Nick Kyrgios may have changed his partner, but he tasted the same success to extend his winning run on Monday at the Citi Open.

The Australian captured his second tour-level doubles title of the season with countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis in Atlanta at the weekend, but showed little sign of tiredness in his opening match in Washington, teaming with American Jack Sock to reach the second round.

The unseeded tandem fired nine aces and broke three times to upset third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-4, 6-4 in 68 minutes.

Kyrgios and Sock, who are joining forces for the second time this season, are aiming to clinch their second tour-level title as a team at the ATP 500 event, having won the crown in Lyon in 2018. They will next play Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin or Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

Mackenzie McDonald and Botic van de Zandschulp also advanced on the opening day in Washington, edging Ilya Ivashka and Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-7, 10-8. The American-Dutch tandem will next play top seeds Rajeev Ram and Horacio Zeballos or Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe.

Blumberg/Kecmanovic March On In Los Cabos
William Blumberg and Miomir Kecmanovic earned a debut win as a team on Monday at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos, defeating Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 3-6, 6-3, 10-8.

The American-Serbian duo rallied from 4/6 in the Match Tie-break to book their spot in the second round after 72 minutes. Blumberg is aiming to lift his second tour-level trophy of the year this week, after triumphing with Steve Johnson in Newport last month.

Treat Huey and Johnson overcame Facundo Bagnis and Alex Hernandez 7-6(10), 6-4 in the other match in Mexico. Huey and Johnson saved two set points in the first set before they found the decisive break in the 10th game of the second set to advance.

#NextGenATP star Chun-hsin Tseng earned his third tour-level win of the season Monday, moving past American qualifier Nick Chappell 6-4, 6-4 to reach the second round at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos.

The 20-year-old produced a strong serving performance as he quickly found his range on debut at the ATP 250 event. Tseng of Chinese Taipei won 84 per cent (27/32) of points behind his first delivery, while he did not face a break point to advance after one hour and 31 minutes.

Tseng, who is up to No. 81 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, will next play third seed Cameron Norrie. The Briton captured the title in Mexico last season.

Earlier this season, Tseng lifted ATP Challenger Tour trophies in Bangalore and Murcia, before he made his debut at Roland Garros after coming through qualifying. The 20-year-old is currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan as he aims to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time.

In other action, Australian qualifier Max Purcell clinched his first tour-level hard-court win of the year, downing Swiss Henri Laaksonen 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in two hours and four minutes.

Purcell, who advanced to the second round on grass in Newport last month, will play #NextGenATP American Brandon Nakashima or qualifier Kaichi Uchida in the second round.

Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis gained revenge against Quentin Halys, advancing 7-6(1), 7-5 in one hour and 52 minutes. Berankis, who lost to Halys in Pune in January in their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting, will next take on Facundo Bagnis or Ernesto Escobedo.

Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata set a second-round meeting against World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev after Mexican wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez was forced to retire. The 21-year-old Hijikata was leading 6-3, 4-0 when the match was stopped.

#NextGenATP Briton Jack Draper has earned another shot at Top 10 star Andrey Rublev.

Three months ago, Rublev defeated Draper in a thrilling three-setter at the Mutua Madrid Open. They will meet again at the Citi Open after Draper eliminated American wild card Stefan Kozlov 7-5, 6-2 on Monday in Washington.

“I think Stefan plays a very awkward game. He’s one of the guys who really disrupts your rhythm. The first four games of the match, I found it really hard to hit the court, actually. The conditions here, it’s quite lively and you have to play with a bit more control,” Draper said in his on-court interview. “I think I adjusted pretty well and in the end it became more of a physical battle out here in these conditions.”

Draper lost the first three games of the match and almost went down a quick double break, but rallied past the home favourite in one hour and 53 minutes. The 20-year-old saved four of the five break points he faced and hit 10 aces in his victory.

The lefty is fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan and trying to qualify for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals for the first time. Entering the season, he had won two tour-level matches. The Briton has claimed eight this year alone.

It would have been nine had he found a way past Rublev in Madrid, where the favourite triumphed 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. Now the #NextGenATP shot will have another go.

For Draper, this is all part of his process. He began the year No. 265 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings and is at a career-high World No. 81.

“For me, I know I’ve got the tennis,” Draper said. “It’s just about developing my physicality and being able to mentally cope with these guys as well. I think I’ve got a lot to improve still.”

