The future of Italian tennis was on full display on Tuesday in Todi, as the ATP Challenger Tour continued its return to competition.

Temperature checks and social distancing have become the norm at the 12th edition of the Internazionali di Tennis Citta di Todi, with players embracing the safety measures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Between the lines, the action is heating up on the Italian clay and there were certainly no shortage of storylines on Day 2. Teenagers Lorenzo Musetti and Giulio Zeppieri captured all the attention on home soil, with the budding #NextGenATP stars both earning straight-set victories to kick off their campaigns under bright skies.

Musetti opened the night session with a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over countryman Francesco Forti, while Zeppieri ousted Argentine veteran Renzo Olivo 6-2, 7-6(4) to conclude Tuesday’s play. The 18-year-old Musetti is looking to build on a steady freshman season in 2019  that saw him reach his first semi-final in Milan and crack the Top 300 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. The 18-year-old Zeppieri is hoping to do the same after reaching a semi-final of his own in nearby Parma, and appearing at the Next Gen ATP Finals as the alternate.

“It’s good to get through this first match after so many months without playing,” said Musetti after Tuesday’s victory. “There was a lot of wind in the beginning of the match, but I think I served quite well. I’m happy to win this in straight sets. For me, doing well here is important because I want to improve my ranking and play Roland Garros qualifying next month.”

The teens have tall tasks ahead of them, if they want to extend their stays in Todi. Musetti is set to face seventh seed Yannick Hanfmann and Zeppieri battles fifth seed Facundo Bagnis on Thursday.

The ATP Challenger Tour’s return to the Umbria region of Italy is a welcome sight for the home contingent, with second seed and former World No. 16 Marco Cecchinato joining his teenage countrymen in the winners’ circle on Tuesday. Cecchinato overcame Andrea Collarini 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 and will next face another Argentine, Juan Pablo Ficovich, on Thursday. Ficovich opened his campaign with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback  victory over Marco Trungelliti.

Top seed Roberto Carballes Baena also secured an opening win on Tuesday, routing Jurij Rodionov 6-2, 6-1 in one hour and 13 minutes. The Spaniard’s serve was clicking throughout the encounter, winning 77 per cent of points on his first delivery.

“I’m very happy after more than five months without playing,” said Carballes Baena. “I was solid today and I’m happy for this first win. I’ve been training for a long time and that’s not normal for us without competing in important matches. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week here.”

The only player in the Top 100 in the draw, World No. 99 Carballes Baena will next face countryman Bernabe Zapata Miralles for a spot in the quarter-finals.

If there’s any indication that Ernests Gulbis is ready to return to his Top 10 form, the Latvian’s 2020 results speak for themselves.

Gulbis kicked off his restart with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 win over Czech teen Andrew Paulson at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Prague. The former World No. 10 had to wait more than five months to extend his win streak to nine straight, earning a gritty victory on Tuesday.

This week’s Challenger events in Prague and Todi, Italy, mark the return of men’s professional tennis following its suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour’s hiatus arrived just as Gulbis was turning the corner in his return to form. He posted a dominant 17-4 record in January and February, including his first title in six years in Pau, France.

Gulbis, who also surged to the third round as a qualifier at the Australian Open, will look to continue carrying the momentum against Aslan Karatsev on Wednesday in Prague. A spot in the quarter-finals is up for grabs at the Challenger 125 event.

Earlier on Day 4 at the I.CLTK Prague Open by Moneta Bank, Karatsev earned his biggest win since 2014 in stunning second seed Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-4. He needed one hour and 29 minutes, saving four of five break points faced.

In other action, 20-year-old Czech and World No. 402 Michael Vrbensky scored the upset of the day in toppling Steven Diez 7-5, 6-3. It was just his sixth victory on the ATP Challenger Tour. He faces Philipp Kohlschreiber in the Round of 16.

Photo Credit: Martin Sidorjak/Prague Open

“I’m very happy that we’re back playing matches again at this level,” said Vrbensky after the match. “I enjoyed it a lot and I’m happy with my performance today. I felt better as the match went on and I think I played very well in the second set. I hope it will continue like this.”

Elias Ymer stopped 12th seed Martin Klizan 6-2, 2-6, 6-2, while Yannick Maden earned a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Arthur de Greef. And Henri Laaksonen ousted Jan Satral 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and eight minutes.

