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Berrettini Rises To Career-High, Mover Of The Week

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2019

Berrettini Rises To Career-High, Mover Of The Week

ATPTour.com looks at the top Movers of the Week in the ATP Rankings, as of Monday, 17 June 2019

No. 22 (Career High) Matteo Berrettini, +8
The Italian held each of his 50 service games throughout the week at the MercedesCup en route to the trophy. Berrettini, who has captured each of his three ATP Tour titles in the past 11 months, defeated Nick Kyrgios and Karen Khachanov in his opening two matches. After beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in the championship match, the 23-year-old jumps eight places to a career-high No. 22 in the ATP Rankings. Read More.

No. 34 Adrian Mannarino, +10
The 30-year-old ended his losing streak in ATP Tour championship matches in style at the Libema Open, lifting his first trophy in seven finals after a straight-sets victory against Jordan Thompson. Mannarino overcame three consecutive seeded opponents, Fernando Verdasco, David Goffin and Borna Coric, to reach the final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The Frenchman leaps 10 spots to No. 34 in the ATP Rankings. Read More.

No. 46 (Career High) Jordan Thompson, +16
Despite falling short of his first ATP Tour crown, Thompson enjoyed a breakthrough week in the Netherlands. The 25-year-old Australian arrived at the Libema Open, without an ATP Tour semi-final appearance to his name, but defeated sixth seed Frances Tiafoe and third seed Alex de Minaur en route to the championship match. Thompson soars 16 positions to a career-high No. 46 in the ATP Rankings.

You May Also Like: Evans Secures Historic Grass Double In Nottingham

Other Notable Movers
No. 54 Richard Gasquet, -12
No. 63 Daniel Evans, +7
No. 65 Jeremy Chardy, -16
No. 80 Matthew Ebden, -14
No. 86 (Career High) Corentin Moutet, +16
No. 88 Jaume Munar, -14

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Del Potro: 'The Chance To Play Well Is Very Big'

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2019

Del Potro: ‘The Chance To Play Well Is Very Big’

Argentine will meet Shapovalov in first round at The Queen’s Club

The switch from clay to grass can provide players with a difficult challenge in a crucial part of the ATP Tour season, but Juan Martin del Potro is relishing the opportunity to adapt his game and achieve success ahead of the Fever-Tree Championships.

“I like the surface because my game can adapt really well,” said Del Potro. “I love the faster points, the aggressive game and I like to move on grass as well. The chance to play well is very big.”

You May Also Like: Del Potro To Face Shapovalov Test At Queen’s Club

Del Potro will need to find his feet on grass quickly if he is to advance beyond the first round at the ATP 500 event. The third seed will meet #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov for the third time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series (1-1) in his opening match.

The 6’6″ right-hander is making his first appearance at the grass-court tournament since 2016, following his fourth-round exit against Karen Khachanov at Roland Garros. Del Potro owns a 5-4 record at The Queen’s Club, highlighted by his run to the quarter-finals in 2013 (l. to Hewitt).

“I love this tournament,” said Del Potro. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t play these past few years but this time is a different moment for me. I want to be ready for Wimbledon and this tournament is a special one, so I am very excited to be here.”

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Del Potro also shared a positive update on his recovery from the right knee injury which forced him to make only one appearance on the ATP Tour between the Rolex Shanghai Masters in October 2018 and the Mutua Madrid Open last month.

“I think I am getting better after my knee injury,” said Del Potro. “I played well in Paris and now we move to a different surface, which I like. This tournament is also a good preparation to see how my body is, and my tennis level, also, and I think I will be fine.”

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Evans Secures Historic Grass Double In Nottingham

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2019

Evans Secures Historic Grass Double In Nottingham

British No. 3 returns to Queen’s Club on heels of back-to-back Challenger titles

Mother Nature has played a role in many professional tournaments over the years, but few have been as chaotic as the 2019 Nature Valley Open.

