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Thiem's farewell, pivotal week in Live Race: Basel & Vienna Scouting Report

  • Posted: Oct 20, 2024

The season is coming to a thrilling climax, with the best players in the world trying to earn their place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. The chase continues this week at ATP 500 events in Basel and Vienna, where plenty of points are up for grabs.

Andrey Rublev is the top seed at the Swiss Indoors Basel and Alexander Zverev is the top seed at the Erste Bank Open. It will be an emotional week in Vienna, where home hero Dominic Thiem will retire after a standout career in which he reached No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and won the 2020 US Open.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each tournament. 

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BASEL
1) Rublev Leads The Way: The top seed in Basel is Andrey Rublev, who is competing in the tournament for the first time. Every match, beginning with his opener against Portuguese Nuno Borges, is key for the 26-year-old. Rublev is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and attempting to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive season.

 

2) Felix Two-Time Defending Champion: Felix Auger-Aliassime joined an elite list last year when he won his second consecutive Basel title. The only other players to accomplish the feat are Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro, Stefan Edberg and Ivan Lendl. The Canadian’s two most recent triumphs have come at the ATP 500 and he will try to make it three in a row, beginning with his first-round clash against Argentine Sebastian Baez.

3) Stan At Home: Swiss great Stan Wawrinka headlines the wild cards on home soil. The 39-year-old enjoyed his best tournament of the year in Stockholm, where he advanced to the semi-finals, and will try to carry that momentum to Basel, where he seeks his first crown. Fellow Swiss Dominic Stricker and former Top 10 player Denis Shapovalov also are in the field as wild cards.

4) Ruud & Tsitsipas Players To Watch: There is plenty of more starpower in Basel. Second seed Casper Ruud, who is seventh in the Live Race, faces a tricky opening test against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas seeks his second title of the year and will begin his quest against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo. Sixth seed Ben Shelton is bringing his booming serve to Basel for the first time.

5) Koolhof & Mektic’s Turin Pursuit: The top seeds in the doubles draw are Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic. The 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champions are seventh in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and are trying to return to the season finale. They surged to their current standing by winning the ATP Masters 1000 title in Shanghai.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN VIENNA
1) Thiem’s Farewell: Thiem, one of the best players of his generation, is retiring after his efforts this coming week on home soil in Vienna. The 31-year-old won the title at the tournament in 2019 and owns a 16-11 record there, where he played his first ATP Tour event in 2010. That year, he competed in qualifying as a 17-year-old. Thiem will begin his event against Argentine Mariano Navone on Tuesday evening.

2) Zverev Top Seed: Zverev is atop the ATP 500 draw. The German has tallied a 9-2 mark in Vienna, where he lifted the trophy in 2021. With Nitto ATP Finals qualification already set, Zverev will try to add to his Rome triumph with a second 2024 victory. He plays wild card Joel Schwaerzler, an 18-year-old Austrian, in the first round.

3) Race Chase: Several players in contention for the Nitto ATP Finals will jockey for position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin in Vienna. Alex de Minaur is ninth in the Live Race, 275 points behind eighth-placed Andrey Rublev for the final qualification spot. With 500 points up for grabs this week, the Australian will try to make his move towards a debut in Turin. Grigor Dimitrov, the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion, and Tommy Paul, who are meeting in the Stockholm final, are right behind De Minaur, trying to move closer to a qualifying spot.

4) Tantalising First-Round Matchups: There are several intriguing first-round matches to watch. Seventh seed Jack Draper will take on former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori, fifth seed Frances Tiafoe will play former Top 10 star Cameron Norrie and fourth seed Paul will try to defeat countryman Brandon Nakashima, the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champion.

Other openers to watch include a battle of Italians between sixth seed Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego, as well as a rematch of this year’s Newport final between Marcos Giron and #NextGenATP Alex Michelsen.