Patrick McEnroe has seen it all during his life in tennis, from his career on the ATP Tour to analysing the sport from a commentator’s perspective for more than two decades. Although this week’s return to tennis at the Western & Southern Open is unprecedented after more than five months off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the American believes there is one thing fans can be confident in.

“The best players are going to be the best players,” McEnroe told ATPTour.com. “The cream will rise to the top.”

McEnroe believes it was important for players to arrive early at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, where Cincinnati’s ATP Masters 1000 event and the US Open are both being held this year, in order to get as much rhythm as possible.

“Get there as early as you can and obviously the people who play ‘Cincinnati’, you’ve got to think that’s smart. I would get out there and play as many sets as you can,” McEnroe said. “Play as many real practice sets and matches with other players as you can to try to get sharp. I’m sure all these guys have been training and hitting a bunch of balls, but it’s always different when you go out for match play.”

A former No. 3 player in the FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings who also cracked the Top 30 in singles, McEnroe thinks the mental approach players take will also be vital.

“You have to realise that the other players are in the same boat. It’s one thing when you’ve been out for five months with an injury and you come back and the other players are still match-tough and that’s frustrating for a player,” McEnroe said. “But in this case, you’ve got to try to put your own expectations aside and say, ‘I’ve just got to play well enough to try to beat the guy who is in front of you.’”

Although players haven’t been competing since March, when the Tour was suspended ahead of the BNP Paribas Open, McEnroe believes the athletes will come out sharper than some might expect. He doesn’t expect many crazy upsets, especially of the top players.

“People say, ‘Oh, maybe someone’s going to come through and win the US Open. Maybe someone who is like Thiem or Tsitsipas who’s already there. I don’t see someone coming out of nowhere. That just doesn’t happen. I don’t see that happening,” McEnroe said. “That’s not saying it’s a lock that Djokovic is going to win. You can certainly make the argument that he might be more susceptible. But I don’t see someone coming out of nowhere and winning the Open.”

McEnroe says that it is less likely a top player will throw in a clunker at the US Open with its best-of-five set format. They have more time to find their game and recover if struggling early. The ESPN analyst doesn’t see that happening too often at the Western & Southern Open, either.

“It’s more likely you’ll see that in two out of three,” McEnroe said. “But even then, I think these players are so well-conditioned and they’re hitting the ball so well, so I don’t think that’s going to be as big of a factor as people think.

“It’s not like the top players are losing in the second round. I don’t see that happening.”

It’s been more than five months since the ATP Tour was suspended due to COVID-19. With tennis set to resume this week at the Western & Southern Open, ATPTour.com looks back to test your knowledge of the beginning of the season.

The year got off to a riveting start, with events from the inaugural ATP Cup through the Australian Open thrilling fans in January. How much do you remember about the winning moment in Sydney and do you know how many match points Roger Federer saved against Tennys Sandgren in Melbourne? Find out by taking our quiz below!

Click here to stay informed all year with tennis news from the ATP Tour.

Done with the quiz? Scroll back up to the top to see how you did! 

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Daniil Medvedev headline the field at the Western & Southern Open as the 2020 ATP Tour season gets back underway following a 175-day suspension due to COVID-19. Normally held in Cincinnati, this year’s tournament will be played at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York in the week leading into the US Open. 

Two years ago at the Western & Southern Open, Djokovic became the first player in history to complete the Career Golden Masters, claiming the one title missing from his ATP Masters 1000 collection with victory over Roger Federer in the final. The Serbian has also enjoyed success at Flushing Meadows, winning the US Open title three times.

Medvedev enjoyed a summer to remember in 2019, with four straight finals in North America. Following runner-up finishes in Washington (l. to Kyrgios) and Montreal (l. to Nadal), the Russian celebrated his first Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati. He continued his run by reaching the final at the US Open, where he rallied from two sets down in a memorable final before falling to Rafael Nadal in five sets.

The 2020 Western & Southern Open will also feature Top 10 stars Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Matteo Berrettini and David Goffin. 

Here’s all you need to know about the Western & Southern Open: what is the schedule, where to watch, who has won, when is the draw and more. 

