The people of Vienna have the option of a unique backdrop for their lunchtime sandwiches this week, thanks to the Erste Bank Open.

Since 2021, the ATP 500 in Vienna has been the home to one of the most unique second courts on the ATP Tour. While the main stadium court is located in the city’s west inside the Wiener Stadthalle, the tournament’s second arena, the #glaubandich (German for ‘Believe In Yourself’) Court, is nestled right in the middle of the Austrian capital’s historic city centre.

The temporary stadium is erected on one half of the ice rink at the Vienna Ice Skating Club. Its location not only gives the tented court an interesting backdrop outside, but also ensures that top-level tennis is as accessible as possible for busy Viennese going about their days.

“I had in mind to activate tennis in the city centre,” tournament director Herwig Straka told ATPTour.com. “Vienna is a pretty big city, and the Stadthalle is not in the city centre. The feeling was that inside the tennis community, everybody knows about the event, but outside not. Positioning a second match court in the city centre attracted a lot of new fans, young fans, a new audience. This was the basic idea.”

_{^{The #glaubandich Court is located at the Vienna Ice Skating Club. Photo Credit: Andy West/ATP Tour.}}

To further open the tournament to workers in the city centre, Straka and his team decided on another innovation. Tickets for the #glaubandich Court, which also include free popcorn and free access to ice-skating next door, can be purchased for shortened time slots, with the cheapest available granting admission for two hours.

This concept, known as ‘Erste Bank Open 2 Go’, means those working in the vicinity can drop by, without having to arrange a day off, to spend an hour or two watching some of the best players in the world compete.

“It added a lot of attractions and awareness in the city for this event,” explained Straka. “Part of its success, and we sold out almost every day completely this year, is attracting a new audience. It’s a very low threshold — you can only pay 10 Euros, you can pay for the whole day or only pay for two hours. This is the ‘to-go’ concept, that you can consume tennis for only a limited amount of time.

“That created a new audience. It’s like a restaurant. You try it ‘to-go’, you like it, and then you go back for a four-course dinner. Those people [next time] come to the Stadthalle, and I think that is part of its success.”

_{^{Fans drop by Vienna’s #glaubandich Court to experience the ‘Erste Bank Open 2 Go’. Photo Credit: Andy West/ATP Tour.}}

So far this week, players from the Top 50 of the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings who have played singles matches in the centre of Vienna include Tommy Paul, Karen Khachanov, Francisco Cerundolo, Matteo Arnaldi and Lorenzo Sonego. Meanwhile top seeds Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski, as well as 2022 champions and home favourites Alexander Erler/Lucas Miedler, are among the doubles teams that have competed in the heart of one of the world’s most elegant capital cities.

“[The players] like the quality and proximity of the court to the hotel,” said Straka. “We are improving the second venue year-by-year to match the Stadthalle. Sometimes [at indoor events] the second or third courts don’t match the same standard — the ceiling height, for example. This is the nature of an indoor event. But the quality of playing [at the #glaubandich Court] is great. That is something the players also like.”

Karen Khachanov” />

_{^{World No. 16 Karen Khachanov meets fans at the #glaubandich Court on Wednesday. Photo Credit: Erste Bank Open/Lars Maurer.}}

Andrey Rublev has qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year. The 26-year-old guaranteed his spot at the season finale on Thursday when he defeated Matteo Arnaldi to reach the Vienna quarter-finals.

Rublev is the fifth player to earn his place in Turin from 12-19 November. Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner have also qualified for the year-end championships.

“It feels great,” Rublev said. “It’s great news. After the match I didn’t know that if I would win the match I would qualify for sure, so I didn’t know that and it’s a great feeling, great news. Looking forward [to it] and happy to be part of the Nitto ATP Finals for one more year.”

See you in Turin, @AndreyRublev97 💫

Rublev has sealed his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year! 👏#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/hoFuCTy4Yk

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 26, 2023

It has been a consistent season for Rublev, who reached the 50-wins mark for the third straight season. He has also broken new ground in 2023, claiming his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo.

Rublev also lifted the trophy in Bastad, marking the third time in the past four years that he has claimed multiple tour-level crowns. A finalist in Dubai, Banja Luka, Halle and Shanghai, he is tied for his career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking at World No. 5.

One year ago, Rublev advanced to the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time behind victories against Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. He is 4-6 in his three previous appearances at the season finale.

Only three singles places remain at the year-end championships. Former Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, is next in line to qualify.

The unseeded duo of Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul upset top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski on Wednesday at the Erste Bank Open, where the all-French pair clinched a Match Tie-break opening-round.victory.

Despite not creating a break chance in the match, the Frenchmen pulled out a 2-6, 7-6(5), 10-4 win by owning the crucial moments of the one-hour, 47-minute match. Doumbia and Reboul stayed within touching distance by saving nine of 11 break points they faced, and made their move late to earn the upset.

Fourth-seeded Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen were also knocked out at the ATP 500, with Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow scoring a 6-4, 6-4 victory.

Lammons/Withrow face a crucial week in their quest to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. They are currently 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, just 25 points behind ninth-placed Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer and 35 points behind eighth-placed Jamie Murray and Michael Venus.