5) Arevalo/Pavic & Bopanna/Ebden lead the way: The top two seeds in the doubles field are reigning Roland Garros champions Marcelo Arevalo/Mate Pavic & Australian Open winners Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden. Bopanna/Ebden face a tricky opening test against Robin Haase and Zverev, who received a wild card. Another team that won a major this year, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, will try to claim ATP 500 glory in Vienna as the third seeds.

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Khachanov resists Diallo in dramatic Almaty final

  • Posted: Oct 20, 2024

Karen Khachanov was forced to take the scenic route on Sunday, but did so in dramatic fashion to clinch his seventh ATP Tour title at the Almaty Open.

In a pendulum-swinging contest, the third seed resisted a late fightback to defeat Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. Khachanov appeared to have one hand on the trophy when he led by a set and a break, but Diallo mustered some gutsy tennis to level the contest from the brink of defeat and ignite hopes of a comeback.

“A lot of emotions, now I’m relieved and super happy,” said Khachanov, who improved to 7-2 in tour-level finals. “You can’t expect a final to be easy, without tension, but it was until 6-2, 4-2. Then he started to relax, go for his shots a little bit more, and he suddenly turned the match around.”

Diallo, who was bidding to win his maiden ATP Tour title, is up to a career-high of No. 87 in the Live PIF ATP Rankings after a career-best week in Almaty. The 23-year-old showed grit to go toe-to-toe with the World No. 26, but ultimately faltered in a one-sided decider.

Despite going the distance in both his semi-final against Aleksandar Vukic and the championship match, Khachanov was relentless in his approach. He was particularly dialled in on return in the showdown, creating 19 break point opportunities against the explosive serving of Diallo.

Khachanov won 92 per cent (11/12) of points behind his first serve in a lights-out first set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He then kept his foot on the gas to dismantle Diallo’s serve in the third game of the second set to earn a commanding lead.

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However, trailing by a set and 2-4, Diallo showed resilience to save five break points in a 15-minute game, shifting the momentum firmly in his favour. Buoyed by the crowd, both players raised their levels, but it was Khachanov who stood firm to seal victory in two hours, 23 minutes.

With the triumph in Almaty, Khachanov secured his first ATP Tour title on indoor hard courts since defeating Novak Djokovic to claim the 2018 ATP Masters 1000 Paris title. It is also the second time that the 28-year-old has clinched multiple titles in a season, after succeeding in Doha in February.

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Kyrgios sets sights on Aussie Open

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2024

Nick Kyrgios is gearing up to make a comeback on home soil.

Speaking on a panel at SXSW (South By Southwest) in Sydney on Thursday, the Aussie confirmed his participation at the 2025 Australian Open.

“I will be playing the Australian Open this summer,” he said. “I just miss being out there playing in front of a home crowd. We’ve got such a crowd of guys at the moment like Alex de Minaur playing amazing tennis.”

Struggling with knee and wrist injuries for the past 16 months, Kyrgios has been out of action for almost two seasons. Last year, he played a single tour-level match at the BOSS OPEN in Stuttgart and lost to Wu Yibing.

“The injury I had was brutal … The surgeon said I probably wouldn’t be able to play again,” Kyrgios shared. “But I said whatever, just try and get me another two to three years of my career … It’s been a brutal last couple of years, but just being out there to play in front of a home crowd … I just want to be out there, lighting up the crowd and playing in front of my own country.

“Whether it is good or bad, it will certainly be a lot of fun, for sure. I am looking forward to it … My only motivation to come back and play is to try and win a grand slam, and I’ll give it one more shot.”

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Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley looks forward to having the home favorite back at Melbourne Park.

“We love to have Nick coming back playing in 2025 … He’s back out there practicing,” Tiley said. “He’s fully expecting to play, and we expect to see Nick playing… We’ll ensure Nick’s out there playing in the main draw.

“His preparation, we know he’s doing more than he’s done before, we know that he wants to do it, we know that he’s mentally preparing to get ready to play in January. He’s got to be physically healthy to do that.”

– with assistance from Tennis Australia.