Established: 1899

Tournament Dates: 22-29 August 2020

Tournament Director: J. Wayne Richmond

Draw Ceremony: Thursday, 20 August

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Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Thursday, 20 August – Friday. 21 August at 11:00am
* Main draw: Saturday, 22 August – Wednesday, 26 August, 11:00am & 5:00pm 
* Semi-finals: Thursday, 27 August, doubles at 12:00pm, singles not before 3:00pm
* Doubles final: Friday, 28 August at 2:00pm
* Singles final: Friday, 28 August not before 4:00pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 
TV Schedule

Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

Prize Money: USD $4,222,190 (Total Financial Commitment: USD $4,674,780) 

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

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (7)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, Daniel Nestor (5)
Oldest Champion: Ken Rosewall, 35, in 1970
Youngest Champion: Boris Becker, 17, in 1985
Lowest-Ranked Champion (since 1979): No. 23 Peter Fleming in 1979
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (47)

2019 Finals
Singles: [9] Daniil Medvedev (RUS) d [16] David Goffin (BEL) 76(3) 64   Read & Watch
Doubles: Ivan Dodig (CRO) / Filip Polasek (SVK) d [1] Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Robert Farah (COL) 46 64 10-6  Read More 

Social
Hashtag: #CInCyTENNIS

Facebook: @cincytennis
Twitter: @CincyTennis
Instagram: @cincytennis

Did You Know… The Cincinnati tournament has come a long way from its humble roots, first played at the Avondale Athletic Club more than a century ago, to the grand-scale ATP Masters 1000 event it is today. Past champions include all-time greats like Ivan Lendl, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic..This will mark the fifth time since the tournament began in 1899 that it will not be held in the Cincinnati area. Indianapolis hosted the event in 1914, 1917 and 1919, and in 1920 the tournament was held in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

Borna Coric, who set off for New York last Friday to prepare for the Western & Southern Open and US Open, has been working hard over the past five months to develop his fitness and game. Shortly prior to the ATP Tour suspension on 9 March due to COVID-19, the Croatian had reached the semi-finals of the Rio Open presented by Claro.

ATPTour.com caught up with the 23-year-old as he waited to board a flight to New York from Resnik Airport in Split, where he revealed what he’s missed most, what he’s been up to and more…

How did you approach the break?
After hearing the news in Indian Wells, I took 10 days off and then I started practising, but it came when it was announced that the Tour was going to be suspended for five or six weeks. I started hitting balls again around the original date for Roland Garros, played some exhibition matches, but unfortunately I got COVID-19 and couldn’t do anything for two-and-a-half weeks. Once I recovered, I had five or six weeks for preparation and now I’m feeling better and ready to go. I was training mainly in Split and Zagreb, and then Belgrade for a couple of weeks.

Did you make any changes to your game or equipment during the break?
I’ve been working on a few things with my coach, which we hope will help my game in the future and I’ve been able to lose some of the injury niggles I had [Coric had hamstring, abdominal and back injuries in 2019]. Now I’m ready to go again.

What else did you do during the downtime?
I don’t have many hobbies outside of tennis, or time to enjoy them. I did spend more time with my family, some friends, which was great as I haven’t been able to do that too much for the past 10 years. I also walked my dog, Nala, a lot.

How have your goals changed with the changing calendar?
Although the tournament schedule has changed, because of the ongoing situation, the goals are the same: I just want to stay healthy and play good tennis, which are the most important things for me. I didn’t set any particular goals at the start of the season and haven’t done so now. I just look forward to playing competitively.

What do you see as the keys to making a fast start when the tour resumes?
I just have to try and play aggressively, use my serve as a big weapon and move as well as I can. Anyone who can get a lot of tennis and extra matches in, will benefit certainly come the US Open, as tournament tennis will come thick and fast after the suspension.

Does the time off favour the more experienced players or perhaps younger players with younger bodies?
I think it’s going to marginally favour the more experienced players, but it will be interesting to see who has worked the hardest over the past five months and gets off to a good start, like some do after the traditional off-season in January.

Which players are you most looking forward to seeing again in person?
I’m looking forward to seeing pretty much all of them again. I’ve seen all of the Serbian and Croatian players, my best friends over the past five months. I think I’ve set up practice sessions once I arrive with Novak Djokovic and Milos Raonic, but other than that my coach knows my schedule.

Have you taken any special precautions to stay safe from COVID-19 during the Tour suspension?
Absolutely, I have been negative in the three or four tests recently. Prior to flying, I have taken another test as well to ensure I’m 100 per cent healthy.

Which tournament(s) hurt the most to miss due to the suspension?
I definitely missed playing in Miami [the Miami Open presented by Itau] and at Roland Garros, which I both love.

The body may have a few battle scars now, but the mind of Tony Trabert, who on 16 August celebrated his 90th birthday, is as sharp as ever. From his home in Ponte Vedra Beach, Trabert, the legendary player, CBS commentator and ambassador for the sport, reads, watches sport on television, occasionally runs errands with his wife, Vicki, and plays host to his great grandchildren.