Arevalo and Rojer maintained their Turin push after they avoided becoming the third seeded pair to fall on Wednesday in Vienna. They defeated Nikola Mektic and John Peers 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-8 to set advance to face home wild card pair Sebastian Ofner and Philipp Oswald.

Murray/Venus Back From The Brink In Basel
The fact that their closest Nitto ATP Finals qualification rivals had won in Vienna made Murray and Venus’ dramatic late-night victory against Alexander Bublik and Adrian Mannarino at the Swiss Indoors Basel all the more important.

The fourth-seeded British-Kiwi duo rallied back from the brink in remarkable circumstances to reach the second round in Switzerland, saving three match points when Bublik and Mannarino led 6-4, 6-5 and 40/0 on serve, before prevailing 4-6, 7-6(3), 10-6.

Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski also advanced with a 7-6(5), 6-3 win against Dutchmen Tallon Griekspoor and Robin Haase, while Alex de Minaur and Max Purcell beat Lloyd Glasspool and Nicolas Mahut 7-5, 7-6(5).

Carlos Alcaraz announced on social media on Wednesday that he is fit to play the Rolex Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals.

“I have good news!” Alcaraz posted. “I am feeling better every day and I will play Paris-Bercy and be in Turin for the ATP Finals! Excited to finish the year on a high!”

I have good news! 🙌🏻 I am feeling better every day and I will play Paris-Bercy and be in Turin for the ATP Finals! 😍 Excited to finish the year on a high! 💪🏻 pic.twitter.com/RC1pCzr237

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) October 25, 2023

The Spaniard withdrew ahead of the Swiss Indoors Basel due to a left foot injury and muscle fatigue to his lower back. He most recently competed in Shanghai, where he lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the Round of 16.

Alcaraz will hope to find his form immediately in Paris, where he will resume his battle for ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone with Novak Djokovic. The Serbian currently leads the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, a good barometer for the year-end No. 1 battle, by 500 points with a maximum of 2,500 points up for grabs in Paris and Turin.

Felix Auger-Aliassime’s most recent title came in Basel one year ago. Based on his form Wednesday, the Canadian is keen to add another Swiss Indoors Basel trophy to his collection.

The defending champion eliminated Swiss wild card Leandro Riedi 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round. The sixth seed will next play Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, who ousted Roberto Bautista Agut in three sets.

“I thought he was playing well and I think he can be proud of himself because I played a great match. I think I showed up with a good level today,” Auger-Aliassime said in his on-court interview. “He still showed very good things, so I think he’s got a great future. But on my part I’m happy to get through to the second round here.”

All aboard the Felix Express 🚂🇨🇦

The 2022 champion @felixtennis eases past Riedi 6-3 6-2 🙌#SwissIndoorsBasel pic.twitter.com/KCedaHX1yS

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2023

The 23-year-old Auger-Aliassime stayed out of trouble on his service games for the most part, relinquishing just one break in the match. He consistently challenged his opponent’s serve, winning 50 per cent of his return points and earning four breaks in the 75-minute match.

Auger-Aliassime has long thrived indoors, winning all four of his titles in such conditions. This is his first indoor appearance outside of Laver Cup since Rotterdam in February.

Now 18-18 this season, the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals qualifier will hope to use the indoor stretch to regain confidence leading into 2024.

In the last match of the day, Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry battled past former World No. 1 Andy Murray 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 after thee hours and eight minutes to reach the quarter-finals.

In the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting this year at Indian Wells, Murray triumphed in three hours and 12 minutes. On this occasion, Etcheverry saved five of the six break points he faced, including all five he confronted in the second set.

Etcheverry will next play top seed Holger Rune or countryman Sebastian Baez for a place in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old is pursuing his first ATP Tour title this week.

Did You Know?
According to Infosys ATP Stats, Auger-Aliassime’s winning percentage indoors is 67.9 per cent (57-27) compared to 56.3 per cent (121-94) outdoors.

Jannik Sinner held firm for victory in a hard-hitting opening-round clash against Ben Shelton on Wednesday at the Erste Bank Open.

The Italian prevailed 7-6(2), 7-5 in Vienna by striking 28 winners and offering just six unforced errors across the one-hour, 44-minute encounter. With his win, Sinner avenged his defeat to Shelton in the Shanghai fourth round two weeks ago.

Although Shelton, who flew straight to Austria after winning his maiden ATP Tour crown on Sunday in Tokyo, understandably showed some signs of fatigue in the second set, he pushed Sinner all the way inside the Wiener Stadthalle. An intense first set was only settled when Sinner raised his level in the tie-break and the Italian was forced to fend off four break points overall during his win.

Sinner produced plenty of razor-sharp returning and particularly capitalised when given a look at his American opponent’s second serve. The Italian won 53 per cent (18/34) of return points against second deliveries, and Shelton’s lack of first serves proved crucial as Sinner clinched the only break of the match at 5-5 in the second set.

The 22-year-old Sinner, who has already secured direct qualification for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals for the first time, will take on countryman Lorenzo Sonego next in Vienna. He holds a 3-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead against Sonego, with all three victories coming earlier this season.

