Stefanos Tsitsipas found a late surge to regain control of both his Erste Bank Open campaign as well as his Nitto ATP Finals prospects on Thursday, when he rallied past Tomas Machac in Vienna.

The Greek rallied to a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 second-round victory against Czech qualifier Machac to reach the quarter-finals at the Austrian ATP 500 for the first time in four attempts. After a confident start to the match, Tsitsipas had to rally from 1-4 in the deciding set against an inspired Machac to improve to 47-20 for the season.

“I had no choice but to fight,” said Tsitsipas. “I had a bad streak of consecutive points lost. He was really getting behind every ball and I felt like his movement was getting in the way of my creativity.”

With his one-hour, 58-minute win, Tsitsipas booked a last-eight clash with wild card Borna Gojo, and also consolidated sixth place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. The Greek is in pole position to claim one of the three remaining singles spots at the prestigious season finale, where he lifted the title in 2019.

“My eyes are towards the Nitto ATP Finals,” said Tsitsipas. “I’ve played there a few times, it’s a great tournament and I’m leaving my last breath out there on the court to earn a spot in Turin. I feel like with that kind of intensity and that kind of commitment I put into the game, there’s no reason for me not to believe that I can [qualify].”

Tsitsipas appeared to have his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Machac under control after taking the first set and he had not faced a break point all match when he lined up to serve at 4-5 in the second. After Machac delivered a sublime return game to snatch the set and force a decider, however, the Greek found himself in a second-round scrap.

Machac began to light up the Wiener Stadthalle with a stunning selection of shotmaking and the Czech looked set to spring an upset when he broke in the fourth game of the third set. He could not hold on for his maiden Top 10 win, however, as Tsitsipas won six of the final seven games to complete a victory in which he won 80 per cent (41/51) of points behind first serves.

Tsitsipas is 28-6 this year against players outside the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after his win against World No. 74 Machac. He can improve that record further by defeating Croatia’s Gojo, the World No. 77, when the pair clashes on Friday in the Austrian capital. Gojo earlier delivered a hammer blow to Tommy Paul’s Turin qualification hopes by downing the American sixth seed 6-3, 6-4.

Jannik Sinner enjoyed a more straightforward path to the last eight in Vienna, where the second seed moved past his good friend Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-4. The 22-year-old converted three of seven break points he earned to wrap a 93-minute triumph and improve to 4-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Sonego. All four of those wins have taken place in 2023.

Sinner will take on Frances Tiafoe next as he chases his fourth ATP Tour crown of the season. He has now racked up a 21-4 record since the start of July, a tally which includes winning his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Toronto and his second ATP 500 title in Beijing.

Tiafoe rallied past in-form Frenchman Gael Monfils 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 after two hours and 11 minutes. Monfils last week captured his first title of the year in Stockholm and showed flashes of that level, but his American opponent stayed the course.

Tiafoe played Sinner two years ago in the Vienna semi-finals, winning that match 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. In their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting since, the 25-year-old will try to level the pair’s series at 2-2.

The American is also trying to make a late run at Nitto ATP Finals qualification. Currently 16th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, Tiafoe would climb to 12th place by winning the title in Austria.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have already played many memorable matches in their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, with Sinner currently leading the series 4-3. Of their many high-quality encounters, one in particular stands out from the 2023 ATP Tour season.

At the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami, Sinner earned his first win against a reigning World No. 1 with a comeback victory against the Spaniard. Sinner sat down with ATP Uncovered to reflect on the epic match, which earned him a measure of revenge two weeks after he lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals. 

A memorable opening set included one of the points of the season, won by Sinner. The Italian won the all-action exchange with a forehand passing shot, but Alcaraz quickly answered.

“I still lost the game,” Sinner said with a laugh. “One point is good, but you can’t win the game…”

Alcaraz took the opening set in a tie-break, but Sinner stayed the course and ultimately found a way to advance to his second Miami final in three years with a 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 triumph.

“I was serving very well,” he said when analysing one crucial game in the second set. “After I won this game, my confidence started to grow and the momentum started to shift a little bit.”

Watch the full video below to see the moment Sinner pinpointed as the turning point in the match.

Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov treated the Vienna crowd to an Austrian National Day treat Thursday at the Erste Bank Open.