What transpired in Nottingham could only be described as unprecedented for the region, as northern England endured a deluge of rain throughout the week. Not only did Daniel Evans survive a stacked draw, but the unpredictable weather as well.

On Sunday, the Brit celebrated his second title in as many weeks, extending his win streak to 10 straight with an impressive victory at the prestigious tournament. Evans defeated Evgeny Donskoy 7-6(3), 6-3 in what was their first encounter in six years, after ousting Go Soeda earlier in the day.

“It’s been a good week, carrying on strongly from last week,” Evans said. “I played very well in the first match [today]. The second match, I was a bit frustrated and I was very tired. But I didn’t lose a set today, so I can’t be too unhappy. I played well out there, despite the wind.”

Watch Evans Interview…

The win gave the 29-year-old a historic grass-court double, having also triumphed in Surbiton a week ago. He joins Yen-Hsun Lu as the only players to win consecutive Challenger titles on grass in the past 20 years. Lu went back-to-back in Surbiton and Ilkley in 2016.

The unrelenting rain interrupted play every day of the week, including a total washout on Monday and a move indoors from Tuesday through Friday. And with a WTA Tour event also taking place at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, it was a mad scramble throughout the week.

In the end, Evans would win his quarter-final on the grass on Saturday, before defeating Soeda and Donskoy on Sunday. He moves up seven spots to No. 63 in the ATP Rankings.

Dallas

Evans is proving to be quite a force on the grass, using his flat groundstrokes and cutting backhand slice to find his top form on the surface. One year after finishing runner-up to Alex de Minaur in Nottingham, he has gone one step further on home soil. The Birmingham native is the first British winner here since Greg Rusedski in 2003, when the tournament was on the ATP Tour.

On Sunday, Evans lifted the Paul Hutchins Trophy, named after the longtime Nottingham tournament director and British Davis Cup captain, who recently passed away.

“It’s amazing to be the first winner of the Paul Hutchins Trophy – he was a massive part of me growing up. He was here last year and it feels a bit empty without him this year. It was really good to win, and hopefully he watched down on that.”

Evans will next head to Queen’s Club in London for the Fever-Tree Championships, an ATP 500 event. He opens against Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday.

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Moutet's Moment: #NextGenATP Cracks Top 100 With Lyon Title

  • Posted: Jun 17, 2019

Moutet’s Moment: #NextGenATP Cracks Top 100 With Lyon Title

Frenchman claims fourth Challenger crown and second of 2019

It was the coronation of Corentin on Sunday. #NextGenATP star Corentin Moutet has been fighting for this moment since he turned pro three years ago, and it was finally realized.

The 20-year-old from Neuilly-Sur-Seine, France, capped his Top 100 breakthrough with a title on home soil in Lyon. Moutet had his moment in the spotlight in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Open Sopra Steria, defeating Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday afternoon.

Moutet was made to work for his fourth ATP Challenger Tour trophy and second of the year, battling for a pair of three-set wins before avenging a 2017 defeat to Ymer. He needed one hour and 50 minutes to prevail, sealing the title on his third match point.

“It’s a big satisfaction to win today,” said Moutet. “My opponent is a good player. I lost against him two years ago, here in Lyon. I was expecting a big fight today. I did my best all week and while it was hard sometimes, my level was quite high. I won and that’s the most important thing. Now I’m going back to work tomorrow.”

One week after enjoying a tour-level breakthrough at Roland Garros, stunning Guido Pella for his first appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam, he is reveling in a breakthrough of another kind. His victory in Lyon vaulted him to the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time, soaring to a career-high No. 86. In addition, he is up to seventh in the ATP Race To Milan, with the Top 7 automatically qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals in November.

The youth movement in France has now kicked into high gear. Canada is no longer the only nation with multiple #NextGenATP stars in the Top 100, with Moutet joining countryman Ugo Humbert in the elite club.  

“There are not a lot of ways to progress [up the ATP Rankings]. It happens by working constantly every day, not only sometimes. I know that if I want to progress, I have more to do. That’s why I’m going back to work tomorrow, to continue on this way and go a little bit more every day.”