In witnessing today’s modern, power era, it’s easy to forget that Trabert, the stylish serve-volleyer with a superb backhand, was known the world over for his three Grand Slam singles titles in 1955, a year he lifted 18 trophies (104-5 match record). That fall, Trabert turned pro with Jack Kramer’s circuit and in playing retirement, for the next 50 years, he continued to dedicate — and enrich — the sport of tennis with his talent and good humour. By running successful junior tennis camps, as a United States Davis Cup winning captain, as a television commentator for 33 years or, most recently, as President of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, he attracted new fans to tennis.

Happy birthday, Tony. We hope you’ll be following the ATP Tour’s return this week.

Profile below courtesy of the late Bud Collins (1929-2016) Tennis Encyclopedia

One of the finest seasons ever achieved was the 1955 of Tony Trabert, who won three of the Big Four singles titles – Wimbledon, Roland Garros and U.S. – to earn acclaim as the No. 1 amateur of that year. Only three other men, Don Budge (1938) and Rod Laver (1962 and 1969), en route to their Grand Slams, and Rafael Nadal (2010), have won those three championships within a calendar year.

Moreover, Trabert also won the U.S. Indoor and U.S. Clay Court titles, adding them to the pre-eminent American championships on grass at Forest Hills. For that year, probably the most productive ever by an American man – 30 titles – he won 18 of 23 singles tourneys on a 106-7 match record. Included was a winning streak of 36 matches. He also won 12 doubles titles (with Vic Seixas).

An exceptional athlete, Marion Anthony Trabert was born Aug. 16, 1930, in Cincinnati, where he grew up. He was a standout basketball player at the University of Cincinnati, for which he also won the U.S. Intercollegiate singles title in 1951.

The French Championships has traditionally been the most difficult battleground for American men. Trabert won five titles in Paris, the singles in 1954 and 1955. It was 34 years before another American, Michael Chang, won in 1989. Trabert also won the doubles in 1950 (with Bill Talbert) and in 1954 and 1955 (with Seixas). Only a defeat by Ken Rosewall (the eventual champ) in the semi-finals of the Australian Championships ruined Trabert’s chance at a Grand Slam in 1955.

For five years Trabert was a mainstay of the U.S. Davis Cup team, along with Seixas. In each of those years the U.S. reached the challenge round finale, and Trabert’s best-remembered match may have been a defeat, a tremendous struggle against Lew Hoad on a rainy afternoon in 1953 at Melbourne. Hoad won out, 7-5, in the fifth, and Australia kept the Cup. However, Trabert and Seixas returned to Australia a year later, where Trabert beat Hoad on the opening day in singles and he and Seixas won the doubles over Hoad and Rex Hartwig in a 3-2 triumph, the only U.S. seizure of the Cup from the Aussies during an eight-year stretch.

Though an attacker with a powerful backhand and strong volley, the competitive right-hander also had exceptional groundstrokes. In winning the U.S. singles at Forest Hills twice, 1953 and 1955, and Wimbledon, 1955, he did not lose a set, a rare feat. Amassing 13 U.S. titles in singles and doubles, he was one of two Americans (the other was Art Larsen) to win singles championships on all four surfaces: Grass at Forest Hills, indoor, clay court and hard court.

Following the custom of the time, Trabert, as the top amateur, signed on with the professionals to challenge the ruler, Pancho Gonzalez, on a head-to-head tour in 1956. Gonzalez won, 74-27. Trabert was runner-up to Alex Olmedo for the U.S. Pro singles title in 1960, having won the doubles with Hartwig in 1956.

When his playing career ended, Trabert worked as a teaching pro and as a television commentator on tennis. In 1976 he returned to the Davis Cup scene as the U.S. captain, leading the Cup-winning teams of 1978 and 1979. He had four years in the U.S. and world’s Top 10, 1951, 1953, 1954 and 1955, No. 1 in each in 1953 and 1955, before turning pro. His amateur career was interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy. He was named to the International Hall of Fame in 1970.

MAJOR TITLES (10) – Roland Garros singles, 1954, 1955; Wimbledon singles, 1955; US Nationals. singles, 1953, 1955; Australian Open doubles, 1955; Roland Garros doubles, 1950, 1954, 1955; US Nationals doubles, 1954.