The top seed and defending champion Medvedev dug deep for a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 triumph in front of a packed crowd at the Wiener Stadthalle, hauling himself back into the second-round contest after Dimitrov had made a lightning-fast start at the ATP 500.

“It was a great match,” said Medvedev in his on-court interview. “He started really well and I was missing just a little bit too much. He was ahead and starting from the second set I started to play better, to run better, to put more balls in the court and play faster when I needed to.

“I managed to have small control of the match, but it was very tough and could have gone either way. I’m very happy I managed to do it.”

Defiant Daniil ✋

Reigning champion @DaniilMedwed reels in Dimitrov 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 🔜 QFs@ErsteBankOpen | #erstebankopen pic.twitter.com/ihckSwN3Y1

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 26, 2023

Medvedev was uncharacteristically wayward with his groundstrokes in the early stages, although he was given little time to settle as Dimitrov delivered a high-quality opening set that included some breathtaking moments of quality off both wings. Once Medvedev rediscovered his trademark defensive skills, however, he was able to slow the Bulgarian’s charge.

The top seed broke in the opening game of the second set and barely looked back to force a decider. He showcased his big-moment mentality in the ninth game of the final set, when he broke Dimitrov’s serve decisively to love. Medvedev finished with 31 winners, including 14 aces, to improve to 6-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Dimitrov.

Medvedev is now 3-0 against Dimitrov indoors, having dominated the Bulgarian in the semi-finals in Vienna a year ago and in Rotterdam in February. Although Dimitrov ensured Thursday’s clash was a far closer affair, the World No. 3 Medvedev held firm to set a quarter-final clash against eighth seed Karen Khachanov.

Thursday’s triumph was a Tour-leading 45th hard-court win for the 27-year-old Medvedev, who has already secured his spot for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

Joining Medvedev at the prestigious season finale in Turin will be Andrey Rublev, who also booked his quarter-final spot on Thursday in Vienna by beating Matteo Arnaldi 7-5, 6-3.

Rublev reeled off five games in a row from 5-5 in the first set to take control of the second-round clash, and finished the match having struck 21 winners to Arnaldi’s 19. With his 86-minute triumph, the 26-year-old Rublev, who is fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, made sure of his Nitto ATP Finals place.

Arnaldi was chasing his second Top 10 win of the year after he beat Casper Ruud in May in Madrid, and he made life tough for Rublev early on in their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. Rublev’s greater power on return ultimately told, however, and the 2020 Vienna champion raised his level as the match went on to seal a big-hitting last-eight clash with fifth seed Alexander Zverev.

“I had a really great opportunity in the first [return game], but I didn’t take it, and then it was tough to start rallies in return games because he was serving really well,” said Rublev. “He was playing second balls really well and I couldn’t start rallies.

“Then when I was able to win a set, then I started to feel better. He maybe started to feel a bit more down, his serve was not the same as in the first set, and I started to feel a lot more confident.”

The people of Vienna have the option of a unique backdrop for their lunchtime sandwiches this week, thanks to the Erste Bank Open.

Since 2021, the ATP 500 in Vienna has been the home to one of the most unique second courts on the ATP Tour. While the main stadium court is located in the city’s west inside the Wiener Stadthalle, the tournament’s second arena, the #glaubandich (German for ‘Believe In Yourself’) Court, is nestled right in the middle of the Austrian capital’s historic city centre.

The temporary stadium is erected on one half of the ice rink at the Vienna Ice Skating Club. Its location not only gives the tented court an interesting backdrop outside, but also ensures that top-level tennis is as accessible as possible for busy Viennese going about their days.

“I had in mind to activate tennis in the city centre,” tournament director Herwig Straka told ATPTour.com. “Vienna is a pretty big city, and the Stadthalle is not in the city centre. The feeling was that inside the tennis community, everybody knows about the event, but outside not. Positioning a second match court in the city centre attracted a lot of new fans, young fans, a new audience. This was the basic idea.”

_{^{The #glaubandich Court is located at the Vienna Ice Skating Club. Photo Credit: Andy West/ATP Tour.}}

To further open the tournament to workers in the city centre, Straka and his team decided on another innovation. Tickets for the #glaubandich Court, which also include free popcorn and free access to ice-skating next door, can be purchased for shortened time slots, with the cheapest available granting admission for two hours.