#NextGenATP Top 100 Debuts In 2019

Player Age
Debut Date
Felix Auger-Aliassime 18 25 February
Casper Ruud 20 4 March
Miomir Kecmanovic 19 18 March
Corentin Moutet
20 17 June

Earlier in the year, Moutet etched his name in the history books with a title on the hard courts of Chennai, India. He became the first teenager to triumph in three consecutive seasons since Evgeny Korolev achieved the feat from 2005-07. Now, aged 20, Moutet is close to putting his Challenger days behind him.

“We all make mistakes, but what we have to keep in mind is that we learn from our mistakes. I haven’t been perfect during this tournament, but I’m still learning. Improving each day on the court but also outside is really important. I’m learning and growing.”

Moutet

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Tsitsipas: 'I Would Love To See Myself Playing In The O2'

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2019

Tsitsipas: ‘I Would Love To See Myself Playing In The O2’

#NextGenATP Greek pursuing first tour-level grass-court title

Reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas likes to explore the cities he visits during his travels on the ATP Tour. But when a reporter asked him on Sunday ahead of the Fever-Tree Championships where he would like to visit in London, the World No. 6 did not mention a tourist attraction.

“I would love to see myself playing in The O2 Arena in November,” Tsitsipas said.

The Greek star is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time, and he is off to a good start. Tsitsipas is in fifth place in the ATP Race To London, and he holds a 1,230-point lead over sixth-placed Kei Nishikori. The Top 8 players in the Race qualify for the season finale, to be held at The O2 from 10-17 November.

You May Also Like: Del Potro To Face Shapovalov Test At Queen’s Club

But for now, Tsitsipas will focus on the present, as he is the top seed at Queen’s Club. The three-time ATP Tour titlist is pursuing his first tour-level grass-court trophy.

“I haven’t really showed anything yet on grass in my opinion,” said Tsitsipas, who faces home favourite Kyle Edmund in the first round. “It can always be tricky when there are so many different surfaces that you need to adjust and adapt to throughout the year. I only had one match last week [in ‘s-Hertogenbosch]. I haven’t really felt everything that I have to feel here on grass, so I might say it’s going to take quite a while to adjust to those new conditions on which I haven’t played for a year now.”

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It will be Tsitsipas’ first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Edmund. The Greek will be looking to get back on track after being upset in his first match at the Libema Open by Chilean Nicolas Jarry.

“I think we’re pretty equal,” Tsitsipas said of facing Edmund. “He hasn’t played a match as well, so it’s all going to be a matter of right decisions and concentration levels because everything’s happening very fast on grass.”

Tsitsipas has fond memories of this surface from his junior career, when he made the boys’ singles semi-finals at Wimbledon and won the boys’ doubles title. As a professional, he reached the fourth round at the grass-court Grand Slam last year.

That leaves him confident that he is capable of performing well during this swing. However, he knows it will take an adjustment from how he played on clay, where he made the final in Madrid, semi-final in Rome and captured the trophy in Estoril.

“There’re a lot of differences between clay and grass. You have to stay lower, you have to have faster anticipation and not necessarily play extreme tennis. You have to play clean, you have to come to the net,” Tsitsipas said. “Instead of trying to spin the ball a lot, or trying to open the court, that doesn’t really work on grass. You have to stay low, come to the net, serve well.”

This is the first time that Tsitsipas has been the top seed at an ATP 500 tournament. It’s been a rapid ascent for the 20-year-old, who began the 2018 season at No. 91 in the ATP Rankings. But he does not feel the weight of the expectations that may come with his accomplishments.

“I don’t even watch the draws to be honest. I don’t know who is in my part of the draw. I don’t know who is No. 2,” Tsitsipas said. “I just play. I have to play. I don’t have to think if I’m No. 1 or No. 2. That probably means some players would think about it when they play against you, but if you think of it too much when you play like, ‘I’m the No. 1, I’m the one who is the favourite. I’m the one who everybody expects me to win,’ then you become kind of lazy. You expect everything to come easier to you just because you’re No. 1 or 2 or 3 or 4. I have to play the way I’ve been playing all this time, without thinking of all those small details.”