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Lehecka shuts down Giron’s surge, books final spot in Antwerp

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2024

Faced with a dialled-in opponent and with a final spot on the line, Jiri Lehecka opted for all-out attack on Saturday night at the European Open.

The fifth-seeded Czech was rewarded for his courage with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 semi-final triumph against Marcos Giron at the indoor hard-court ATP 250. Lehecka responded emphatically to a mid-match surge from Giron by breaking the American’s serve twice in the deciding set en route to a one-hour, 57-minute victory.

“All the best to Marcos, he played incredible tennis, especially in the second set,” said Lehecka in his on-court interview. “A few times I was speechless with what he was able to produce, so I’m very happy with the win, so happy to be through and today it was a hard-fought battle.

“After the second set, when I thought I wasn’t playing bad but he was just playing incredible from the back of the baseline, I knew I had to use every chance I had to push forward and to be aggressive. His second serve was the only chance I had to do it, so I tried to use that and it worked well.”

Lehecka converted three of six break points he earned against Giron, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to book his spot in his third tour-level championship match. The Adelaide champion is the first Czech to reach an indoor ATP Tour final since his former coach Tomas Berdych won the Stockholm title in 2015.

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A familiar face will await Lehecka in Sunday’s final: Roberto Bautista Agut. The Spaniard earlier eased past Hugo Gaston 6-3, 6-4 to reach is 23rd tour-level title match, and his first since he reached a final in Adelaide in January 2023. Bautista Agut notched a break in each set to halt the inspired run of Gaston, who had downed second seed Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals.

“My last final was in Adelaide last year and it means a lot to me to be in [another] final,” said Bautista Agut, who has risen 12 spots to No. 48 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his run in Belgium so far. “I’ve been working very hard after the injury and to enjoy on the court, like I have this week. It’s why I love tennis and why I keep practising very hard. I’m very happy.”

The Spaniard will step on court against Lehecka with a 3-1 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The pair has split two meetings in the past six weeks, with Bautista Agut beating Lehecka at September’s Davis Cup Finals Group Stage, and Lehecka later prevailing in a second-round clash in Beijing.

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Coach Visak on ‘lucky’ vegan burgers & Cilic’s long road back to the winners' circle

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2024

As a coach, Vilim Visak is prepared to do whatever it takes — on or off the court — to ensure his charge is ready to compete.

The Croatian, who has worked with his countryman and former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings Marin Cilic since 2020, considers a positive atmosphere away from the practice court equally as important as the hard work done on it. This desire to help his player feel comfortable can sometimes lead to the development of peculiar routines, as it did during Cilic’s run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2022.

“The night before the first match, [the team] went to have a vegan burger, which is something unusual for us, and then Marin won his first match,” Visak recalled to ATPTour.com. “So except for Marin, we all had to go and eat the same thing again, day by day. After seven days, the waiters did not even ask us what we will have to eat, but routines must be followed. No other choice.

“For that tournament we dreamed of having anything except the vegan burger, but we try to do everything we can to keep the atmosphere positive for the rest. That was funny for us, but it was to make Marin also feel good.”

<img alt=”Marin Cilic/Vilim Visak” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/18/11/56/cilic-visak-coach-spotlight-2024.jpg” />

Marin Cilic and Vilim Visak have known each other since they were junior players in Croatia. Photo courtesy of Vilim Visak

Barely six months after Visak’s near-fortnight-long diet of vegan burgers, his emphasis on positivity was put to the ultimate test as one of the toughest periods of Cilic’s stellar career began. The 2014 US Open champion underwent surgery on his right knee in early 2023 and ultimately contested just two tournaments that year. His comeback in early 2024 lasted just two months, and he underwent another surgery on the same knee in May.

There is little a coach can do when it comes to a player’s physical recovery. Yet Visak, who began coaching aged 22 after a short playing career that included reaching the Roland Garros boys’ doubles quarter-finals with Novak Djokovic, understood he still had a major role in keeping Cilic motivated through the tough times.