This concept, known as ‘Erste Bank Open 2 Go’, means those working in the vicinity can drop by, without having to arrange a day off, to spend an hour or two watching some of the best players in the world compete.

“It added a lot of attractions and awareness in the city for this event,” explained Straka. “Part of its success, and we sold out almost every day completely this year, is attracting a new audience. It’s a very low threshold — you can only pay 10 Euros, you can pay for the whole day or only pay for two hours. This is the ‘to-go’ concept, that you can consume tennis for only a limited amount of time.

“That created a new audience. It’s like a restaurant. You try it ‘to-go’, you like it, and then you go back for a four-course dinner. Those people [next time] come to the Stadthalle, and I think that is part of its success.”

_{^{Fans drop by Vienna’s #glaubandich Court to experience the ‘Erste Bank Open 2 Go’. Photo Credit: Andy West/ATP Tour.}}

So far this week, players from the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings who have played singles matches in the centre of Vienna include Tommy Paul, Karen Khachanov, Francisco Cerundolo, Matteo Arnaldi and Lorenzo Sonego. Meanwhile top seeds Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski, as well as 2022 champions and home favourites Alexander Erler/Lucas Miedler, are among the doubles teams that have competed in the heart of one of the world’s most elegant capital cities.

“[The players] like the quality and proximity of the court to the hotel,” said Straka. “We are improving the second venue year-by-year to match the Stadthalle. Sometimes [at indoor events] the second or third courts don’t match the same standard — the ceiling height, for example. This is the nature of an indoor event. But the quality of playing [at the #glaubandich Court] is great. That is something the players also like.”

Karen Khachanov” />

_{^{World No. 16 Karen Khachanov meets fans at the #glaubandich Court on Wednesday. Photo Credit: Erste Bank Open/Lars Maurer.}}

Andrey Rublev has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year. The 26-year-old guaranteed his spot at the season finale on Thursday when he defeated Matteo Arnaldi to reach the Vienna quarter-finals.

Rublev is the fifth player to earn his place in Turin from 12-19 November. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner have also qualified for the year-end championships.

“It feels great,” Rublev said. “It’s great news. After the match I didn’t know that if I would win the match I would qualify for sure, so I didn’t know that and it’s a great feeling, great news. Looking forward [to it] and happy to be part of the Nitto ATP Finals for one more year.”

See you in Turin, @AndreyRublev97 💫

Rublev has sealed his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year! 👏#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/hoFuCTy4Yk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 26, 2023

It has been a consistent season for Rublev, who reached the 50-wins mark for the third straight season. He has also broken new ground in 2023, claiming his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo.

Rublev also lifted the trophy in Bastad, marking the third time in the past four years that he has claimed multiple tour-level crowns. A finalist in Dubai, Banja Luka, Halle and Shanghai, he is tied for his career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking at World No. 5.

One year ago, Rublev advanced to the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time behind victories against Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. He is 4-6 in his three previous appearances at the season finale.

Only three singles places remain at the year-end championships. Former Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, is next in line to qualify.

The unseeded duo of Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul upset top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski on Wednesday at the Erste Bank Open, where the all-French pair clinched a Match Tie-break opening-round.victory.

Despite not creating a break chance in the match, the Frenchmen pulled out a 2-6, 7-6(5), 10-4 win by owning the crucial moments of the one-hour, 47-minute match. Doumbia and Reboul stayed within touching distance by saving nine of 11 break points they faced, and made their move late to earn the upset.

Fourth-seeded Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen were also knocked out at the ATP 500, with Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow scoring a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Lammons/Withrow face a crucial week in their quest to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. They are currently 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, just 25 points behind ninth-placed Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer and 35 points behind eighth-placed Jamie Murray and Michael Venus.

Arevalo and Rojer maintained their Turin push after they avoided becoming the third seeded pair to fall on Wednesday in Vienna. They defeated Nikola Mektic and John Peers 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-8 to set advance to face home wild card pair Sebastian Ofner and Philipp Oswald.

Murray/Venus Back From The Brink In Basel
The fact that their closest Nitto ATP Finals qualification rivals had won in Vienna made Murray and Venus’ dramatic late-night victory against Alexander Bublik and Adrian Mannarino at the Swiss Indoors Basel all the more important.

The fourth-seeded British-Kiwi duo rallied back from the brink in remarkable circumstances to reach the second round in Switzerland, saving three match points when Bublik and Mannarino led 6-4, 6-5 and 40/0 on serve, before prevailing 4-6, 7-6(3), 10-6.

Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski also advanced with a 7-6(5), 6-3 win against Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Robin Haase, while Alex de Minaur and Max Purcell beat Lloyd Glasspool and Nicolas Mahut 7-5, 7-6(5).

Carlos Alcaraz announced on social media on Wednesday that he is fit to play the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals.

“I have good news!” Alcaraz posted. “I am feeling better every day and I will play Paris-Bercy and be in Turin for the ATP Finals! Excited to finish the year on a high!”

I have good news! 🙌🏻 I am feeling better every day and I will play Paris-Bercy and be in Turin for the ATP Finals! 😍 Excited to finish the year on a high! 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/RC1pCzr237

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) October 25, 2023

The Spaniard withdrew ahead of the Swiss Indoors Basel due to a left foot injury and muscle fatigue to his lower back. He most recently competed in Shanghai, where he lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the Round of 16.

Alcaraz will hope to find his form immediately in Paris, where he will resume his battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone with Novak Djokovic. The Serbian currently leads the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, a good barometer for the year-end No. 1 battle, by 500 points with a maximum of 2,500 points up for grabs in Paris and Turin.

Felix Auger-Aliassime’s most recent title came in Basel one year ago. Based on his form Wednesday, the Canadian is keen to add another Swiss Indoors Basel trophy to his collection.

The defending champion eliminated Swiss wild card Leandro Riedi 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round. The sixth seed will next play Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, who ousted Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets.

“I thought he was playing well and I think he can be proud of himself because I played a great match. I think I showed up with a good level today,” Auger-Aliassime said in his on-court interview. “He still showed very good things, so I think he’s got a great future. But on my part I’m happy to get through to the second round here.”

All aboard the Felix Express 🚂🇨🇦

The 2022 champion @felixtennis eases past Riedi 6-3 6-2 🙌#SwissIndoorsBasel pic.twitter.com/KCedaHX1yS

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2023

The 23-year-old Auger-Aliassime stayed out of trouble on his service games for the most part, relinquishing just one break in the match. He consistently challenged his opponent’s serve, winning 50 per cent of his return points and earning four breaks in the 75-minute match.

Auger-Aliassime has long thrived indoors, winning all four of his titles in such conditions. This is his first indoor appearance outside of Laver Cup since Rotterdam in February.

Now 18-18 this season, the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier will hope to use the indoor stretch to regain confidence leading into 2024.

In the last match of the day, Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry battled past former World No. 1 Andy Murray 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 after thee hours and eight minutes to reach the quarter-finals.

In the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting this year at Indian Wells, Murray triumphed in three hours and 12 minutes. On this occasion, Etcheverry saved five of the six break points he faced, including all five he confronted in the second set.

Etcheverry will next play top seed Holger Rune or countryman Sebastian Baez for a place in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old is pursuing his first ATP Tour title this week.

Did You Know?
According to Infosys ATP Stats, Auger-Aliassime’s winning percentage indoors is 67.9 per cent (57-27) compared to 56.3 per cent (121-94) outdoors.

Jannik Sinner held firm for victory in a hard-hitting opening-round clash against Ben Shelton on Wednesday at the Erste Bank Open.

The Italian prevailed 7-6(2), 7-5 in Vienna by striking 28 winners and offering just six unforced errors across the one-hour, 44-minute encounter. With his win, Sinner avenged his defeat to Shelton in the Shanghai fourth round two weeks ago.

Although Shelton, who flew straight to Austria after winning his maiden ATP Tour crown on Sunday in Tokyo, understandably showed some signs of fatigue in the second set, he pushed Sinner all the way inside the Wiener Stadthalle. An intense first set was only settled when Sinner raised his level in the tie-break and the Italian was forced to fend off four break points overall during his win.

Sinner produced plenty of razor-sharp returning and particularly capitalised when given a look at his American opponent’s second serve. The Italian won 53 per cent (18/34) of return points against second deliveries, and Shelton’s lack of first serves proved crucial as Sinner clinched the only break of the match at 5-5 in the second set.

The 22-year-old Sinner, who has already secured direct qualification for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals for the first time, will take on countryman Lorenzo Sonego next in Vienna. He holds a 3-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead against Sonego, with all three victories coming earlier this season.