Tsitsipas may well be the hunted now rather than the hunter. But if nothing else the Greek knows he has to continue his evolution to improve even more. 

“Players know me, players know what to expect,” Tsitsipas said. “So I really hope I do well and leave from the grass-court season with great memories and great moments from that surface.”

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Wimbledon: Stefanos Tsitsipas targets 'big four' stranglehold

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2019
Fever-Tree Championships
Venue: Queen’s Club, London Dates: 17-23 June
Coverage: Live on BBC TV and online with live text and radio coverage on selected matches.

World number six Stefanos Tsitsipas says he and other young players must “take responsibility” to end the older generation’s Wimbledon stranglehold.

Since Lleyton Hewitt’s win in 2002, the following 16 men’s singles titles have been won by the ‘big four’ of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray.

“I would love to see something different this year. Hopefully it will be me,” said 20-year-old Greek Tsitsipas. “It would give it a little bit of variety, something different.”

Tsitsipas, who begins his Fever-Tree Championships campaign at Queen’s Club against British number one Kyle Edmund on Tuesday, added: “Some don’t want to take the responsibility of going out and overcoming all those difficulties and beat those guys.

“We are responsible as the new generation to work hard to come up with something new and our best games to beat them.”

German great Boris Becker, citing the fact that Austria’s Dominic Thiem is the only active player under the age of 28 to have played in a Grand Slam final, said this month that “mindset and attitude” were holding back younger players.

Tsitsipas also suggested German world number five Alexander Zverev, Canadians Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe and Australian Alex de Minaur as players who could upset the old order.

  • ‘I was getting no enjoyment at all’ – hip surgery revived Murray’s love of tennis

The match against Tsitsipas, who has beaten Nadal and Federer this season – will be Edmund’s first since he limped out of the French Open second round in May.

Edmund, the 24-year-old world number 29, said: “It’s obviously tough in terms of he’s played a lot, and won a lot, this year, but at the same time it’s almost a very ideal situation where there’s no pressure on me to do well. Almost everything is on him.”

Edmund has won six of 16 Tour-level matches this season and slipped from 14th in the world at the start of the year.

British number two Cameron Norrie takes on 2018 Wimbledon runner-up Kevin Anderson on Monday, while compatriot and qualifier James Ward plays France’s Gilles Simon.

Dan Evans, fresh from winning grass-court title in Surbiton and Nottingham, faces three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, and wildcard Jay Clarke is up against France’s Lucas Pouille.

Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray makes his return after five months out and a career-saving hip operation in Wednesday’s doubles alongside Spain’s Feliciano Lopez.

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Murray On Hip Surgery: 'It’s Been Brilliant, Completely Life-Changing'

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2019

Murray On Hip Surgery: ‘It’s Been Brilliant, Completely Life-Changing’

Former World No. 1 returning this week on the doubles court

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray teared up before the Australian Open, not knowing how much longer he would be able to play tennis due to hip pain he’d been suffering through for nearly two years. Now, Murray fans from around the world are crying tears of joy.

Five months and one right hip resurfacing surgery later, Murray is set to make his return — albeit on the doubles court — with partner Feliciano Lopez at the Fever-Tree Championships.

“I feel pretty relaxed. I didn’t expect to be in this position. I didn’t know how I was going to feel, really, if I went and had the operation. But it’s been brilliant, completely life-changing for me from where I was,” Murray said. “I’m looking forward to getting back out there but I also don’t know what to expect and I’m not putting any expectations on myself because just being out on the tennis court again and being comfortable and pain-free is enough.”

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Murray was not certain as to what would happen if he did go under the knife, which he ultimately did on 28 January. But forgetting about the tennis, the 45-time tour-level champion is happy again and most importantly, healthy.

