With seven Spaniards in fray, Lopez says it's tough to qualify for Olympics

Abu Dhabi - Only Rafael Nadal (world number five) and David Ferrer (world number seven) are ahead of him in the ATP Rankings.

 With Spain having seven players in the top 50 of the ATP World Rankings, Feliciano Lopez knows he will face quite a battle with his compatriots to clinch one of the four slots for his country in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
"Yes it's so tough to qualify for the Olympics. I am the number three Spanish player now. So it's tough because the ranking is changing every week. But yes if I stay healthy I will have a very good chance of playing in the Olympics," Lopez, the world number 17, told reporters after beating Kevin Anderson in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship at the Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium.
Only Rafael Nadal (world number five) and David Ferrer (world number seven) are ahead of him in the ATP Rankings.
"I have played two Olympics till now. I missed Beijing. I played in Athens and London. It would be great If I get to play in the Olympics again as I love playing for my country.
"It's a completely different feeling. Tennis is an individual sport. You play for your own. So it was great to be part of the Olympics in Athens and London, to get a chance to share everything with so many great athletes.
"These are the athletes that you admire so much. So yes, I will be very happy if I can qualify for Rio because this could be my last chance to win an Olympic medal."
At 34, Lopez is one of the fittest guys on the Tour. He is not alone though as the likes of Roger Federer (34), Ferrer (33)and Stanislas Wawrinka (30) have proved in recent years that you could compete with the younger players if you remain in prime physical condition.
"To be fit is the most important thing in tennis now. The game has changed a lot in the last 10-15 years. When you see the game now, you realize that most of the players are improving their fitness conditions all time time," Lopez said.
"Everybody is healthy now. Everybody eats better. They take good care of their bodies. Even the recovery process has become lot better with the top physios that the players have these days. It's definitely something that has helped a lot of players now who are in their 30s."

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