“Mental toughness is just as important as getting better physically,” he said. “So [I told him to] try visualising himself back on the court, playing his best. I told him he should stay connected to tennis, watching the matches. We spoke a lot about who is playing where, who was in what form, and also watching matches thinking about strategy and talking about game plans.

“[I wanted him to] remember why he loves tennis and why he loves the game, and how far he had already come. Lastly, [I also wanted to help him] understand that recovery is part of the athletic journey, and it’s not a setback, but a chance to grow and come back even stronger. You must be patient. But of course, it was a really tough time for us.”

Visak was not alone in supporting Cilic’s recovery. The 2014 US Open champion’s team banded together to help each other through the frustrations.

“It was not just me, we were a whole team,” said Visak. “We have a physio and fitness trainer. As a team, we were always looking for ways to make the atmosphere positive. I think it’s important and relaxing. Also to help keep Marin’s head up, I set some goals he could actually reach. Small steps, so we could celebrate every little win. That’s important, even if they seem tiny.”

That persistence with small steps paid off spectacularly upon Cilic’s return to competitive action. After easing back in to match action from late August by winning three matches across two ATP Challenger Tour events, the Croatian made his tour-level comeback as a wild card at the Hangzhou Open. Competing as the World No. 777 at the Chinese ATP 250, Cilic dropped just two sets en route to becoming the lowest-ranked champion in ATP Tour history (since 1990).

<img alt=”Marin Cilic/Vilim Visak” style=”width: 100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/18/11/59/cilic-visak-hangzhou-2024-trophy-shot.jpg” />

Physio Tomislav Bucanac and Visak celebrate with Cilic after the Croatian won the title in Hangzhou. Photo courtesy of Vilim Visak

Cilic and his team were naturally ecstatic after the Croatian defeated home favourite Zhang Zhizhen to claim his 21st tour-level crown. Yet Visak acknowledges that the struggles of the past two years gave him a different perspective as Cilic racked up his five wins to lift the trophy in Hangzhou.

“I don’t remember what I said to him, but we were really, really happy,” recalled Visak, when asked what his first words to Cilic were after the final. “It was an unbelievable week. Firstly, we were happy that he was on the court again. He didn’t feel his leg after the first match, after the second match, after the quarters. For us, only that was important. Of course we wanted to win, but for me that was the win.

“He played the match for two hours in the first round, woke up the next morning, and the knee was good. That’s like you won the tournament. You always want to win the tournament, but we went day by day, match by match, and we were in the final. He was playing unbelievably. It was a tough time behind us, and especially for him, and it was an amazing moment.”

Visak’s step-by-step approach to the Hangzhou triumph was a microcosm of his approach to Cilic’s injury recovery: Small setbacks happen, but the key is to focus on the long game.

“My philosophy is that tennis is not just about running and hitting balls. It’s a mind game. It’s a battle of emotions,” said Visak. “Think of it as a blank canvas, where players show their skills, combining fitness, match strategy and mental toughness. I think every match is something new, some new challenge, and each point is the chance to start fresh.

“I think coaching is not just teaching players to swing the racquet. It’s also teaching them to use their brain and understand the game inside out, and to stay cool under pressure. I think that’s also very important, as is remembering to respect the game. We always try to be better every day. It’s a long journey, and every match is a lesson to learn.”

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Paul eases past Wawrinka in Stockholm SFs, boosts Turin hopes

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2024

Can a repeat title run in Stockholm turbocharge Tommy Paul’s bid to reach the Nitto ATP Finals?

The American on Saturday booked his spot in the BNP Paribas Nordic Open championship match with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph against Stan Wawrinka. Bidding to return to the final at an event where he lifted the trophy in 2021, Paul converted three of seven break points he earned en route to an 81-minute semi-final victory at the indoor hard-court ATP 250.

“Stan is an amazing player. He’s had an amazing week. It’s been really fun watching him and it was really fun playing against him today,” said Paul, who now leads Wawrinka 2-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “It took a serious level from me to get past him, so I’m really happy with the battle we had today.”