The 32-year-old says he can now go to dinners without feeling soreness because he is sitting in one position. He is able to enjoy time with his family, and even go play golf, although he admitted to receiving ‘a good humbling experience’ on Friday when he played the club championships at the Wentworth Club with brother Jamie Murray, both of them scoring 101. Everything is in a different perspective now for the five-time Queen’s Club champion.

You May Also Like: Lopez/Murray Draw Top Seeds Cabal/Farah At Queen’s Club

“There were a number of times over the past 18 months when I did want to stop. I didn’t want to play anymore. I was getting no enjoyment out of tennis anymore, whether that be training, practice, matches — winning matches wasn’t really bothered either because it wasn’t fun. Now it’s just nice [because] I like playing tennis,” Murray said. “I’m a fan of the sport, I’ve played it since I was a kid. I want to keep playing if I can because I enjoy it.”

“My goal is still to get back to playing singles. That’s what I’d like to do, ultimately,” Murray said. “Probably it was six to eight weeks ago I was just chatting with my team about the best way to get back onto the court again singles-wise and how I would go about doing that and we felt that doubles would be a good action to test myself out and see how I feel where there’s obviously less loading on the body, less movement, but you still have to make some quick moves and quick reactions and stuff like that.

“I felt like it was actually quite a nice progression really from all the rehab I’ve been doing and getting back on the court and seeing how I feel on a match court playing doubles and then that will give me some information about where I’m at and maybe things I need to improve.”

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/feliciano-lopez/l397/overview'>Feliciano Lopez</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andy-murray/mc10/overview'>Andy Murray</a> practise at the Queen's Club ahead of the <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/london/311/overview'>Fever-Tree Championships</a>.

Murray and Lopez decided to play together at this event via a series of messages. For Lopez, it was a very easy decision to immediately say yes.

“He’s a great player. As soon as you hit a few balls with him you realise he still has the feel and the touch,” Lopez said. “You don’t lose these abilities from one day to another. Of course, he’s one of the greatest players ever and he’s still playing great.

“First of all [though] I want to say that I’m very happy he’s able to play tennis again. This is the most important thing now and I’m very happy to share the court this week with him. It’s going to be nice. It’s going to be fun, I hope. But the most important thing is that he’s healthy again and we’re very happy to see Andy back on a tennis court.”

And really, that’s what Murray is most excited about. While he admitted it would be nice to win Wimbledon or other major tournaments, the Scot’s eyes have been opened through this process as to why he loves tennis. A few weeks ago, the former World No. 1 saw some kids hitting balls next to him, and how much fun they were having just getting to play the sport.

“You remember the things that are actually important or the reasons for why you actually start doing something or why you play a certain sport, do a certain job,” Murray said. “Generally it’s because it’s something you care about and actually enjoy doing and it’s not doing it just to win tennis matches.”

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'I was getting no enjoyment' – Murray says surgery revived love of tennis

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2019
Fever-Tree Championships
Venue: Queen’s Club, London Dates: 17-23 June
Coverage: Live on BBC TV and online with live text and radio coverage on selected matches.

Britain’s Andy Murray says “life-changing” surgery rekindled his love of tennis as he prepares to make his comeback – five months after he was seemingly set for retirement.

Murray, 32, will play doubles with Spain’s Feliciano Lopez at Queen’s on Wednesday.

The three-time Grand Slam champion had planned to retire because of hip pain, before having an operation in January.

“I didn’t expect to be in this position,” the Scot said.

“I didn’t know how it would feel if I went and had the operation. But it has been brilliant, completely life-changing for me from where I was.

“I’m looking forward to getting back out there, but I don’t know what to expect and I’m not putting any kind of expectations on myself.

“Just being out on the tennis court and being pain free is enough.”

  • Murray aims for 2019 singles return
  • Nadal & Federer welcome Murray return

At the Australian Open in January, an emotional Murray said he planned to retire after Wimbledon because he had been suffering “too much pain for about 20 months”.

