Aslan Karatsev continued to demonstrate just how dangerous his big-hitting game can be Friday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

The World No. 50 downed fourth seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2 to add a third straight-sets victory to his Tokyo run after earlier wins against Frances Tiafoe and Zhang Zhizhen. Karatsev converted three of five break points he earned and saved all five he faced to wrap a 96-minute win inside Ariake Coliseum.

“[I’m] playing well. I kept to my plan and kept my head clear,” said Karatsev. “[I stayed] calm in important moments. He had a few chances to break me. He’s a dangerous player. He always gives you the ball back deep and low. I think the key was to stay focused and keep my plan.”

Making a statement 😤@AsKaratsev moves past De Minaur to book his spot in the @japanopentennis semi-finals.#kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/xsIeBxW1o6

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2023

Karatsev’s raw baseline power proved too hot to handle for De Minaur, who was the last seed standing at the ATP 500 event. Despite De Minaur deploying plenty of typically stout defence, he was unable to disrupt Karatsev’s rhythm frequently enough as the 30-year-old powered 21 winners, including 15 off his forehand wing, to his Australian opponent’s five.

Alexei Popyrin or #NextGenATP home favourite Shintaro Mochizuki will be Karatsev’s semi-final opponent as he chases his fourth ATP Tour title and his first since Sydney in January 2022. Karatsev acknowleged he was feeling good on court in Tokyo but was reluctant to make any comparisons to his only previous ATP 500 title run in 2021 in Dubai.

“It’s a different year, a different season,” said Karatsev. “Coming for some weeks in China, where I made the semis [in Zhuhai] and lost in Shanghai, I was able to practise and come here earlier, so I could prepare here physically and mentally. I’m playing well.”

Friday’s defeat was a major blow to De Minaur’s chances of making a late charge towards the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals as the Australian was unable to capitalise on Tommy Paul’s defeat to Ben Shelton earlier in the day in Tokyo. De Minaur remains 13th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 35 points behind 12th-placed Paul and 550 points behind Holger Rune in eighth.

After a season of Grand Slam success, Ben Shelton can add ATP Tour semi-finalist to his list of 2023 breakthroughs.

The #NextGenATP American overcame his countryman Tommy Paul 7-6(4), 6-3 on Friday in the quarter-finals at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships. The big-serving lefty delivered a rock-solid display in Tokyo, where he saved six of seven break points he faced to seal a one-hour, 38-minute triumph and set a semi-final clash with another American, Marcos Giron.

“It was definitely a difficult challenge, as it is whenever you play against a guy as talented and as tough as Tommy Paul,” said Shelton. “To be able to get through that with a win, it took a lot of mental toughness. I had to stay calm in the first set, serving for the set and then getting broken and having to finish it in the tie-breaker. It was a difficult task but I’m happy to be moving on.”

Back in the final four 👊@BenShelton defeats compatriot Tommy Paul to reach his second tour-level semi-final in as many months.#kinoshitajotennis | @japanopentennis pic.twitter.com/YUJhvPjVC7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2023

Shelton converted both break points he earned in his third Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with the No. 12-ranked Paul. The pair had split their first two clashes at the Australian Open and the US Open earlier this year, but it was Shelton who found something extra at key moments to improve to 5-8 against Top 20 opponents.

After reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals and the US Open semi-finals, Shelton is now into the last four at an ATP Tour event for the first time with a Tokyo run which has lifted the 21-year-old two spots to No. 17 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. Regardless of whether he progress further in Japan, Shelton is set to eclipse his career-high of No. 19 when next update of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is released on Monday.

Friday’s defeat dented Paul’s late-season charge towards Nitto ATP Finals qualification. The 26-year-old remains 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 515 points adrift of eighth-placed Holger Rune in the final qualification spot for the prestigious season finale.

Shelton’s semi-final opponent in Tokyo will be qualifier Giron, who continued his impressive run in the Japanese capital with a 6-1, 6-4 triumph against eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Giron rode a lightning-fast start in both sets to an 81-minute win against Auger-Aliassime, who had shown signs of a return to form by reaching his first tour-level quarter-final since May. Yet he could not match the 30-year-old Giron’s consistency in blustery conditions inside Ariake Coliseum. The World No. 79 led 4-0 in the first set and 3-0 in the second, ultimately converting five of eight break points he earned to charge into his maiden ATP 500 semi-final.