After reaching his fourth tour-level championship match of 2024, Paul jumped above Grigor Dimitrov into 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, although Dimitrov will move back ahead of the American if he defeats Tallon Griekspoor in the second Stockholm semi-final later on Saturday.

Paul is now 9-1 in Stockholm, where he lifted his maiden ATP Tour crown three years ago. The 27-year-old will play for his third tour-level trophy of the year on Sunday in Sweden, following his victories in Dallas and at the Queen’s Club.

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Diallo dreams on! Canadian sinks Cerundolo to reach maiden Tour final in Almaty

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2024

Gabriel Diallo racked up a double milestone on Saturday at the Almaty Open.

The Canadian sunk Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 6-2 at the indoor hard-court ATP 250 to reach his maiden ATP Tour championship match. With his comprehensive 68-minute triumph against the fourth-seeded Cerundolo, Diallo also guaranteed he will on Monday break into the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time.

“A lot of joy, a lot of excitement. A lot of relief as well,” said Diallo, when asked about his emotions after his semi-final win. “I’ve been playing some good tennis and I’m very happy to see that the results are going my way. It means the world to me, especially here. I’ve got family members here that I’ve never met before, so obviously it’s pretty cool that they came and I’m having a great week here. I’m extremely happy.”

Diallo converted all three break points he earned against Cerundolo, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The big-serving 23-year-old, who had not reached an ATP Tour quarter-final prior to this week, has risen 31 spots No. 87 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Almaty run so far.

“It’s super special. Obviously the Top 100 is something that you try to break. It’s a pretty big milestone,” said Diallo. “It gets you into the bigger events and the Slams, which is always more fun, more stimulating. I’m super happy for myself and for my team. We’ve been working really hard to get where we are right now, and hopefully it can be the beginning of something special.”

After becoming the seventh Canadian to reach an ATP Tour final this century, Diallo will take on third seed Karen Khachanov or Aleksandar Vukic in Sunday’s championship match in Kazakhstan.

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Zverev meets #NextGenATP Schwaerzler in Vienna opener, retiring Thiem plays Darderi

  • Posted: Oct 19, 2024

The Erste Bank Open draw has thrown up a host of intriguing storylines as a host of top names arrive in Vienna for the indoor hard-court ATP 500.

Alexander Zverev, the 2021 champion and this year’s top seed, will be unlikely to count on the support of local fans for his first-round clash at the Wiener Stadthalle, where he will take on #NextGenATP home favourite Joel Schwaerzler. It will be a maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash between World No. 2 Zverev and the 18-year-old Schwaerzler, whose only previous tour-level match came in Kitzbuehel earlier this year.

Alongside Schwaerzler, there is another Austrian in the top half of the Vienna draw. Former World No. 3 and 17-time tour-level champion Dominic Thiem is competing as a wild card in the final event of his pro career. The 31-year-old will take on Luciano Darderi in the first round, with the winner set to meet seventh seed Jack Draper or wild card Kei Nishikori.

Third seed Grigor Dimitrov, who will contest his semi-final against Tallon Griekspoor in Stockholm on Saturday evening, begins his Vienna campaign against Zhang Zhizhen. The Bulgarian will know that a deep run in the Austrian capital could be key if he wants to make a late surge towards Nitto ATP Finals qualification.

Dimitrov is currently 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, one spot behind the second seed in Vienna, Alex de Minaur. After reaching the Antwerp quarter-finals this week, De Minaur will aim to make a fast start in his opening match against Jan-Lennard Struff in Vienna. His fellow Australian Alexei Popyrin, the eighth seed, is a potential quarter-final opponent for De Minaur.

Another member of the chasing pack in the Live Race, Tommy Paul, will play Brandon Nakashima in an all-American first-round clash. Paul’s potential quarter-final opponents in the Austrian capital include Matteo Berrettini, who opens against a qualifier, and fifth seed Frances Tiafoe, who starts against Cameron Norrie.

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