Notes: The final tournament of the year before the year-end championships…Three berths remain at the year-end championships with five players (as of Saturday) still in the running: Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Milos Raonic…Federer will according to the ATP lock up a spot if he wins the Swiss Open on Sunday…The Top 8 seeds receive first-round byes…Tough starts for (1) Nadal possibly starting against the indoor upset specialist Tursunov, (9) Gasquet vs. the Gulbis-Verdasco winner, (6) Berdych vs. the Monfils-Pospisil winner, (16) Fognini vs. the Llodra-Dimitrov winner, and (4) Del Potro possibly starting against the drug-cleared Cilic…Ferrer beat Janowicz in last year’s final…Nadal is trying to become the first player to win six Masters titles in the same year…Djokovic has won his last two titles entering the event…Returning former champs in the field are Ferrer (2012), Federer (2011), Djokovic (2009), Tsonga (2008), and Berdych (2005).

Roger Federer will face Juan Martin Del Potro in the rematch of their 2012 Basel final.

Roger Federer mastered Grigor Dimitrov today in Basel.

Roger Federer finally gets a first-hand look at his mirror image Grigor Dimitrov tomorrow in Basel.

Controversy came with the end of the season as Kerber received a late wildcard for the Linz tournament, which she won, allowing her to edge Wozniacki for a Top 8 spot. “I do not understand that (the WTA) can suddenly change the draw and allocation of wildcards that way,” Wozniacki said. “There are many things that have been done in an unsportsmanlike and unethical manner. And you can hear from other players. They think it’s so ridiculous.”…

Tough starts go to (1) Gasquet vs. either Baghdatis or Evgeny Donskoy, (5) Istomin vs. Russian (WC) Andrey Kuznetsov, and (7) Sousa vs. Stakhovsky…Seeds making their debuts at the event are Gasquet, Sousa and Mannarino…Russians have won the event 14 times since 1990…Last year Seppi beat Thomaz Bellucci in the final…Notable pulls from the event were Nikolay Davydenko (wrist) and Stan Wawrinka…Returning former champs in the field are Seppi (2012) and Tipsarevic (2011).

Roger Federer’s slump continued on Thursday as the Swiss lost to Gael Monfis..

The biggest men’s event in Asia kicks off this weekend with the start of the 2013 Shanghai Tennis Masters. And all the top players are there, minus only Andy Murray who’s out due to back surgery. Novak Djokovic lost his No. 1 ranking on Saturday but he’ll take it after beating his nemesis, Rafael Nadal, [...]

Rafael Nadal is one win from the ATP No. 1 ranking.

Notes: Wildcards went to former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, and China’s Wu Di and Zhang Ze…Interesting first round matches include (1) Djokovic vs. the streaky Rosol (winner to likely face Hot Sauce), Querrey vs. Youzhny (winner to likely face (6) Wawrinka), (3) Ferrer vs. Popsicle, and (7) Haas vs. Hewitt…Wawrinka makes debut at event…Pulling from the event were Marin Cilic (doping suspension), Ernests Gulbis, Jerzy Janowicz (back), and Martin Klizan…Returning champs in the field are Djokovic (2012,’10-09), Berdych (2011), and Nadal (2005).