE) 2205
19. Julia Goerges (GER) 2025
20. Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 1841 (+1)

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