“I’m really happy with today’s performance,” said Giron, who held his nerve after losing four of five games in the middle of the second set. “Felix is obviously a phenomenal player, been Top 10 in the world, won a lot of titles. He’s beaten me down pretty good the last few times we played, so coming in today I knew I had to play well and I had to play aggressive.

“It is windy, but I started off really well. In the second set I went up a break and it cooled off, got even windier, and it got a little tricky. He raised his level, but we are professional tennis players, we do this for a living, and we’ve got to be ready for anything that comes our way.”

Players who began the week well outside of Nitto ATP Finals contention could be in the thick of the battle in a few days.

Twelfth-placed Tommy Paul and 13th-placed Alex de Minaur would soar to ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin by winning the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, where they have advanced to the quarter-finals.

None of the players between seventh and 11th places in the Live Race — Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud and Hubert Hurkacz — moved past the Round of 16 this week across events in Tokyo and Stockholm. That has given players with a seemingly slim chance to qualify for Turin a huge opportunity.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin Standings (19 Oct)

Paul and De Minaur could meet in the final of the ATP 500, which would prove a consequential clash in the Live Race. Paul would climb to 3,005 points with a title and De Minaur would reach 2,970 points. Holger Rune, who currently holds the eighth and final qualifying position, has 3,110 points.

With ATP 500 events next week in Basel and Vienna, followed by the season’s final ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris, that would give Paul and De Minaur ample chance to continue their charge.

Sixth-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas is into the quarter-finals in Antwerp, where he is solidifying his standing in the Live Race. The Greek is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive year.

Fifth-placed Andrey Rublev is not competing this week, but he is in a good position to earn his spot at the Pala Alpitour. The four players who have already qualified are Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner.

Holger Rune’s team confirmed on Thursday that the Dane has hired Boris Becker as his coach.

The former No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings has coached before, having helped Novak Djokovic reach some of his greatest heights. As a player, the German won 49 tour-level titles and 713 matches, including 121 victories against Top 10 opponents.

Less than one week ago, Rune posted a team photo, which included Becker, following a training session.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Holger Vitus Nødskov Rune (@holgerrune)

Rune is looking to rejuvenate his 2023 season, which has faltered after an impressive first half that included ATP Masters 1000 finals in Monte-Carlo and Rome, his fourth tour-level title in Munich and quarter-final runs at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Despite rising to a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 4 in August, he has won just one of eight matches since the grass swing.

“I felt myself and my game more today than I did in a while,” Rune posted on Instagram after losing earlier this week in Stockholm. “So I feel confident now in making the last adjustments and finish the year strong 🦾”

Grand Slam giants Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek will headline a stellar field at the new-look United Cup, held in Perth and Sydney from 29 December to 7 January 2024.

Five of the world’s top 10 women and nine of the world’s top 20 men will feature at the exciting innovative mixed team event in 2024, with the draw to be revealed on Monday 23 October.

Tickets go on sale Wednesday 25 October at 5:00 local time. 

Team Poland, led by four-time major champion Swiatek and 11th-ranked Hubert Hurkacz, have been named as the top seeds for the 2024 edition after the entries from the top 16 countries were confirmed.

Top-10 stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Maria Sakkari will lead No.2-seeded Greece, while defending champions United States – represented by world No.4 Jessica Pegula and 10th-ranked Taylor Fritz – are seeded third.

France, the No.4 seeds, will be steered by world No.10 Caroline Garcia and Adrian Mannarino.

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova will headline the Czech Republic team alongside Jiri Lehecka, while Croatia rounds out the top six seeds, a team featuring Borna Coric and Donna Vekic.

Host nation Australia is represented by top Aussie Alex de Minaur – a player on the brink of the top 10 – plus three-time major quarterfinalist Ajla Tomljanovic, doubles stars Storm Hunter, Matt Ebden and Ellen Perez, and former world No.33 John Millman.

Four countries will make their debut in 2024, including Serbia, who is led by 24-time major champion and current world No.1 Djokovic. He will be joined in the team by rising star Olga Danilovic.

