The ATP Tour heads to reverse sides of Europe this week for a clay-court doubleheader in Barcelona and Belgrade.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud, Felix Auger-Aliassime headline a stacked discipline on the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, the place #NextGenATP sensation Carlos Alcaraz appears to impress his house followers on the ATP 500 occasion.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic may depend on sturdy house assist as he chases his first crown of the yr on the Serbia Open in Belgrade, an ATP 250 occasion. Dominic Thiem returns to tour-level motion in Belgrade after 10 months out with a wrist harm.
ATPTour.com appears forward at 5 issues to observe at every occasion.
View Attracts: Barcelona | Belgrade
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BARCELONA
1) Tsitsipas’ Unfinished Enterprise: Tsitsipas broke his trophy duck for 2022 by efficiently defending his title on the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Sunday. The Greek will hope that momentum can carry him to a maiden title in Catalunya.
Tsitsipas reached the ultimate twice earlier than in Barcelona, dropping in opposition to Rafael Nadal on each events. The highest seed begins his bid to go one higher this yr in opposition to Pedro Martinez or Ilya Ivashka.
2) House Followers Await Alcaraz: Spain’s teenage sensation is seeded fifth as he prepares to play in his house nation for the primary time since changing into an ATP Masters 1000 champion on the Miami Open offered by Itau in early April.
The 18-year-old has hit a sequence of milestones this yr together with his Miami breakthrough, his maiden ATP 500 crown in Rio de Janeiro and breaking into the Prime 20 of the ATP Rankings for the primary time. Alcaraz will attempt to earn his first Barcelona match win in opposition to South Korean Soonwoo Kwon or Frenchman Benoit Paire.
3) Felix Seeks First Clay Title: Auger-Aliassime made a glowing begin to the season when he helped Canada to the ATP Cup title, reached the Australian Open quarter-finals after which lifted his first ATP Tour trophy in Rotterdam. Will the 21-year-old declare his maiden tour-level clay-court crown this week in Barcelona? Final yr, he reached the quarter-finals on the ATP 500 earlier than falling to Tsitsipas. A possible opening conflict with #NextGenATP American Sebastian Korda might be a tricky early check for the third seed, who will attempt to bounce again from an opening-round loss in Monte Carlo.
4) Ruud & Schwartzman Pose Clay-Courtroom Risk: Second seed Ruud has established himself as one of many Tour’s main contenders on clay since his earlier look in Barcelona in 2017. The Norwegian is available in off the again of a disappointing third-round exit in Monte Carlo, however nonetheless holds a 14-5 file for the yr. He already has a title on the crimson filth in 2022, having clinched a seventh tour-level title in Buenos Aires in February.
Diego Schwartzman misplaced one of many matches of the yr in Monte Carlo, a topsy-turvy quarter-final in opposition to eventual champion Tsitsipas. The sixth-seeded Argentine seeks to bouce again at an occasion the place he reached the final eight in 2021 as he hunts his first title of the season.
5) Ram/Salisbury Lead Doubles Subject: Prime-ranked pairing Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury clinched a maiden tour-level title collectively on clay in Monte Carlo and the American-British duo seeks to again up that run with a powerful exhibiting in Barcelona, the place they fell on the semi-finals in 2021. They face a tricky opening conflict in opposition to house favourites and 2018 champions Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez. Monte Carlo finalists Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, the fourth seeds, will chase a 3rd consecutive title on the occasion.
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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BELGRADE
1) Djokovic Hunts House Success: World No. 1 Djokovic will hope house assist can energy him to his first title of 2022 on the Novak Tennis Heart. Djokovic is a two-time champion on the Serbia Open, having triumphed in 2009 and 2011, and in addition lifted the trophy in Belgrade in 2021, when there was an ATP 250 on a single-year licence.
The 34-year-old will attempt to play into kind after dropping within the second spherical in Monte Carlo in opposition to eventual finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Serbian’s opening opponent shall be a countryman: wild card Hamad Medjedovic or Laslo Djere.
2) Thiem Returns To Tour: Former World No. 3 Thiem returns to play an ATP Tour occasion for the primary time since being sidelined with a wrist harm in June 2021.
The Austrian misplaced on his aggressive return at an ATP Challenger Tour occasion in Marbella, Spain, in late March and takes his comeback to a different stage along with his Belgrade debut. Thiem is a two-time Roland Garros finalist and the 28-year-old will hope to make use of his clay-court expertise to his benefit in his opener in opposition to Australian John Millman. If Thiem and Djokovic make it to the quarter-finals, they are going to meet in a blockbuster for a spot within the final 4.
3) Rublev Makes Belgrade Debut: Andrey Rublev’s sturdy begin to 2022 included back-to-back titles in Marseille and Dubai in February. Will the 24-year-old add his third title of the season this week in Serbia on his match debut? A two-time tour-level titlist on clay, Rublev will look to hit the bottom operating in a gap conflict with Henri Laaksonen or a qualifier.
4) Rune Rise To Proceed?: The thrill round #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune cranked up a notch in Monte Carlo because the 18-year-old defeated 2021 Nitto ATP Finals alternate Aslan Karatsev earlier than falling to Casper Ruud in two tight units. Rune is chasing a second consecutive look on the Intesa Sanpaolo Subsequent Gen ATP Finals.
The 18-year-old might show a handful for fifth seed Cristian Garin within the first spherical. 5-time ATP Tour titlist Garin will hope his semi-final run in Houston two weeks in the past will function the beginning of a powerful stretch on the clay.
5) Mektic/Pavic Prime Seeds: Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s hunt for a primary title for the reason that Tokyo Olympics in July takes them to the Belgrade occasion for the primary time, with the top-seeded Croatians trying to bounce again after their title defence in Monte Carlo ended on the quarter-final stage.
Italian duo Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini are the second seeds in Serbia, whereas third seeds Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell return to the court docket for the primary time for the reason that Australian pair clinched its maiden ATP Tour title in Houston two weeks in the past.
from Tennis – ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/nxrHhAN
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