Is this the week Felix Auger-Aliassime finds his form?

The Canadian backed up his first-round win against Aleksandar Vukic with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph against Sebastian Ofner at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships on Wednesday.

Auger-Aliassime arrived in Tokyo having won just twice in his past 11 outings. The last time he won consecutive matches was in Indian Wells in March, when he reached the quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old ensured that run would end in Japan, though, producing a clean-hitting display to down Ofner after one hour and 35 minutes. Auger-Aliassime rallied from a break down in a tight first set before he raced away in the second set, winning the final six games of the match.

“I need results like this,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I believe in my game and I believe in myself that I have what it takes to win at this level. I have done it before but it is about doing it and having a lot of belief and a positive mind. I am happy that my level is translating to the match court after a couple of months.”

Into his fifth tour-level quarter-final of the season, the World No. 17 will next face second seed Casper Ruud or American Marcos Giron.

In first-round action, Zhang Zhizhen earned revenge against Hubert Hurkacz. The Pole defeated Zhang en route to the title in Shanghai last week, but the Chinese star ensured history would not repeat itself at the ATP 500 hard-court event.

Zhang fired 10 aces, won 76 per cent (39/51) of his first-serve points and broke Hurkacz’s serve three times to advance 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) in two hours and 17 minutes.

Hurkacz rose to 11th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin following the run to his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Shanghai. The Pole is 335 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who currently occupies the final qualification spot. His defeat is a major dent to his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes.

The 27-year-old Zhang is enjoying the best season of his career, having earned 19 tour-level wins. He became the first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist from China in May in Madrid and in July rose to No. 52 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the highest position ever held by anyone from the East Asian country. He beat Casper Ruud at the US Open to become the first Chinese man to beat a Top 5 opponent.

Aiming to make more waves this week, he will next face Aslan Karatsev.

Tommy Paul kept alive his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Mackenzie McDonald. The American is 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 515 points behind Rune. If Paul wins his first title of the season this week, he could rise to ninth if his direct rivals fall early in Tokyo.

Paul has now earned 39 wins this year, matching his previous personal-best tally (2022). He will aim to make it 40 wins when he plays Ben Shelton or Jordan Thompson in the quarter-finals.

Dominic Thiem flipped the script emphatically on Luca Nardi Tuesday night in Antwerp to seal a hard-earned first-round win at the European Open.

The former World No. 3 Thiem at one point trailed by a set and a break but recovered for a 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 triumph at the Belgian indoor ATP 250. The Austrian clinched a crucial break of serve to level at 3-3 in the second set and that proved the catalyst for an increasingly commanding Thiem display as Nardi faded after a bright start in their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“It was a very tough match. It’s always interesting to play against a great player for the very first time,” said Thiem. “I have the feeling it’s pretty fast conditions. We both served well. I needed to adjust a little bit to adjust to the surface and I was a set and a break down, and then I was able to turn it around.

“I played a great tie-break, which got close at the end and then the third set was really good. I’m really happy.”

With his two-hour, 28-minute victory, Thiem snapped an eight-match tour-level losing streak against Italian opponents. The Austrian was two points from defeat on two occasions in the second-set tie-break but did not lose his nerve and later dominated a deciding set in which he did not face a break point.

Thiem is now 17-20 for the year, a tally that includes a championship-match run in Kitzbühel. The 17-time tour-level titlist will take on fifth seed Yannick Hanfmann in the second round after the German beat home qualifier Alexander Blockx 6-4, 7-6(3).

Alexander Shevchenko prevailed in a tense clash with Benjamin Bonzi to make a winning start to his maiden Antwerp campaign. The World No. 84 claimed a 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-3 first-round triumph against France’s Bonzi. Shevchenko’s aggressive approach paid off in the latter stages of the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash as he powered 46 winners to Bonzi’s 31.

It was a 10th tour-level win for Shevchenko, who had not won a match at that level prior to April in Barcelona. The 22-year-old, who reached a career-high No. 83 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in August, will take on Juan Pablo Varillas next after the Peruvian beat Fabian Marozsan 7-6(7), 6-4.

Also on Tuesday, #NextGenATP Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard claimed his maiden ATP Tour victory by upsetting sixth seed Roberto Carballes Baena 0-6, 6-3, 7-6(4). The 20-year-old Mpetshi Perricard, who made his tour-level debut as a wild card at Roland Garros in May, recovered from a nightmare start to set a second-round appointment with home favourite David Goffin.

Serving 🆙 a shock 🇫🇷@MpetshiG saves match point to take down (6) Carballes Baena for a maiden tour level triumph@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/xcLPLapEd7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 17, 2023

Maximilian Marterer notched an early upset on his Antwerp debut as the German downed seventh seed Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-4. It was a second Top 100 win of the season for the 28-year-old Marterer, who will face countryman Dominik Koepfer or Nuno Borges next.

