Andreas Seppi saved five match points in a tense deciding-set tie-break, which Chinese wild card Zhizhen Zhang had led 6/2 and 8/7, on Thursday at the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships.

The 35-year-old Italian converted his second match point to complete a 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(8) victory in two hours and 44 minutes. In the second week of the 2019 ATP Tour season, Seppi reached his first final since 2015 at the Sydney International (l. to de Minaur).

“I don’t know how I won the match in the end, because I was also struggling a little bit physically and everything, especially at the beginning of the tie-break,” Seppi told ATPTour.com. “I was so tired. Then I was 2/6 down and I found some energy and I was for sure a little bit lucky at 4/6 with the one-handed passing shot. Maybe I make one out of 20 of those, so it was a good one to get the one.

“Then, the passing shot at 6/5, I chose the right side where to go and hit the passing shot. I just tried to play until the last point and it worked out today. Of course it was a little bit of luck, but if you don’t fight until the end, it wouldn’t happen. So I’m happy about that — also because I was really down with the energy — that I managed to fight until the end and it paid off today.”

He will now play second seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who is currently seventh in the 2019 ATP Race To London for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals in November. Bautista Agut edged past fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar 7-5, 7-5 in one hour and 52 minutes.

Elsewhere, top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is another contender for the season finale, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November, retired due to illness prior to the start of the third set against Adrian Mannarino after one hour and 50 minutes of play. Mannarino now faces Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Damir Dzumhur, who defeated fellow qualifier Soonwoo Kwon of South Korea 7-6(3), 6-2 in 90 minutes.

Grigor Dimitrov recorded a high-quality 7-5, 7-5 victory over Briton Daniel Evans on Thursday and is now one win away from reaching the Chengdu Open semi-finals for a second time (2016).

“It’s my first match since the US Open and, for sure, I had a little bit of nerves and wanted to do well.” said Dimitrov. “I was just trying to do what I’ve built on in the past weeks. It was a really good win, I will take it in and prepare for the next one.”

The fourth-seeded Bulgarian broke Evans in the 12th game of the first set, then took a 3-0 lead in the second set. From a 1-4 deficit, Delray Beach finalist Evans won four of the next five games, but was broken at 5-6.

Three weeks ago, Dimitrov reached his third Grand Slam championship semi-final (l. to Medvedev), having come into the US Open at No. 78 in the ATP Rankings. Dimitrov will next challenge Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, who struck 13 aces and won 31 of 37 first-service points to beat Jordan Thompson of Australia 6-4, 7-5 in 69 minutes. The 22-year-old Bublik reached his first ATP Tour final at Newport (l. to Isner) in July.

Later in the day, 2018 semi-finalist Joao Sousa held his nerve and withstood 23 aces to beat second-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, a contender for the Next Gen ATP Finals in November, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-4 in two hours and nine minutes. Sousa, who reached the St. Petersburg Open semi-finals (l. to Coric) last week, next faces Lloyd Harris, a South African lucky loser, a 6-3, 6-3 victor over fifth-seeded Serbian Dusan Lajovic.

“I think it was another great match against a great player today,” said Sousa. “We both served very well today and in the end somehow I was able to make the break. I think I was a little more aggressive and tried to return as best I could, so I’m happy with this win. I feel good here in Chengdu and hope I can keep going.”

The ATP has concluded its investigation concerning Nick Kyrgios that was initiated following his second-round match at the ATP Masters 1000 event Cincinnati in which he was fined US$ 113,000.

The investigation, conducted by Gayle David Bradshaw, Executive Vice President, Rules & Competition, has concluded that Kyrgios has been found to have committed Aggravated Behavior under the Player Major Offense provision in the ATP Code.

The investigation found a pattern of behavior related to Kyrgios’s Verbal Abuse of officials and/or spectators in the past 12 months that constitutes a violation as defined by section 8.05 A. 1) a) (iii) of the 2019 ATP Official Rulebook*.

The offense means that Kyrgios receives the following additional penalties:

• A fine of US$ 25,000
• A suspension of 16 ATP weeks
• A probationary period of six months beginning the Monday following acceptance of the terms of today’s determination.