There are roller-coaster matches, and then there is the clash between Mikael Ymer and Andy Murray on Monday.

After plenty of twists and turns, the Swede ultimately upset the former World No. 1 7-6(8), 4-6, 6-1 to reach the second round of the Citi Open. It was Ymer’s first match on a hard court since February.

“I’m excited,” Ymer said in his on-court interview. “It was the first day [of the U.S. swing], so obviously a lot left to do, but it’s a very good start of the American swing.”

Both men showed physical issues at different points, but the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus surged through the third set to triumph after two hours and 50 minutes.

After saving four set points in the opener and taking a 3-1 lead in the second, Ymer was in full control. Murray was left stretching his legs on several occasions and rueing missed opportunities. On each of his four set points in the first set — one at 6-5 and three more in the tie-break — he was in a winnable position in the point, but was unable to convert.

Suddenly in the middle of the second set, Ymer began misfiring and showed signs of his own physical discomfort, which gave Murray a burst of energy. The Scot won five of the final six games of the second set to capture the momentum.

After the set break, however, the 46-time tour-level titlist made a unforced forehand error to relinquish a break and was never able to dig back into the match. Ymer looked totally refreshed and despite a hiccup when serving up 4-0, he closed out his victory to set a clash against 15th seed Aslan Karatsev.

While Murray was unable to advance, Briton Kyle Edmund did. The 27-year-old earned his first ATP Tour win in 29 months when he defeated Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki 6-4, 7-6(8).

Three left knee surgeries had kept Edmund out for 21 months. Now he will play countryman Daniel Evans for a place in the third round in Washington.

“It’s very rewarding. During the long periods where I was out – not picking up a racquet for five months – it was these events that I pictured myself being out here,” Edmund said. “It’s something that you miss, feeling the buzz, hearing the crowd, playing under pressure.

“I didn’t find it easy today. He’s a very tricky player and very energetic, but I kept telling myself I’d worked too hard to not [give my all]. I hung in there and I got my reward in the end.”

American Denis Kudla, who grew up training in nearby College Park, Maryland, rallied past countryman Michael Mmoh, a qualifier, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. J.J. Wolf was another American who moved on, a 6-2, 6-3 winner against Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel.

As he sets his sights on a second career title this week when he makes his tournament debut in Los Cabos, World No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime says that he is better prepared this year to contend for trophies.

The Canadian transitions into the summer hard court swing at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Mexico, where, as the second seed behind World No.1 Danill Medvedev, the 21-year-old will be satisfied with nothing less than the title.

Auger-Aliassime came into the season with an 0-8 record in Tour-level finals but exorcised his championship-match demons when he defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-2 to win the ABN AMRO Open.

The Canadian credits his breakthrough title to a fresh mindset coming into the season, one that he is confident will continue to bring him success in the years ahead.

“Everytime I lost one of those finals, it was tough mentally but I thought this year I’m going to be a different player…That means I’m going to try to play a better match and when I get into those finals, I’m going to try to play better tennis,” Auger-Aliassime said.

In addition to the fresh perspective, Felix said that previous losses in finals only motivated him to push harder to reach new heights. “I really felt like I was able to put all those negative things to the side, really focus on the positive, be optimistic, and approach a match with a lot of confidence.”

In January, he broke into the Top 10 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time and the following month collected his maiden title in the Netherlands. “It was a big relief for me and my team.”

Now, Canada’s top-ranked player is hungry for more success. “My goals are now even higher.” He will open up his Los Cabos debut against either John Millman or wild card and home-favourite, Alex Hernandez.

Celebrating his 22nd birthday next week in Montreal, a title in Mexico would be an early birthday present before heading to his home tournament.

Jannik Sinner’s victory at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Sunday did more than earn him a sixth ATP Tour trophy. The win also helped him surge into contention in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin.

Sinner climbed three places to 13th in the Race, putting him within 705 points of eighth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime. Eight men will qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held at the Pala Alpitour from 13-20 November.

The 20-year-old competed in last year’s season finale as an alternate after fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini withdrew due to injury. Sinner will now have an opportunity to earn even more points in the coming month, with ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati as well as the US Open.

VIEW PEPPERSTONE ATP RACE TO TURIN STANDINGS

There was no movement among the Top 12 players in the Race on Monday. However, several players competing this week will have an opportunity to secure or improve their standing as the qualification battle heats up.

