By Yu Yilei and Bryan Virasami (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-11-12 09:34

SHANGHAI: Capturing the confidence in Roger Federer's smile required some reflection, while Novak Djokovic's short hair demanded finesse. But Andy Roddick was the only one who requested a do-over - at least when it came to his trademark baseball cap.

The terracotta likeness of Rafael Nada grips a tennis racquet. [China Daily]

Moments before the first serve on the opening game of the yesterday, eight imposing terracotta warriors in the likenesses of each singles player were unveiled before the crowd inside Qi Zhong Tennis Center in Shanghai.

As they focus on showing some warrior-like skills on the court during the eight-day tournament, the top eight singles players may find some inspiration in these oversized statues, which were created by award-winning French sculptor Laury Dizengremel and two Chinese artists from Sichuan Province.

Asked which statue was most difficult to create, Dizengremel said Serbian player Djokovic, who is wrapping up the best year of his career, took some extra effort.

"Novak Djokovic was difficult - his hair is straight, like brush, and we had such a short time and had to make it fast," the sculptor said. "Maybe we put his hair too much to the side."

Djokovic, however, said earlier that he was impressed by the work of art.

"They showed it to me before I came here and it looks taller and more beautiful than me," he said jokingly during a Saturday roundtable with reporters in Shanghai. He said he hopes to take it home with him.

Since Federer (of Switzerland) qualified early for the Masters Cup, the artists were able to put more time into his statue. For others, the bodies were prepared in advance, and as soon as the players qualified for the tournament, which invites the world's top-eight men's singles players, the artists had to rush to create their heads as quickly as possible.

"We made the first one, Federer, in a total of eight days with many people helping to work on it," Dizengremel said.

All the players were given pictures of their statues before the tournament and were asked to offer suggestions. Roddick was the only one with a quibble. He apparently felt his baseball cap was a part of his public image and that it belonged on his terracotta. Sculptor Shen Xiaonan said the cap was not initially sculpted on his head because they thought it would obscure the statue's face.

"Roddick made the change. Originally it was without a baseball cap because it cast a shadow on the face," Shen said of Roddick's statue.

The Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who was the last player to qualify for the tournament, caused the artists a bit of trouble only because there was only one day for them to finish his statue's head to meet the deadline.

"We just had one day to make it. I made it in the morning and Xiaonan worked it in the afternoon and we did it together in the night. It was a challenge," said Dizengremel.