However, both the fine and the suspension are deferred pending Kyrgios’s compliance with the following conditions, which shall apply at ATP Tour / ATP Challenger Tour events throughout the six-month probationary period:

• No further Code Violations during the probationary period that result in a fine for:
– Verbal or Physical Abuse of officials, spectators or any other persons while on-court or on-site, or
– Unsportsmanlike Conduct based upon an act, such as spitting, directed towards an official, spectator or other person during or upon conclusion of the match, or
– Visible Obscenity directed towards an official.
• Continued support from a mental coach while competing at ATP Tour events.
• Additional support to be sought during the off-season (Nov-Dec) from a professional specializing in behavioral management.

The US$ 25,000 fine and 16-week suspension will be lifted at the end of the six-month probationary period provided that the above conditions are met. Any appeal by Kyrgios must be lodged within five working days of today’s determination.

Separately, a second investigation took place related to comments made by Kyrgios towards ATP during the US Open. Following a clarification issued by the player the following day, it was determined that the incident did not constitute a Player Major Offense, and no additional penalties were applied.

*Extract from 2019 ATP Official Rulebook

8.05 Player Major Offenses/Procedures
A. Offenses
Aggravated Behavior
a) No player, their coaches, Physiotherapist, therapist, physician, management representative, agent, family member, tournament guest, business associate or other affiliate or associate of any player (“Related Persons”), or any other person who receives accreditation at an Event at the request of the player or any other Related Person, at any ATP Tour or ATP Challenger Tour tournament shall engage in aggravated behavior which is defined as follows:
(i) One or more incidents of behavior designated in this Code as constituting aggravated behavior.
(ii) One incident of behavior that is flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a tournament, or is singularly egregious, including the sale of credentials.
(iii) A series of two (2) or more violations of this Code within a twelve (12) month period which singularly do not constitute aggravated behavior, but when viewed together establish a pattern of conduct that is collectively egregious and is detrimental or injurious to ATP Tour or ATP Challenger Tour tournaments.

You could mistake it for an ATP 250. Just skim through the field at this week’s Open d’Orleans and big name after big name pops off the drawsheet.

With many players not ready to make the journey to the Far East for the start of the ATP Tour’s Asian Swing, the cozy confines of the Palais des Sports in Orleans, France, is a perfect September stop. This week, the tournament once again boasts an impressive lineup, headlined by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, third seed and defending champion Aljaz Bedene and #NextGenATP stars Corentin Moutet, Mikael Ymer and Jannik Sinner. In addition, past winners Norbert Gombos (2017) and Sergiy Stakhovsky (2014) are back for more.

On Sunday, Tsonga and Bedene battled in a marathon Moselle Open final in Metz. And despite the grueling week at the ATP Tour event, both players made the commitment to appear in Orleans, showing their respect for the strong field. Returning to a final won’t be an easy feat, however, with Bedene set to face a red-hot Sinner in a Thursday night blockbuster. In total, seven Top 100 players are in the French city.

“The level is high in Orleans,” said Tsonga. “All these young guys could be Top 50 for sure, if it’s not already the case for Humbert. You have so many good players and any of them can face you in the first rounds. It’s good to have that and have a strong competition.

“I’m still looking to win Challengers and get some rhythm and feel good on the court. It’s good for me that I’ve been winning many matches. I just want to continue like this. The tour is good for the young guns and also guys like me who have been at the top and are looking to play more matches. All the tournaments are really hard and the players want to achieve the same thing.”

Tsonga’s appearance in Orleans should come as no surprise. The former World No. 5 lifted his first Challenger trophy in more than 12 years earlier this month in nearby Cassis. It was the fourth-longest gap between titles on the circuit. The Frenchman is returning from a left knee injury and is looking to build on his current standing of No. 39 in the ATP Rankings.

A Challenger or an @ATP_Tour event?

