ATP: 2011 World Tour Finals

ATP's year-end championships, the World Tour Finals, begins today (aka Sunday) at London's O2 Arena for the third year running. The world's best players have all made the trip and they all are no doubt playing to win. The top two spots are taken up by this year's Grand Slam champions with slam finalists taking up the next two spots. These top four also managed to win all 9 Masters 1000 tournaments this year which is to say they didn't leave much for the rest of the field.

The elite eight are:

1. Novak Djokovic - The world no. 1 had a historic and amazing year that had some notable, but very few hiccups. Dominating the field this year, he can end the year with another trophy. The extent of his shoulder injury is worrying, but he proved this year that he does not want to lose.

Grand Slam Results: W, SF, W, W
Titles: Wimbledon, US Open, Australian Open, Miami, Indian Wells, Rome, Canada, Madrid, Dubai, Belgrade
Runner-Up: Cincinnati

2. Rafael Nadal - A pretty great year, but admittedly not as great as he had hoped. His inability to beat Djokovic all year and his absence from the game for most of the fall season makes his state questionable. But underestimate this 10-time Grand Slam winner at your peril.

Grand Slam Results: QF, W, F, F
Titles: Roland Garros, Monte Carlo, Barcelona
Runner-Up: Wimbledon, US Open, Miami, Indian Wells, Rome, Madrid, Cincinnati, Tokyo

3. Andy Murray - Still without a Grand Slam to his name, he still has plenty to prove and as one of two in-form players playing in his home country, the question he should be asking himself is not can he win, but can he handle the pressure.

Grand Slam Results: F, SF, SF, SF
Titles: Shanghai, Cincinnati, Tokyo, London, Bangkok
Runner-Up: Australian Open

4. Roger Federer - The defending champion and 5-time champion enters the tournament as both the in-form favorite and an underdog based on his results this year. But he plays to the end and seem to bring his best year-in, year-out at this event.

Grand Slam Results: SF, F, QF, SF
Titles: Paris, Basel, Doha
Runner-Up: Roland Garros, Dubai

5. David Ferrer - You'd be forgiven if you forgot about him or his high ranking, because unlike others he just plays without no flash. As the only #2 of his home country among the elite eight, he'll feel like an underdog, but his will to fight is unending.

Grand Slam Results: SF, 4r, 4r, 4r
Titles: Acapulco, Auckland
Runner-Up: Monte Carlo, Shanghai, Barcelona, Båstad

6. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga - He gave Federer the Swiss' only loss when up by two sets at a Grand Slam during this year's Wimbledon and backed it up with solid results for the rest of the year.

Grand Slam Results: 3r, 3r, SF, QF
Titles: Vienna, Metz
Runner-Up: Paris, London

7. Tomas Berdych - He's not really the same player as the one who made a run to the Wimbledon finals last year beating Federer on his way, but his consistency and great power makes him a constant threat.

Grand Slam Results: QF, 1r, 4r, 3r
Titles: Beijing
Runner-Up: -

8. Mardy Fish - Making his first appearance at the year-end tournament, he has solidified himself as America's top dog. While his results this year aren't phenomenal, making it into the elite 8 was a great accomplishment.

Grand Slam Results: 2r, 3r, QF, 4r
Titles: Atlanta
Runner-Up: Canada, Los Angeles

The best bet for the finals would be Murray and Federer by virtue of their proven skills and their great fall season. It's true that in the bigger stages this season they were outplayed by a few especially the top two ranked Djokovic and Nadal, but those two have been hampered with injuries and other distractions of late so who knows? And you can't really underestimate the other four since they know that this year, it really is anyone's game,

With the top two rankings set, the only movement can happen below them with the most intriguing the fight to end the year at #3 between Murray and Federer.