He also feared the opening Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne, where he lost in the opening round to Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, would be the last tournament of his illustrious career.

Murray said the pain had made it difficult to play with his two children and do basic everyday tasks like putting on his socks.

But he says he is now pain free after having the hip resurfacing operation – which keeps more of the damaged bone than a hip replacement, smoothing the ball down and covering it with a metal cap – in London on 28 January.

Now the former world number one is back on court alongside 37-year-old Lopez, saying his priority is simply enjoying the sport which has brought him two Wimbledon titles, a US Open crown and two Olympic gold medals.

“There have been a number of times over the past 18 months where I did want to stop. I was getting no enjoyment out of tennis at all, whether that be training, practice, matches,” he said.

“I wasn’t bothered about winning matches either because it wasn’t fun.

“Now I like playing tennis, getting out on the court and hitting balls. I want to keep playing if I can because I enjoy it.

“It would be nice to be winning Wimbledon and other major tournaments but hardly anyone gets the opportunity to do that.

“There are loads of players and it is still about having the love and enjoyment for the sport without being able to win the biggest competitions. I would hope I would be able to deal with that absolutely fine.”

Murray also hopes to play in the Wimbledon doubles next month, although he has not said whom he will play with.

Asked if he could win the doubles, he said: “It is possible, but it doesn’t matter either way. I’d like to but it doesn’t matter if I don’t.

“I’d say it is unlikely because I’ve not played many matches.”

Murray has said he will not play alongside older brother Jamie, who has linked up with fellow Briton Neal Skupski.

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Konta aims to transfer French Open form to grass before Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jun 16, 2019
Nature Valley Classic
Venue: Edgbaston Priory Club Dates: 17-23 June
Coverage: Live text commentary on selected matches

British number one Johanna Konta says her superb clay-court form bodes well for Birmingham and Wimbledon despite limiting her practice on grass.

Konta withdrew from last week’s Nottingham event to ease her schedule after making the French Open last four.

“You can only take good things from match fitness, confidence in decision-making and knowing you can come through different situations,” she said.

“I haven’t spent as much time on grass, but that’s a good problem to have.”

Konta, 28, will play Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit, ranked two placed below her at 20th in the world, in the first round.

Konta had an indifferent start to the year, but turned her season qround after playing a key part in Great Britain’s return to the Fed Cup World Group II, beating Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas and Yulia Putintseva in front of a raucous crowd in London’s Copper Box Arena.

Since then, she has reached finals in Rabat and Rome before a run to the semi-finals at Roland Garros.

Ranked 47th in the world before the clay-court swing, she is now up to 18th.

However, Konta has never been beyond the second round in Birmingham, losing to eventual champion Petra Kvitova in the first round last year.

“I’ve played Nottingham every year so it’s a different situation, it’s a different dynamic,” Konta said of this year’s campaign.

“Last year I lost to Petra, the year before Coco Vandeweghe, so I’ve played some very capable players, especially on this surface.

“There’s no reason why this year I can’t do better. It might not happen but I’ll be working towards hopefully making it happen.”

Konta reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2017, but has fallen before the third round in her other six appearances at the All England Club.

World’s top three and a five-time SW19 winner

The top three-ranked players in the world are in the draw for the first time in Birmingham with US and Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka joined by world number two Ashleigh Barty, fresh from winning the French Open, and third-ranked Czech Karolina Pliskova.

Barty could overtake Osaka to take top spot for the first time in her career. The Australian would need to make the final at least, however, with her task increasing to lifting the trophy should Osaka win her opening match.

Before entertaining thoughts of world number one status, though, 23-year-old Barty faces a testing opening match against Croatia’s Donna Vekic, who reached the final of the Nottingham event.

Osaka faces Greece’s Maria Sakkari and Pliskova takes on Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu, while five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams – making her Birmingham debut at the age of 38 – plays Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

American Williams will also play doubles with Britain’s Harriet Dart who, along with compatriot Heather Watson, has been given a wildcard into the singles draw.

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