After 12 years away, Stan Wawrinka wasted no time getting back to business in Stockholm on Tuesday night.

The 38-year-old Swiss defeated Borna Gojo 7-5, 6-4 in the first round at the BNP Paribas Nordic Open to become the oldest player to win a match at the indoor ATP 250 since a then-39-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1991. Wawrinka converted three of 10 break points he earned to wrap a 91-minute triumph in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Gojo.

Wawrinka previously competed in Stockholm in 2010, when he reached the quarter-finals, and in 2011. The former World No. 3 is now 26-19 for the season and will chase his fourth tour-level quarter-final appearance of the year when he meets lucky loser Tomas Machac next in Sweden.

Stanimal strikes 💥@stanwawrinka | #StockholmOpen pic.twitter.com/sKiY6RnRBv

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 17, 2023

The BNP Paribas Nordic Open is not quite a home tournament for Emil Ruusuvuori, but it is not far off.

The World No. 61 made a lightning-fast start to his campaign Tuesday in Stockholm with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph against qualifier Benjamin Hassan. Ruusuvuori, who hails from neighbouring Finland, was delighted with his 57-minute triumph in his first competitive match since he spearheaded his country’s successful Davis Cup Finals Group Stage campaign more than four weeks ago.

“I’m very happy with the performance,” said Ruusuvuori. “I had a couple of weeks off from the Tour, so it’s good to start this way with such a solid performance. It’s a special place to be… For me it’s one of the best weeks for sure. I really like Stockholm, it’s a place that I could possibly even live in and for my friends and family it is easy to come and see.”

Ruusuvuori will play third seed Tallon Griekspoor in the second round in Stockholm, where he reached the semi-finals in 2022. Griekspoor holds a 2-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead against the Finn, with those victories taking place this season in ‘s-Hertogenbosch and at the Davis Cup Finals Group Stage.

There was a trio of upsets earlier in the day in Stockholm. J.J. Wolf defeated fifth seed Sebastian Baez 7-6(5), 6-2 at the indoor ATP 250 to set a meeting with Laslo Djere, who beat home wild card Leo Borg 6-3, 6-3. Qualifier Pavel Kotov kept his cool to oust seventh seed Christopher Eubanks 6-7(2), 6-3, 7-6(5) in two hours, 28 minutes. The World No. 109’s reward is a second-round clash with Lorenzo Sonego.

Eighth seed Daniel Evans also fell at the first hurdle in Sweden. Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic beat the Washington champion 6-4, 7-6(1) to set a second-round appointment with Gael Monfils or Marton Fucsovics.

The Swiss Indoors Basel has seen previous champions including Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, 10-time titlist Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the tournament in Switzerland:

When is the Swiss Indoors Basel?

The ATP 500 event will be held from 23-29 October. The hard-court tournament will take place at the St Jakobshalle Basel. The tournament director is Roger Brennwald.

Who is playing at the Swiss Indoors Basel?

Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Taylor Fritz and Casper Ruud are among those in action.

When is the draw for Swiss Indoors Basel?

The Swiss Indoors Basel singles draw will be made on Friday, 20 October at 9 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Swiss Indoors Basel?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 21 October at 11 a.m. and Sunday, 22 October at 1 p.m.
* Main Draw: Monday, 23 October – Friday, 27 October at 12 p.m. Evening sessions Monday at 8 p.m, Tuesday – Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday, 28 October at 1 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 29 October at 1 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 29 October at 3:30 p.m.

What is the prize money and points for the Swiss Indoors Basel?

The prize money for the Swiss Indoors Basel is €2,196,000 and the Total Financial Commitment is €2,345,955.

SINGLES
Winner: €410,660 / 500 points
Finalist: €220,950 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €117,760 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €60,165 / 90 points
Round of 16: €32,115 / 45 points
Round of 32: €17,130 / 0 points

DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: €134,890 / 500 points
Finalist: €71,940 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €36,400 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €18,200 / 90 points
Round of 16: €9,420 / 0 points

How can I watch the Swiss Indoors Basel?

Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

How can I follow the Swiss Indoors Basel?

Hashtag: #swissindoorsbasel
Facebook: Swiss Indoors Basel
Instagram: @swissindoorsbasel_official

Who won the last edition of the Swiss Indoors Basel in 2022?

Felix Auger-Aliassime won the 2022 Swiss Indoors Basel singles title with a 6-3, 7-5 victory against Holger Rune in the championship match (Read Report). Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek lifted the doubles trophy in Basel with a 6-4, 7-6(5) triumph against Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the final (Read Report).

