Ricky’s preview and picks for this week’s ATP 500 events in Astana and Tokyo

By Ricky Dimon

The house stretch of the 2022 season is heating up in a giant manner this week with a pair of 500-point tournaments on the schedule in Astana and Tokyo. Astana’s draw is very loaded, as Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Novak Djokovic are all on board. Having missed two Grand Slams this 12 months, Djokovic remains to be looking for factors as he tries to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. Half of the eight spots stay up for grabs, and each Astana and Tokyo might go a good distance towards checking out the sphere.

Astana Open

The place: Astana, Kazakhstan
Floor: Indoor arduous
High seed: Carlos Alcaraz
2021 champion: Soonwoo Kwon (not enjoying)

Following two years as a 250, Astana has been upgraded to a 500 to interchange Beijing on the schedule (tournaments in China the autumn are canceled). The standard of the sphere has responded accordingly. Along with Alcaraz, Medvedev, Tsitsipas, and Djokovic, the seeded contingent additionally consists of Andrey Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, and Marin Cilic. Among the many harmful unseeded floaters are Roberto Bautista Agut, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Maxime Cressy, U.S. Open semifinalist Karen Khachanov, and up to date Sofia champion Marc-Andrea Huesler.

Djokovic is coming off a title in Tel Aviv and seems to have a good draw. The 35-year-old Serb opens towards Cristian Garin and would then face Botic van de Zandschulp previous to a possible rematch of the Tel Aviv ultimate with Marin Cilic. Medvedev and Bautista Agut are potential semifinal foes for Djokovic. On the prime of the bracket, Alcaraz will start his week with David Goffin on the opposite aspect of the web. One other tough opponent in Adrian Mannarino awaits in spherical two. In the meantime, Tsitsipas and Hurkacz shouldn’t have an excessive amount of bother establishing a quarterfinal showdown.

Quarterfinal picks: Andrey Rublev over Carlos Alcaraz, Hubert Hurkacz over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Novak Djokovic over Maxime Cressy, and Roberto Bautista Agut over Daniil Medvedev

Semifinals: Hurkacz over Rublev and Djokovic over Bautista Agut

Last: Djokovic over Hurkacz

Rakuten Japan Open

The place: Tokyo, Japan
Floor: Onerous
High seed: Casper Ruud
2019 champion: Novak Djokovic (not enjoying)

No. 1 seed Casper Ruud has already secured a spot within the Nitto ATP Finals, Taylor Fritz has a really actual probability, and Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov, Frances Tiafoe, and Alex de Minaur would all get into distant rivalry with a title in Tokyo. Ruud and de Minaur might collide within the quarterfinals, whereas Kyrgios and Fritz could do the identical. Shapovalov’s nearest seed is No. 9 Borna Coric, who moved to the underside of the bracket when No. 2 seed Cameron Norrie withdrew. Tiafoe will face Bernabe Zapata Miralles in spherical two earlier than doubtlessly assembly Dan Evans or Yoshihito Nishioka within the quarters.

Evans can’t like his draw with Nishioka presumably up for him within the second spherical. It’s probably the most notable head-to-head sequence at present occurring the ATP Tour; Nishioka is sweeping it 6-0. The Japanese left-hander most just lately defeated Evans final week in Seoul on his technique to the title (beat Shapovalov within the championship match). Nevertheless, Nishioka has a tricky first-rounder on his fingers towards Miomir Kecmanovic. Different first-round matchups to look at are de Minaur vs. Soonwoo Kwon and Borna Coric vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Quarterfinal picks: Alex de Minaur over Casper Ruud, Frances Tiafoe over Miomir Kecmanovic, Nick Kyrgios over Taylor Fritz, and Brandon Nakashima over Denis Shapovalov

Semifinals: De Minaur over Tiafoe and Nakashima over Kyrgios

Last: De Minaur over Nakashiima

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and likewise maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You possibly can comply with him on twitter at @Dimonator.