Shanghai: The Final Four

(Yes, I was lazy so I stole the photo from ESPN.)

Now matter where they end up in the rankings, I suppose you could say these are the four best players of 2007. Novak Djokovic, for sure, and Nikolay Davydenko, perhaps, might claim otherwise, but they failed to make the semifinals of what will soon be called the World Tour Final.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick and David Ferrer outlasted the field in Shanghai and earn a single-elimination chance at tennis' version of the All-Star Game commonly called Tennis Masters Cup.

Dahveed the Spaniard is the lowest ranked player left standing. He's had his career-best season and played the best tennis of the event. He'll face the bratty American who put all notions that he was afraid to get down with the big boys to rest when he showed up fresh off a heel injury and became the first player through to the final four. Andy will have to shake off another humiliating loss to Raja the Nightmare if he's any chance of breaking the 2-2 tie in his career head-to-head against the Spaniard to make his first Masters Cup final on his fourth attempt.

I don't think anyone will be shocked if the red-hot Ferrer stops Andy dead in his tracks. But Dahveed's facing the biggest test of his career, having never before advanced past the seminfinals of a big event. His experience in the US Open semifinals should help him clear that hurdle, coupled with an opponent who'll still be reeling from his round-robin disaster, the only player coming into the final four off a loss.

If Dahveed holds his nerve, he'll upset Andy for the second time this year.

Raja seems to bring his best against Andy, just as he did at the US Open, but can recede into a defensive, petulant shell when he plays his archrival Rafa. But that's mostly on clay. He defeated the tour's most intense competitor in the semifinal last year, making this meeting only the second time since 1996 that the world No. 1 and 2 meet before the finals of an event they both enter.

If Raja reverts to mediocre tennis, as he did in the US Open against Kolya after defeating Andy in the quarterfinals, he can expect a long day and quite possibly another loss. Rafa may have struggled to get here, but it's ridiculous to count out a player who fights as intensely as he.

Since I picked a healthy Rafa to beat Raja in the semifinals, I'll stick with that prediction.

Tennis Masters Cup will feature the first all-Spanish final since 1998.