Daniil Medvedev is currently sixth in the Race with 2,575 points. The 26-year-old, who is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year, can climb past Alexander Zverev and into fifth by making the final at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos.

The second seed at the ATP 250 event is Auger-Aliassime, who is eighth in the Race with 2,385 points. The Canadian is trying to earn his spot at the season finale for the first time, and he will look to add to his 325-point lead over ninth-placed Taylor Fritz, who is competing at the Citi Open this week in Washington.

The top seed in the United States’ capital is Andrey Rublev, who is seventh in the Race. The 24-year-old holds just a 30-point lead over Auger-Aliassime as he seeks his third qualification for the year-end championships.

Rafael Nadal leads the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin with 5,620 points and his fellow Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, is second with 4,270 points. They are scheduled to return to compete next week at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal.

Swiss teenager Dominic Stricker strengthened his claim for a position at the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals by winning his second ATP Challenger Tour title of the year on Sunday. The 19-year-old rallied from a set down to defeat former World No. 10 Ernests Gulbis 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 at the inaugural Finaport Zug Open.

In collecting his third career ATP Challenger Tour title, Stricker moves up to ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Milan. For the first time, he will also crack the Top 150 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as he climbs to a career-high 126.

The left-hander becomes the youngest player to win a Challenger title on both clay and hard in 2022 and joins Italy’s Luca Nardi as the only teenagers with multiple Challenger titles this season.

It was a gruelling week for the budding Swiss star, who came back from a set down in the first round against Jozef Kovalik. With rain halting play on Friday, Stricker was forced to play his quarter-final and semi-final on Saturday. On Sunday, in front of a packed crowd in Switzerland, the 2020 Roland Garros boys’ champion captured his first Challenger title on clay after another comeback from a set down.

Gulbis, 33, who reached the Cherbourg Challenger semi-finals in February, was looking for his first Challenger title since Pau in February 2020.

Italian qualifier Raul Brancaccio won seven matches in eight days to lift the San Benedetto Tennis Cup on home soil in Italy. The 25-year-old needed just one hour and 13 minutes to defeat compatriot Andrea Vavassori 6-1, 6-1 to claim his maiden ATP Challenger title.

Brancaccio also dropped just two games in his first two main-draw matches against Francesco Maestrelli and Matheus Pucinelli De Almeida.

Brancaccio is the 10th different Italian champion of 2022 and follows in the footsteps of countrymen Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini, who both are past champions in San Benedetto. The Italian rises to a career-high 204 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Ecuador’s Emilio Gomez did not drop a set all week at the Winnipeg National Bank Challenger presented by M Builds to acquire his fourth Challenger title and second of the year. During Sunday’s championship match, the 30-year-old saved 11 of 12 break points faced en route to a 6-3, 7-6(4) victory over home hope Alexis Galarneau.

Gomez, son of 1990 Roland Garros champion Andres Gomez, is the first player from Ecuador to win multiple titles in a season since Giovanni Lapentti in 2008. His latest title in Canada draws him closer to the Top 100 for the first time as he reaches a career-high 121 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Former World No. 14 Kyle Edmund played his first singles match in almost two years when he advanced through qualifying to reach the second round.

In the 31st edition of the Open Castilla y Leon, Frenchman Hugo Grenier dropped just one set all week to collect his second Challenger title and first of 2022. In the all-French final, Grenier defeated Constant Lestienne 7-5, 6-3 to end Lestienne’s recent hot streak, during which he won 14 of 15 matches.

In the semi-finals, Grenier rallied from a set down to defeat fifth seed and former World No. 25 Ugo Humbert 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-2.

This past month, Grenier made his Grand Slam singles main draw debut as a lucky loser at Wimbledon. The 26-year-old went on to win his first-round match in five sets against Marc-Andrea Huesler before falling to eventual quarter-finalist Cristian Garin in the second round. Grenier’s title in Segovia, Spain moves him to a career-high 120 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Carlos Alcaraz’s run to the championship match at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag lifts the 19-year-old to a career-high No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Despite falling just short in his title defence with defeat to Jannik Sinner in a heavyweight #NextGenATP final in Croatia, the Spaniard’s upward trajectory shows little sign of slowing.

ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week, as of Monday, 1 August.

