ATP World Tour Finals: Singles PreviewSeptember 24, 2015

As expected, Belgium chose the indoor clay court in Ghent as venue of the Davis Cup finals. It will be held five days after the singles final of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Andy Murray is given a Hobson's choice.

Britain's top-ranked player may skip the season-ending event. Great Britain reached the finals, their first after 37 years. There are factors beyond his control, which make tennis fans agree with Murray's sentiment. Alas, ATP executive president Chris Kermode is expecting the two-time major winner to compete at the O2 Arena.

“All players who qualify, unless injured, are required to compete in the event. Andy Murray has had a fantastic season and earned his place among the world's top eight players to compete at the season finale," he said.

Murray, along with Novak Djokovic. Roger Federer, and Stan Wawrinka, are assured of playing at the O2 this November. Kei Nishikori, Tomáš Berdych, and Rafael Nadal are certain of their appearance in London, as those who are ranked below the trio don't have a mathematical chance of catching up with them. This leaves David Ferrer, currently on eighth place, on a vulnerable position.

Six players have a good chance of nabbing the last spot before the start of this prestigious event. They'll participate in the Asian hard court season, and then the European indoor tour. It will be a lot of tournaments, where a deep run in one or two can make a difference. If Murray is serious about skipping the World Tour finals, then there will be a lucky guy who will take his place.

Here are three players who are still in the running:

Richard Gasquet. He has been an underachiever for years, but 2015 is turning out to be a banner season. A semifinal appearance in Wimbledon is the highlight (of the year). Ferrer is ahead of Gasquet by 650 points, but there's a good chance that the Frenchman will overtake the Spaniard. (Gasquet is doing well. He was the winner in Montpellier and Cascais. He also reached the quarterfinals of the US Open.) It will be his third appearance in the finals, if it happens. The odds favour him.

Marin ÄŒiliÄ‡. His reign in Flushing Meadow may have ended, but ÄŒiliÄ‡ had a fine year. His game suits the hard court, and he can be a threat in the carpet. Don't be surprised if he will be triumphant in Paris, the site of the final Masters 1000 event. He might save his best for last.

Gilles Simon. Although he did poorly in the US Open series, Simon had been quite consistent. (He won the Open 13 last February. He reached the quarterfinals at the All England Club.) Don't count him out, as it's possible to see two Frenchmen in London.

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