Two Teams Qualify; Four Spots Remain
© Getty Images Shanghai, China – The No. 3 and No. 4 duos in the Stanford ATP Doubles Race, Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett and Simon Aspelin and Julian Knowle, have clinched their Tennis Masters Cup berths, leaving four spots remaining in the elite eight-team doubles field.
Hanley and Ullyett will be making their second consecutive appearance in Shanghai, and last year reached the semifinals. The second-year duo opened the year in Sydney by capturing their sixth team title and delivered consistent results by reaching the finals at the ATP Masters Series events in Hamburg and Canada and the semifinals at the Australian Open and US Open.
“I’m really happy,” said Hanley. “That’s what everyone plays for, to try and make the end of the year Masters. It’s a great place. We’ve done well in the past, and we like going there. We like the conditions.”
Ullyett said: “It’s awesome. They really go out of their way to make you feel really special. The crowd are really knowledgeable and there’s good support for the doubles, which we really love, so we really enjoy going back there.”
Aspelin and Knowle have put together an impressive debut season, winning titles at Poertschach, Halle, Båstad and the US Open. They secured their Shanghai invitation as the highest-placed Grand Slam champions assured of finishing within the Top 20 of the Race standings. Should they confirm their spot in the Top 7, the berth reserved for Grand Slam champions will go to Wimbledon titlists Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra, currently No. 10 in the Race.
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