Take a first look at the stacked draw in Orleans @opendorleans, featuring seven in the Top 100… pic.twitter.com/WBBBREq4Vt

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 21, 2019

From the established veteran to the #NextGenATP stars, Moutet, Ymer and Sinner are going strong at the 15th edition of the Challenger 125 event. Critical points are up for grabs in the ATP Race To Milan, with all three in the 9-13 range. The Top 7 will automatically qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals.

“I always like playing in France, because it’s my country and I won my first Challenger here,” said Moutet. “I had some good results, especially at Roland Garros, so of course I like to play in France. I didn’t play many Challengers this year, so I’m always excited to play these events. For me, it’s still my level.

“It’s a really strong Challenger. It’s always strong in Orleans, so that’s not a surprise. It’s tough to win against anybody here and the matches are not easy.”

The #NextGenATP trio all own multiple titles this year, with Moutet prevailing in Chennai and Lyon, Sinner in Bergamo and Lexington and Ymer in Noumea and Bastad. And Bedene’s Challenger success speaks for itself. The Slovenian earned his 26th consecutive match win at the level on Wednesday, unbeaten since 2016.

David Ferrer said that when he retired in May, he would stay involved in tennis; he just didn’t know how. It didn’t take long for him to decide.

The former World No. 3 on Wednesday was named the Tournament Director at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, succeeding former Spanish great and 2002 Roland Garros champion Albert Costa in the role.

Costa, who won 12 tour-level titles as a player, has served as the tournament director for the past 11 years at the ATP 500 and is taking a position with Davis Cup.

“It has been an honour to have directed this great tournament, without a doubt the one I love the most because I also had the opportunity to win it on one occasion. That Monday when I lifted the trophy on the centre court of the RCTB, which we now call the Rafa Nadal court, will always be in my memory,” Costa said.

“From these 11 years, I have great memories, like seeing Rafa Nadal win eight times here. It has been something extraordinary. I want to thank the two boards of directors for the trust they have had in me and, above all, the phenomenal professional team behind them.”

Ferrer competed in the 2019 edition of the Barcelona tournament, falling to 11-time champion Nadal in the third round. The 37-year-old Ferrer retired at the Mutua Madrid Open after falling to Alexander Zverev and was honoured with an emotional on-court tribute.

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Ferrer won 27 tour-level titles, including the 2012 Rolex Paris Masters, his biggest title, and he finished inside the Top 20 11 consecutive seasons.

“Taking over the sports direction of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell is an unimaginable achievement and a great exciting challenge in my life as an athlete and tennis lover,” said Ferrer, who fell to Nadal in all four of his Barcelona finals. “It is a double challenge to give continuity and evolve the professional legacy given by my friend Albert Costa, whom I can only congratulate and thank for his valuable collaboration in the transition.”

It wasn’t the first time Alexander Bublik deployed his underarm serve, but it was definitely one of the funniest times.

The Kazakh, facing Taylor Fritz at the Chengdu Open on Wednesday, was serving 4-6, 7-5, 2-2, 40/0 when he tried to catch the American off guard with the quick underarm motion.

Fritz, however, was not fooled, and rushed forward, hitting an aggressive backhand at Bublik. An entertaining rally ensued, and, during the changeover, both players were left laughing at the exchange.

Most recently, Bublik hit an underarm serve match point down against John Isner in July in the Hall of Fame Open final.

Watch Hot Shot: Bublik Hits Underarm Serve In Chengdu

Felix Auger-Aliassime, Grigor Dimitrov and Cristian Garin took part in a Chengdu Open tradition by visiting the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. 

“It was good. It was the first time here and seeing pandas,” said Auger-Aliassime, the No. 2 seed at the ATP 250 tournament. “I got to see different types as well, even the newborns. Overall, it’s a good day. Definitely a must-see if you’re in the region.”

The players enjoyed a stroll through the forest and caught glimpses of several large pandas lounging on their tree platforms and chewing bamboo, prompting the trio to take numerous photos, videos and selfies. Two baby pandas were on their morning run and were seen cuddling with each other in the light rain. They also saw several red pandas, two of which were playfully fighting with each other and putting on a show for the visitors.