Who holds the Swiss Indoors Basel record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (10)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Daniel Nestor, Tomas Smid, Nenad Zimonjic (4)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 38, in 2019
Youngest Champion: Jim Courier, 19, in 1989
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Pete Sampras in 1996, Roger Federer in 2006-07.
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 44 Jiri Hrebec in 1975
Last Home Champion: Roger Federer in 2019
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (75)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

The Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria has seen previous champions including Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the tournament in the Austrian capital:

When is the Erste Bank Open?

The ATP 500 event will be held from 23-29 October. The hard-court tournament will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle. The tournament director is Herwig Straka.

Who is playing at the Erste Bank Open?

Defending champion Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev are among the field.

When is the draw for the Erste Bank Open?

The Erste Bank Open singles draw will be made on Saturday, 21 October.

What is the schedule for the Erste Bank Open?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 21 October at 11 a.m. and Sunday, 22 October at 1 p.m.
* Main Draw: Monday, 23 October at 2 p.m. Tuesday, 24 October – Thursday, 26 October at 1 p.m. Friday, 27 October – Saturday, 28 October at 2 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 29 October at 11:45 a.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 29 October at 2 p.m.

What is the prize money and points for the Erste Bank Open?

The prize money for the Erste Bank Open is €2,409,835 and the Total Financial Commitment is €2,559,790.

SINGLES
Winner: €450,650 / 500 points
Finalist: €242,480 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €129,225 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €66,025 / 90 points
Round of 16: €35,245 / 45 points
Round of 32: €18,795 / 0 points

DOUBLES ($ per team)
Winner: €148,020 / 500 points
Finalist: €78,950 / 300 points
Semi-finalist: €39,940 / 180 points
Quarter-finalist: €19,970 / 90 points
Round of 16: €10,340 / 0 points

How can I watch the Erste Bank Open?

Watch Live On Tennis TV
TV Schedule

How can I follow the Erste Bank Open?

Hashtag: #erstebankopen
Facebook: Erste Bank Open
Twitter: @ErsteBankOpen
Instagram: @erstebankopen

Who won the last edition of the Erste Bank Open in 2022?

Daniil Medvedev won the 2022 Erste Bank Open singles title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory against Denis Shapovalov in the championship match (Read Report) Home favourites Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler lifted the doubles trophy in Vienna with a 6-3, 7-6(1) triumph against Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in the final (Read Report).

Who holds the Erste Bank Open record for most titles, oldest champion, youngest champion and more?

Most Titles, Singles: Brian Gottfried (4)
Most Titles, Doubles:Lukasz Kubot (4)
Oldest Champion: Tommy Haas, 35, in 2013
Youngest Champion: Horst Skoff, 20, in 1988
Highest-Ranked Champion: No. 1 Pete Sampras in 1998
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 175 Anders Jarryd in 1990
Last Home Champion: Dominic Thiem in 2019
Most Match Wins: Brian Gottfried (31)

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

The ATP has announced that an ATP 250 event in Sofia, Bulgaria, has been added to 2023 ATP Tour calendar. The tournament will take place as a single-year licence, replacing the Tel Aviv Watergen Open, which was cancelled due to the outbreak of war in the region.

The Sofia Open, operated by the Bulgarian Tennis Federation, will take place at the Sofia Arena and will offer Euros 562,815 in prize money.

Stefan Tzvetkov, Bulgarian Tennis Federation President, said: “We’re excited to host ATP Tour tennis back in the historic city of Sofia again. It goes without saying that we wish the circumstances were different, and our thoughts remain with all those affected by the terrible conflict. Our appreciation goes to ATP, the Bulgarian Government, the Municipality, and our team. We look forward to working together with ATP to deliver a successful event for the players and the incredible fans of Bulgaria.”

The Sofia Open was first held in 2016 and counts players including Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov among its past champions.

Ben Shelton backed up his quarter-final run at the Rolex Shanghai Masters with a first-round win against Japan qualifier Taro Daniel on Tuesday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

Making his debut at the ATP 500, Shelton battled hard to recover from a slow start, triumphing 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(2) in two hours and 34 minutes. The American struck the ball cleanly off both wings in the third set, using his thunderous forehand to overpower Daniel and earn his 22nd tour-level victory of the season.

The 21-year-old will next play Australian Jordan Thompson. Shelton has enjoyed a breakthrough year on Tour, highlighted by his run to the semi-finals at the US Open.

Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki earned his first tour-level win at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, where he moved past Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4, 7-6(5) to delight the home fans.

The 20-year-old, who was competing in just his ninth tour-level match, demonstrated excellent court craft during the two-hour, three-minute clash. He hit an array of acute angles to pull Etcheverry wide, while he was aggressive on return, winning 52 per cent (12/23) of points on the Argentine’s second delivery.

