Whoever coined the phrase, ‘Everything is bigger in Texas’ had the RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas in mind.

The star power on display is certainly a top storyline in recent years. In 2018, it was Kei Nishikori making a surprise appearance at the ATP Challenger Tour event, en route to lifting the trophy. And now, the T Bar M Racquet Club welcomes John Isner and Nick Kyrgios for this week’s edition.

In search of match play ahead of a busy U.S. swing on the ATP Tour, Isner and Kyrgios will both play doubles at the indoor hard court event. The American will play with countryman Alex Kuznetsov, while the Aussie teams up with local favourite Mitchell Krueger.

View Dallas Draws: Singles | Doubles

“I’m very privileged to be here in Dallas, at such a great Challenger,” said Kyrgios. “I’m playing with the local boy Mitchell Krueger in the doubles, so I’m very excited and hoping everyone will come out and support us. Really enjoying my stay here.”

Isner and Kyrgios are both coming first-round defeats at the Australian Open and will look to gain momentum ahead of the upcoming ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.

Meanwhile, in the singles draw, last year’s runner-up Mackenzie McDonald is the top seed and will face either Joao Souza or Liam Broady to open his campaign. He is joined by 2017 champion Ryan Harrison, 2015 winner Tim Smyczek, as well as third seed Reilly Opelka and #NextGenATP star Miomir Kecmanovic.

The T Bar M Racquet Club opens its doors for a 21st edition and has featured some elite champions in recent years, including current Top 50 stars Steve Johnson (2014), Kyle Edmund (2016) and Nishikori (2018). The prestigious Challenger 110 event is a favourite among players and fans for its world-class hospitality and vibrant atmosphere.

.@NickKyrgios is a wise man #rbctennischamps #dallas pic.twitter.com/OunNz093Pw

— RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas (@TennisChampsDal) February 3, 2019

Elsewhere, the Hungarian Challenger Open returns for a fourth edition in Budapest, with Ramkumar Ramanathan its top seed. Ramanathan reached the final at the ATP Tour stop in Newport last year and is joined by fifth seed Gregoire Barrere, Sunday’s champion in Quimper.

And in Chennai, India, home hope Prajnesh Gunneswaran leads the pack, along with teenagers Corentin Moutet, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Nicola Kuhn, all Top 10 seeds. 

Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas will go for his seventh ATP Tour title this week at the inaugural Cordoba Open in Argentina. The 33-year-old Cuevas last won a title at the 2017 Brasil Open in Sao Paulo and all six of his trophies have come on clay.

Cuevas receives a first-round bye and will meet either Argentine wild card Carlos Berlocq or Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri, the sixth seed.

Italians lead the field at the tournament in central Argentina. The top two seeds, respectively, are Fabio Fognini, an eight-time ATP Tour titlist, and Marco Cecchinato, who reached the Roland Garros semi-finals last year.

Two other ATP Tour 250 events start on Monday as well: The Sofia Open, led by top seed Karen Khachanov of Russia, and the Open Sud de France in Montpellier, where defending champion Lucas Pouille looks to retain his title.

CANADA 3, SLOVAKIA 2
Venue: NTC Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia
Surface: Clay, Indoors

In September 1997, when Slovakia defeated Canada in the two nations’ only previous Davis Cup meeting, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov had not even been born. More than 21 years later, the #NextGenATP duo was responsible for levelling Canada’s head-to-head record against Slovakia, rallying from 1-2 down in Bratislava to earn Davis Cup Finals qualification.

Earlier in the day, Martin Klizan and Filip Polasek had come from a set down to beat Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 and earn Slovakia a 2-1 lead. But Shapovalov soon sent the tie into a decisive fifth rubber, beating Klizan 7-6(4), 6-4 in one hour and 45 minutes.

“I think with today’s result, the debate as to whether I can play on clay is definitely over,” Shapovalov told DavisCup.com. “The level of tennis was very high today. [I am] very happy to get the win for Canada, we really needed it.”

The 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime then booked Canada’s place in the 18-nation event, defeating Norbert Gombos 6-3, 6-4 in 88 minutes. The victory was Auger-Aliassime’s first in Davis Cup competition, following his debut loss to Klizan on Friday.

GERMANY 5, HUNGARY 0
Venue: Fraport Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
Surface: Hard, Indoors

After winning both opening singles rubbers, Germany completed a perfect tie in Frankfurt with three victories on Saturday. The home nation clinched victory after Tim Puetz and Jan-Lennard Struff’s 6-2, 6-3 win over Gabor Borsos and Peter Nagy, before Alexander Zverev and Philipp Kohlschreiber scored their second wins of the tie.

Zverev dropped only three points behind his second serve (7/10) to beat Borsos 6-3, 6-4, while Kohlschreiber edged David Szintai 6-7(5), 6-3, 10-5. Kohlschreiber hit eight aces and clinched the only break of the match, in the second set, to triumph after one hour and 38 minutes.