“I’ve never seen red pandas that close,” said Dimitrov, who had previously visited the Chengdu Panda Base in 2016. “I’ve been here before but seeing them that close – it was pretty different, I’m not going to lie. I almost felt like a part of them. I wish we could actually go in and touch them, but I don’t know if it’s a great idea. It was a great way to start the day.”

An official guide was on hand to offer interesting facts about the heritage and habits of the creatures.

“It’s my first time seeing the pandas,” added Garin. “It’s amazing, doesn’t look real. I’m very happy to be here and hear the crazy story of these animals. It’s very beautiful here.”

Auger-Aliassime and Dimitrov both open their Chengdu Open campaigns on Thursday. The 19-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who is currently second in the ATP Race To Milan, will face Portugal’s Joao Sousa as he looks to reach the Chengdu quarter-finals for a second straight year. Fourth seed Dimitrov, playing in his first tournament since upsetting Roger Federer en route to the US Open semi-finals, will meet Great Britain’s Daniel Evans.

Watch: Dimitrov, Lajovic Go On Jinjiang River Cruise

Earlier this week, Dimitrov also joined Serbian Dusan Lajovic on a scenic cruise on the Jinjiang River through the Chengdu city centre. The night cruise ferries passengers on old-style wooden boats and offers them a glimpse of iconic sights in the city, including the 339 TV Tower, the Lan Kwai Fong nightlife district and Hejiang Pavilion.

“Exploring all this is marvelous I would say,” he said. “I didn’t expect that at all. Especially when we stopped to take a picture at the bridge, then all of a sudden these animations came out on the walls. It’s pretty intriguing too. We travel a lot and often to the same places every year so it’s nice to get a different feel for the cities that we go to and explore more and more. It will be nice to come back with friends and family.”

Typically it’s the stars of the ATP Tour who entertain a city’s people at tournaments throughout the world. But on Wednesday, a Zhuhai attraction entertained top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and fourth seed Borna Coric ahead of their debuts at the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships.

The Top 15 stars visited Lionsgate Entertainment World, a new theme park in Zhuhai where visitors can enjoy virtual reality experiences. And not only that, but the two former Next Gen ATP Finals qualifiers watched as an entertainer swallowed a sword and a metal ball.

“I was actually shocked. I’ve seen that on YouTube but I never thought I would be able to see it live,” Tsitsipas said. “This man, I can say he has guts.”

Coric had never been to a place like this before. But the Croatian, who faces Chinese wild card Di Wu in the second round on Thursday, was stunned by what he saw.

“This was definitely one of the most cool experiences I’ve ever done. All of these things, the ball and the sword, I never thought I’m going to see something like that,” Coric said. “I can say that it was pretty awesome and I enjoyed my time there.”

As the pair toured the facility, they partook in various virtual reality activities in which they made motions that were replicated in a game. In one case, they hopped on a motorbike that remained still, but virtual reality goggles made it feel as if they were actually riding around.

“I really liked the experience of the VR. In some parts I thought it was a bit blurry, but despite that it was still a very nice way to feel things from a different perspective,” Tsitsipas said. “The motorbikes made it feel super realistic, all the vibrations and all the movements. I might try it again in the future.”

It wasn’t the first time Tsitsipas had tried his hand at virtual reality. But before he plays Frenchman Adrian Mannarino for a spot in the Zhuhai quarter-finals, this year’s Marseille and Estoril champion was happy to get out into the city and have fun with the experience.

“Our sport is a virtual reality itself, so I play it every single day of my life,” Tsitsipas said. “But I’ve tried it in the past a couple of times. It’s interesting to experience things that are virtual and you don’t have access to them, so I actually like it.”

World-class defence. Airborne smashes. Never-say-die attitude.

Gael Monfils had it all working on Wednesday during his 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win against Cameron Norrie at the Huajin Securities Zhuhai Championships. The Frenchman started slowly and had to adjust to the conditions in his first match at the ATP 250. But he found a way, and he put on a show in the process. Read Report

Watch Hot Shot: Monfils Goes Airborne For Smash

Watch Hot Shot: How Many Metres Does Monfils Cover In This Point?

Watch Hot Shot: Monfils Shows Off Speed With ‘Outrageous Gets’