Canada debuts with exciting young stars Felix Auger-Aliassime and Leylah Fernandez, while China does the same with Asian Games champions Zheng Qinwen and Zhang Zhizhen, both making a big impact on tour in 2023. Netherlands is represented by Tallon Griekspoor and Arantxa Rus.

Other standout entries include Norway’s world No.8 Casper Ruud, German stars Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber, and Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter.

The top five WTA ranking-qualified countries, top five ATP ranking-qualified countries and the top six combined entry countries have been admitted to the competition.

The final two remaining countries (one WTA and one ATP) will be admitted to the competition on Monday 20 November, based on the rankings published on this date.

“Wow, what a fantastic field we have for the United Cup in 2024, this will be an exciting and unmissable tennis experience this summer,” United Cup Tournament Director Stephen Farrow said.

“The United Cup holds a unique position in global tennis, with the world’s best men and women representing their country at the highest level. For 2024 we are delighted to welcome teams with both massive star power and great depth.

“The top 16 teams include some of the biggest names in tennis, such as Djokovic, Swiatek, Tsitsipas, Pegula, Fritz, Sakkari, De Minaur, Tomljanovic, Zverev, Kerber and more. They are all set to play in a format designed to showcase both the men’s and women’s game and the unique equality in tennis.

“We can’t wait to see some exciting match-ups between such a high calibre playing field, and lots of entertaining tennis in what promises to be a blockbuster event.”

The United Cup, an ATP-WTA event presented in partnership with Tennis Australia, offers a minimum AUD $15 million in prize money and 500 Pepperstone ATP and 500 WTA Tour rankings points.

Eighteen countries will contest the second edition with each city to host nine teams – three more than 2023. Each team will comprise up to three men and three women.

Countries will be drawn into six groups of three countries and will compete in a round-robin format.

New for 2024, each tie will be determined in one session and will include one men’s singles and one women’s singles match featuring the No.1 ranked singles players, followed by one mixed doubles match.

Perth’s RAC Arena will host the first day of the United Cup on Friday 29 December, with the group stage in Sydney beginning on Saturday 30 December.

Group winners in each city will advance to the quarterfinals, with one quarterfinal spot in each city awarded to the best runner-up in that city.

Winners will progress to the semifinals and finals in Sydney, which will be played on 6 and 7 January.

On Monday 23 October, the official draw will reveal the city where each team will begin the new tennis season. Watch the draw live from 11.30am AEDT on the United Cup Facebook page.

Here are the first 16 qualified countries in seed order…

(1) POLAND

(2) GREECE

(3) USA

(4) FRANCE

(5) CZECH REPUBLIC

(6) CROATIA

(7) CANADA

(8) GREAT BRITAIN

(9) CHINA

(10) NETHERLANDS

(11) SPAIN

(12) ITALY

(13) SERBIA

(14) NORWAY

(15) AUSTRALIA

(16) GERMANY

(17) WTA 6 – TBA NOVEMBER 20

(18) ATP 6 – TBA NOVEMBER 20

Note: Players are subject to change.

Visit official website

What a difference six years makes…

In his previous appearance at the European Open in Antwerp, Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the 2017 semi-finals as a 19-year-old qualifier. On Thursday, he returned to the ATP 250 as the top seed and lived up to that billing with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Botic van de Zandschulp.

“It took some time. I didn’t have the best start that I would have expected but what a great way to end it,” Tsitsipas said after recovering an early break in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head matchup. “I was trying to get in there despite the early break and found a really good way through towards the very end. I felt like every point was a fight; every game there was an opportunity to do something. I was trying to maintain that consistency and work towards the victory.”

Sharp Stef ⚔️

Top seed @steftsitsipas ousts van de Zandschulp 7-5, 6-3 for a QF ticket with play like this@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/OoJJQB2zm8

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 19, 2023

It was a welcome win for the Greek, who has not recorded multiple singles victories at a tournament since he won the Los Cabos title in August. He will bid to break that streak in Friday’s quarter-finals against fifth seed Yannick Hanfmann, who edged Dominic Thiem 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to close the day’s play in Antwerp.

Tsitsipas improved to 14-5 this season in his opening-round matches by battling out of a 2-4 hole in the opening set against van de Zandschulp. The Greek won nine of 11 games from that point to take command on centre court.