Look what it means 🥹🇯🇵

Next Gen star @ShintaroMOCHIZU will never forget his first ever tour level victory

#kinoshitajotennis | @japanopentennis pic.twitter.com/N1iAelZDGW

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 17, 2023

Mochizuki will next play top seed Taylor Fritz in the second round. The defending champion defeated Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-3.

The 20-year-old Mochizuki was overcome with emotion following his win, sobbing in the chair as he took in the applause. He has tasted success earlier this year, winning an ATP Challenger Tour event in Barletta, Italy.

In other action, Casper Ruud increased his Nitto ATP Finals hopes with a 7-6(6), 6-3 win against Japanese wild card Yosuke Watanuki. The Norwegian, who advanced to the fourth round in Shanghai last week, is currently 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 295 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who occupies the final qualification spot.

Ruud is seeking his second title of the season and will next take on Marcos Giron.

Aslan Karatsev downed World No. 14 Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-6(4) to earn his fourth Top 20 win of the season. The 30-year-old will meet Zhizhen Zhang or Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.

Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz boosted their Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances on Tuesday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, where they both earned first-round wins.

Australian De Minaur came through a hard-fought battle against British lefty Jack Draper, advancing 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(1) in three hours and four minutes.

De Minaur rallied from a break down in the second set and broke qualifier Draper’s serve when the 21-year-old was trying to close out the match at 5-4 in the third set. The World No. 13 locked in from the baseline and started to pull the tiring Draper from corner to corner to improve to 13-4 in opening-round matches this year.

“I think whenever someone is struggling at the end it makes it much harder to finish off,” De Minaur said. “Because you can’t focus on what you want to and you just try to make him play as many balls as possible and then he was just playing free. I think this match was won on attitude and fitness. Happy to get the win and still be alive.”

De Minaur, who now leads Draper 2-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, is 13th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin on 2,515 points. He is 595 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, who occupies the final qualification spot.

Chasing his second title of the season, De Minaur will need a deep run in Tokyo to further increase his chances of making his debut at the prestigious year-end event. The fourth seed will next face Diego Schwartzman after the Argentine earned his 250th tour-level win.

Schwartzman produced a rock-solid display to down countryman Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 21 minutes, backing up his run to the fourth-round in Shanghai last week.

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Top seed Fritz followed De Minaur onto court and moved past Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-3 in the latest chapter of the pair’s long-running Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.

The American is the defending champion at the ATP 500 hard-court event and made a quick start to his title defence, firing 13 aces in a strong serving performance to advance after one hour and 21 minutes. Fritz now leads Norrie 7-6, with all 13 meetings coming on hard courts.

“It was really close to lose the first set. I was thinking it was going to be a three setter,” Fritz said. “I was lucky to get the break back in the first and then I felt my level picked up and I started playing a lot more smoothly.”

Fritz is four places above De Minaur in ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 145 points behind Rune. The 25-year-old, who reached the semi-finals on debut in Turin last year, is one of five players to earn more than 50 wins this year, with his victory against Norrie his 52nd.

Fritz will next meet Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki or Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

In other action, Cristian Garin beat Japan wild card Sho Shimabukuro 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, while Alexei Popyrin upset Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-2.

Twenty-year-old Mark Lajal will not soon forget what he accomplished on Monday in Antwerp. The #NextGenATP Estonian earned his first ATP Tour win with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against Jaume Munar at the European Open.

The wild card had never played in qualifying or the main draw at an ATP Tour event, but he showed few nerves in Antwerp. The Estonian won 85 per cent of his first-serve points and saved the two break points he faced to advance after 69 minutes.

“This is my first time playing in an ATP, any ATP and main draw, so obviously I was really ready for it,” Lajal said in his on-court interview. “I wanted to do well and that for sure gave me the extra motivation.”

Lajal became the first Estonian to win an ATP Tour match since Jurgen Zopp reached the Gstaad semi-finals in 2018. The No. 229 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings is the only player from his country in the Top 500.

Lajal owns a 19-17 record on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, including a run to the Little Rock title in June. It will not get easier for the 20-year-old, who will next play fellow #NextGenATP star Arthur Fils, the fourth seed.

Into the next round 💪

Hugo Gaston defeats Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to advance in Antwerp!@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/dxoxbzsqMD

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 16, 2023

In other action, two Frenchmen also advanced to the second round. Hugo Gaston eliminated countryman Arthur Rinderknech and Gregoire Barrere ousted Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 7-6(5).

Gaston will next challenge second seed Jan-Lennard Struff and Barrere will try to hold off the big serving and tricky game of third seed Alexander Bublik.