Sam Querrey has no chance of reaching the ATP World Tour Finals in London, even if he wins next week's Paris Masters. That's a stunning fact when you consider that Querrey has won four titles this season and reached another final. But the American has come to a point in his career where winning a 250- or 500-level tournament means little. He even said so this summer. If Querrey has ambitions of joining the tennis elite, he needs to start delivering in the biggest tournaments.
It's not as if Querrey rode roughshod through inferior competition to earn his trophies—he beat Andy Murray to win L.A. and defeated Andy Roddick en route to winning Memphis. The Americans met again today in Basel, with Roddick prevailing 7-5, 7-6 (6). For a first-round match, you couldn't ask for more in terms of the quality of competitors and the level of competitiveness.
Both Roddick and Querrey should have their sights set on Bercy. Roddick currently sits ninth in the ATP rankings, needing one final push to qualify for London. But the tournament might actually mean more to Querrey, if he could put up a strong result. Winning it is probably too much to ask, but a deep run would be a fitting end to a fantastic season. And maybe next year, Paris won't end up being his Tour Final.
—Ed McGrogan