No. 4 Carlos Alcaraz, +1 (Career High)
Playing as the defending champion at an ATP Tour event for the first time, Alcaraz again impressed at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag in defeating Norbert Gombos, Facundo Bagnis and Giulio Zeppieri to reach a Tour-leading sixth final of 2022. It was Sinner who prevailed in the first Top 10 championship match in tournament history at the clay-court ATP 250 event, but Alcaraz’s efforts see him rise one spot to a career-high No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Read Umag Final Report & Watch Highlights.

View Latest Pepperstone ATP Rankings

No. 18 Roberto Bautista Agut, +2
Roberto Bautista Agut’s charge to his 11th tour-level title at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel lifts the Spaniard two spots to No. 18 in the Pepprstone ATP Rankings. The 34-year-old’s run included hard-fought wins against Jiri Lehecka and countryman Albert Ramos-Vinolas before he eased to the title with victory against #NextGenATP Austrian Filip Misolic — a wild card playing in the championship match in his first tour-level main draw appearance. Read Kitzbühel Final Report & Watch Highlights.

No. 21 Alex de Minaur, +9
Some trademark battling performances from Alex de Minaur at the Atlanta Open saw the Australian clinch his sixth ATP Tour crown in Georgia, a feat that propels him nine spots up the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to No. 21. De Minaur rallied from a set down against Adrian Mannarino and Ilya Ivashka en route to the final, where he was a straight-sets winner against Jenson Brooksby to recapture a title that he also won in 2019. Read Atlanta Final Report & Watch Highlights.

No. 37 Jenson Brooksby, +6
Brooksby jumps back into the Top 40 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings with his run to the final in Atlanta, where the 21-year-old took out a trio of top-quality fellow Americans in Mackenzie McDonald, John Isner and Frances Tiafoe. Brooksby’s clash with De Minaur was his third tour-level final and his second of 2022, but the World No. 37 is still chasing his maiden ATP Tour crown.

No. 137 Filip Misolic, +68
Misolic had not played an ATP Tour main draw match before last week. The #NextGenATP Austrian showed little inexperience in storming to the final at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel, however, a run that included a dramatic rain-affected semi-final win against Yannick Hanfmann across two days. Misolic’s exploits lift him 68 spots to a career-high No. 137 In the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 27 Frances Tiafoe, +2
No. 34 Tommy Paul, +2
No. 43 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, +9
No. 49 Ilya Ivashka, +4
No. 67 Adrian Mannarino, +11
No. 70 Dusan Lajovic, +10
No. 80 Roberto Carballes Baena, +6
No. 90 Constant Lestienne, +15 (Career High)
No. 97 Juan Pablo Varillas, +12 (Career High)

Daniil Medvedev returns to action this week at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos, where the tournament debutant knows he needs to hit the ground running.

Medvedev is the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, but he is under pressure for top spot. Entering the week, he leads World No. 2 Alexander Zverev by just 775 points. The 26-year-old will also be defending 1,000 points next week in Canada at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

“For sure I’m watching [the battle for No. 1] a little bit,” Medvedev told ATPTour.com. “Depends also the moment because I know at the end of the year, unless I try to win every tournament that is left, it’s probably going to be Rafa [Nadal] for [year-end No. 1]. But at the same time, I can keep it for quite a long time I feel like if I play good here in the [North American hard-court swing].”

This will be Medvedev’s 11th week at World No. 1, and he is currently in the midst of his second stint atop men’s tennis’ mountain. But Medvedev is currently sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin, which means five players have earned more points than him this season and could threaten for World No. 1 as the year continues.

Although Medvedev is aware of the situation, he does not follow closely enough to know exactly how many points he must win each week to maintain his place. The four-time ATP Masters 1000 champion is more focussed on the matches in front of him.

“I know that the most important is to try to win tournaments, try to win those points,” Medvedev said. “Then you can keep [World No. 1].”

The top seed in Los Cabos will be competing for the first time since the Mallorca Championships in June. What will be the key for him to quickly regain rhythm?

“Tough to say. It’s always different, but for sure winning matches is the most important,” said Medvedev, who will open his tournament against wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez or a qualifier. “Every opponent can be tough so the more matches you win, the more confidence you gain, the more you start feeling your game better, what you have to do better, so that’s what I’m going to try to do here in Los Cabos.”