OTHER U.S. TITLES (13) – Intercollegiate singles, 1951; Indoor singles, 1955; Clay Court singles, 1951, 1955; Hard Court singles, 1953; Indoor doubles, 1954, with Bill Talbert; 1955, with Vic Seixas; Clay Court doubles, 1951, 1955, with Hamilton Richardson; 1954, with Seixas; Hard Court doubles, 1950, 1953, with Tom Brown; Pro doubles, 1956, with Rex Hartwig.

DAVIS CUP (As player) – 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955; Record 16-5 in singles, 11-3 in doubles; (As captain) – 1953, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980; Record 14-3, 2 Cups.

SINGLES RECORD IN THE MAJORS – Australian Open (4-2), Roland Garros (18-2), Wimbledon (13-2), US Nationals (23-5).

While individual shots and skills are critical in doubles, great doubles players have more intangibles in their repertoires. Part of what forms an “Ultimate Doubles Player” is someone who has the ‘X-Factor’.

“For me it’s the ability to perform under pressure and come out of that with an amazing shot or combination of shots when you need it most,” former World No. 1 Jamie Murray said. “In doubles it might be making that poach by anticipation when you haven’t told your partner. [It’s when] you’re feeling it and you make that move, or you make a sick reflex or something like that. It could be really impressive defensive skills or ability to just make the return at the right time, put the ball in play.”

These are the men who the world’s best believe have the biggest ‘X-Factor’ on the ATP Tour.

Marcelo Melo
“He’s been so solid for many years and so high up in the [FedEx ATP Doubles] Rankings. I don’t want to insult him now, but [he has done it] without any real dangerous weapons. There’s no huge power coming from Marcelo, but he’s just solid all over. I’ve always said Marcelo Melo could be the world’s best doubles partner because his game just gels so well with everybody. He’s got world-class reactions at the net. When it’s an important point, he always makes the return, he always makes you play.” – Robert Lindstedt

“A lot of times he comes up with unbelievable volleys and reactions at the net. Many times in the crucial moments, they really can turn around the matches. We’ve played [Melo and Lukasz Kubot] many times lately and in close situations it’s happened a few times. When he comes up close [to the net], he can pick up unbelievable reactions.” – Filip Polasek

“He’s been a player who has been No. 1 in the world. He’s seemingly always in the Top 5 or 7 players in the world. He finds himself at the end of the majors and the big tournaments quite often throughout the year, whether it’s on clay, grass or hard. He’s able to bring a pretty high level of competitiveness and intensity, but yet in his own way, he’s a pretty chilled guy. He seems to come up with the right shot at the right time more often than not. It’s an incredible asset, incredible quality that he has. It’s not been one or two years, it’s been more than a decade he’s been able to do it.” – Rajeev Ram

Pierre-Hugues Herbert
“When he’s on he can really be very dangerous, can take the match away from you. He’s got a big serve as well when he’s feeling it, a lot of firepower.” – Jamie Murray

“Whenever he’s on, Herbert and Mahut are probably impossible to beat because Nico is so consistent and Pierre-Hugues is just the one who makes the difference. It’s everything [he does]. He’s just going for his shots. He’s basically like Kubot on his return, but with all his shots. Whenever they pass the first two rounds of a tournament, especially a Slam, they end up winning a lot of them when he’s in form and he plays his best tennis. [It’s] because he’s very, very aggressive. That’s why for me he’s a clutch player.” – Jurgen Melzer 

Henri Kontinen
“He has the ‘X-Factor’ to even win matches by himself. He can take the game away from you. He’s very talented. He’s just very aggressive on the doubles court and he’s not scared of doing the outrageous on the court. Him and Jan-Lennard Struff together are a very difficult team to play against, especially when they’re on form together.” – Neal Skupski

“Henri Kontinen has been my nemesis… He’s beaten us many times coming up in big moments with big shots. Even at the start of the year, we played him in Doha. We had a match point against him, played the most ridiculous point and Henri played a world-class cross volley and it was just annoying to face him when he does something like that in such a big moment… He’s a very relaxed person and I think he takes that onto the court with him. He doesn’t get too up, too down, just plays in the moment and no matter what the score is, he’s loose enough to execute such a big shot.” – Ken Skupski

Bob Bryan
“Bob Bryan in his prime, he had that ‘X-Factor’ for sure that won them a lot of extra points that turned into wins. They were both clutch, Bob and Mike, but I thought Bob had just a little bit more of an ‘X-Factor’.” -Jamie Murray