While neither player sustained his best level for long periods, Tsitsipas improved throughout the one-hour, 36-minute match and comfortably closed out the win behind strong serving. He did not face a break point in the second set after saving four of five break points in the opening set.

In addition to his singles campaign, Tsitsipas is also through to the doubles semi-finals in Antwerp alongide brother Petros Tsitsipas.

Earlier on Thursday, France’s Hugo Gaston saved three match points to upset second seed Jan-Lennard Struff 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-6(11). Gaston, who saved 12 of 16 break points in the nearly three-hour match, clinched victory on his fourth match point. A total of six match points went begging in the decisive tie-break, three for each man, before Gaston booked his place in his fourth tour-level quarter-final with a big inside-out forehand.

The lefty Gaston will face another German in the quarters: Maxamilian Marterer, who beat Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6(3).

Gael Monfils broke Richard Gasquet’s record for most hard-court tour-level wins by a Frenchman by beating qualifier Filip Misolic 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm. Monfils’ 356th hard-court victory set up a quarter-final showdown with second seed and countryman Adrian Mannarino.

The 37-year-old has now won four consecutive sets at the ATP 250, having battled back from a set down to defeat Marton Fucsovics in the opening round. Against Austria’s Misolic, Monfils hit 11 aces and lost just four points on first serve (31/35). He saved the only break point he faced in the one-hour, 13-minute win.

“Filip is playing a little bit more loopy than Marton,” Monfils said after advancing to his first indoor quarter-final in more than two years. “Of course he’s a solid player on both sides. But Marton was very aggressive, so today was about me controlling the points and mixing up the speeds. I think I’ve done good. I was in control so I’m very happy to win this match in two sets.”

Team Monfils approves 🤜🤛@Gael_Monfils earns a 6-4, 6-3 scoreboard against Misolic 🇫🇷 next up Mannarino 🇫🇷#StockholmOpen pic.twitter.com/SySThEUcYY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 19, 2023

Monfils will next face the 35-year-old Mannarino, who opened his Stockholm campaign with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Roman Safiullin. Mannarino, who entered Stockholm two spots off his career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking at World No. 24, was broken twice in the match but made up for it with four breaks of his own.

“It’s going to be a really tough one. Adrian is in great form, his best season,” said Monfils, who leads the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head 4-2. “He has a tricky game. I will have to play my game, try to be 100 per cent physically to have a strong, physical battle.”

Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki continued his dream run at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Thursday when he stunned World No. 10 Taylor Fritz 0-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) to reach the quarter-finals.

The 20-year-old rallied from 2-5 in the third set, breaking Fritz’s serve to love when the American was trying to close out. Roared on by vocal home support, Mochizuki then raced to a 3/0 lead in the tie-break before sealing victory on his first match point after two hours and three minutes.

“I don’t really know what is happening right now,” Mochizuki said. “I lost the first set so easy, so quick. Everyone knows he is a great player but I kept fighting and that is all I could do. I am so happy. I don’t know how, but I won the match.

“I was a bit nervous at the start, not swinging. I was scared to miss. Then I tried to forget about everything and just started playing my game from the second set and that is how it went.”

FIRST TOP 10 WIN 💙@ShintaroMOCHIZU stuns the No. 1 seed, Taylor Fritz, 0-6 6-4 7-6, to secure his place in the Tokyo quarter-finals! ⚡️@japanopentennis | #kinoshitajptennis pic.twitter.com/LCqHRMTIzH

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 19, 2023

The Japanese star, who earned his maiden tour-level win in the first round against Tomas Martin Etcheverry, is the second Japanese player to defeat a Top 10 player this year. Taro Daniel beat then-World No. 4 Casper Ruud in Acapulco.

Filled with emotion, Mochizuki took in the support of the crowd following his stunning win against Fritz. He will next play Alexei Popyrin after the Australian overcame Cristian Garin. Earlier this year Mochizuki won an ATP Challenger Tour event in Barletta, Italy. He is up 47 places to No. 168 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, while he is 22nd in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah.

Fritz is currently ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 145 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who occupies the final qualification spot. Alex de Minaur (13th) and Tommy Paul (12th), can both overtake Fritz with title runs in Tokyo.