Aussies in action: Kyrgios, Tomic set for Shanghai
Australia top duo Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic are in the field at this week's Shanghai Rolex Masters, while Sam Stosur and Daria Gavrilova line up in Hong Kong.
Melbourne VIC, Australia, 10 October 2016 | tennis.com.au
Nick Kyrgios has been given barely any time to celebrate his landmark victory at the Japan Open in Tokyo, with the Aussie No.1 appearing in the draw at this week’s Shanghai Rolex Masters.
Kyrgios is the 12th seed at the ATP Masters event and opens against American Sam Querrey.
On Sunday, the 21-year-old captured the biggest title of his career by winning the 500-level event in Tokyo, his third title of 2016.
> MORE: Kyrgios wins biggest career title
He sits in 12th place in the ATP Race to London, and could improve his standing with a strong showing in Shanghai.
His run through the draw, should he progress, is likely to go through seventh seed Tomas Berdych (third round) and world No.1 Novak Djokovic (quarterfinals).
Bernard Tomic joins Kyrgios in the draw; the Queenslander will take on No.15 seed Roberto Bautista Agut in round one.
Tomic beat the Spaniard in their only prior meeting at Wimbledon in 2016.
Rafael Nadal looms as the highest seed in that section; the fourth seed could meet Tomic in the last 16.
In Hong Kong, Sam Stosur and Daria Gavrilova are both seeded and have landed in the top half of the draw.
Stosur, who reached the semis in Hong Kong last year, is the No.4 seed and opens against Japan’s Nao Hibino.
Should the seedings hold, she would play sixth seed Caroline Garcia in the quarters.
Gavrilova, meanwhile, faces a projected quarterfinal battle against top-ranked Angelique Kerber.
To get there, the Aussie No.8 seed must get past Chinese qualifier Zhu Lin in round one and a likely second-round battle against Czech Katerina Siniakova.