Juan Martin Del Potro begins his Vienna campaign this week against Germany's Philipp Petzschner.
Del Potro began the year ranked 485 in the world but amazingly enough the Argentine still has an improbable but mathematical chance of reaching the ATP World Finals next month. He needs strong performances this week and then in Vienna and the Paris Masters but stranger things have happened this time of year as the pressure builds to reach the top eight.
However Del Potro is playing down his chances and probably rightly so after a shock straight sets in his opening match in Stockholm last week.
"It would be nice to finish the year in the Top 10, but I am a little far. It has been a very good year and I am getting better day-by-day," he said. "Hopefully, with rest and good training, I will be able to start next season strongly. It would be good to have a nice seeding at the Australian Open."
Petzschner's serve-volley game makes him a very dangerous opponent indoors and the low bouncing surface in Vienna will help his game. However his form has been poor recently. He lost in qualifying for the Shanghai Masters and was easily beaten by Milos Raonic in Stockholm last week.
Prediction: Del Potro in two.
