Novak Djokovic

Paris: Novak Djokovic will spend two more days at home in Monte Carlo having his right shoulder examined before deciding whether to participate in the BNP Paribas Masters, from which Rafael Nadal has already withdrawn.

Djokovic’s last-set capitulation to Kei Nishikori, of Japan, in the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basle on Saturday was a shock to everyone.

The world No. 1, for whom it was only a fourth defeat in 2011, needs to be certain that he is right physically before what would be his penultimate event of an astounding year.

The hosts of the last of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments would be stunned to lose a brace of star attractions, Nadal having decided that this is one event too many, with the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals starting in London the week after next, followed immediately by the Davis Cup final in Seville, where he will lead Spain against Argentina.

Nishikori’s loss to Roger Federer in the final was hardly unexpected, although it represented only the great Swiss player’s second tournament victory of the year, after Doha in the first week of January.

Federer’s 68th career title was greeted as emotionally as when he won his first, not least because it was in front of his own people. Looking uncompromisingly fit and fresh, Federer won 6-1, 6-3. Remarkably, he has never won the title at the Palais Omnisports, but that may change this week.

With no Nadal and possibly no Djokovic, the threat to Federer is likely to come from Andy Murray, who professed surprise that the surface at Bercy is completely different from the faster-paced court that they laid for the tournament a year ago. “It is very, very slow,” Murray said.

The Scot plays either Marcel Granollers, of Spain, winner of the Valencia Open on Sunday, or Jeremy Chardy, of France, in his opening match.

Meanwhile, Fernando Verdasco of Spain rallied to beat Marin Cilic of Croatia 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 and advance to the second round. Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain and Kevin Anderson of South Africa also advanced.

Cilic hit a forehand winner to take the first set but Verdasco bounced back by jumping to 3-0 leads in the second and third sets. “It’s slower than last year,” Verdasco said. “I prefer maybe a little bit more this court because it's slower and I have more time to prepare my shots.” He is hoping to be on the Spain team for the Davis Cup final next month.

“If I play Davis Cup, then I will try to prepare and get ready for that final the best as possible,” Verdasco said. “And if I'm not, at least finish well here.”

Verdasco will next face fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic.

Earlier, Kohlschreiber defeated Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-4, 6-2. Garcia-Lopez edged Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 and will next play sixth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.