Daniil Medvedev is a 20-time tour-level singles champion, but he has yet to win a single event more than once. If his opening performance at the Erste Bank Open is any indication, Medvedev could put an end to that statistical anomaly this week in Vienna.

The top seed earned a dominant 6-4, 6-2 win against #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils on Wednesday in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. In a masterful performance, Medvedev lost just five points on serve and recorded a clean stat line of 16 winners and eight unforced errors.

“I was a little bit nervous coming into the match,” Medvedev said, explaining that he took a week off from practice following Shanghai, during which time he celebrated his daughter’s birthday. “Arthur wants this top win and he’s going to get it one day. But luckily I managed to serve well, play well, kind of work him out during the match and it worked, so I’m very happy.”

“Mesmerising Medvedev” 😲

Top seed @DaniilMedwed bringing top drawer tennis up a set and break on Fils@ErsteBankOpen | #erstebankopen pic.twitter.com/wNdEpK98MH

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2023

Medvedev was clinical in all aspects of his game in the 75-minute match, using his forehand to do the most damage with seven winners off that wing. His relentless yet steady game drew 31 unforced errors from Fils, who made the final in Antwerp last week.

Following the victory, Medvedev was full of praise for his opponent, who began the season outside the Top 250 and now sits at a career high of No. 38 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“He’s super young, a big jump in the rankings. Usually when we see guys like this, sooner or later he’s going to get in the Top 10,” Medvedev said after denying Fils his third Top 10 win and what would have been the biggest victory of his career by ranking. “Then the question is, does he stay there for 10 years or he just comes there and drops out? We never know, but he has big potential and hopefully he can realise it.”

After defeating the 19-year-old Fils, Medvedev will next meet 32-year-old Grigor Dimitrov in the second round. The Bulgarian entered Vienna after a run to the Shanghai semi-finals in his last event.

“I don’t expect myself to do well on any tennis trivia when we are taking it back before I played!” Taylor Fritz joked in the latest edition of ATP Uncovered’s Test The Tour series. The American was one of five ATP Tour stars to be quizzed on their Nitto ATP Finals knowledge.

Former champions Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev were also among the panel.

“I know nothing about it!” Medvedev joked. But would the World No. 3 surprise himself as he was asked who the youngest champion in event history is, which country has the most Nitto ATP Finals titlists and more?

“I remember it! I’m kidding, I wasn’t even born then,” Tsitsipas said, while cracking a smile.

Watch the full video below to find out which of Fritz, Medvedev, Murray, Casper Ruud and Tsitsipas answered the most questions correctly.

Since reaching the US Open quarter-finals, Taylor Fritz went 2-2 on the Asian swing before heading to Europe for the Swiss Indoors Basel. On Wednesday, the American survived a stern opening test from Max Purcell to continue his chase for a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals.

Sitting ninth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, Fritz’s bid to leapfrog Holger Rune for the crucial eighth position received a timely boost with his gritty 7-6(6), 7-6(4) win at the ATP 500.

“As far as where I’m at in the Race, I think I’m in a good spot,” Fritz said post-match. “I have a pretty decent chance if I can come up with a big result one of these next two weeks [in Basel or Paris].”

Fritz marches 🔛

The American with a 7-6 (7) 7-6(4) win over Purcell #SwissIndoorsBasel pic.twitter.com/hS5zLEFigs

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 25, 2023

The American trailed Purcell 1/5 in the opening tie-break and saved two set points before he snatched the set with a three-point surge. He twice surrendered a break lead in set two, including an unsuccessful attempt to serve out the match at 5-4, but recovered to close out the second tie-break on his third set point.

“I was lucky to win the first set. I played some really big points really well in important moments in the tie-break,” Fritz said. “I came up pretty clutch in the first set to take it. The second set I was serving well, I was returning better, and I just kind of got in my own way and made it pretty complicated. But I was lucky to refocus and play a good tie-break.”

Fritz, who turns 27 on Saturday, improved to 22-2 in opening rounds this season with the result, including a perfect 14-0 mark on hard courts. He was out-aced 13 to 12 by Purcell, but the Aussie was made to pay for his six doubles faults, including several at crucial moments late in the second set.

Next up for Fritz is qualifier Alexander Shevchenko.

Casper Ruud also made a successful start in Basel with a 7-6(5), 6-2 win against Alexander Bublik, who lifted the Antwerp title on Sunday. Ruud is in 10th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin and, like Fritz, is in search of a late charge to return to the Nitto ATP Finals. Fritz reached the semi-finals last year at the season finale, while Ruud enjoyed a run to the championship match.

Ruud’s win against Bublik improved him to 6-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head. The Kazakhstani is the first opponent against whom he has recorded six victories (Ruud is 5-1 against Rune and 5-0 against Roberto Carballes Baena.).

In a dramatic opening set, both Ruud and Bublik fought off three break points in their final service game before the tie-break, which the Norwegian clinched on his third set point. Bublik responded by taking a 2-0 lead in set two — despite a brilliant tweener lob from his opponent to start the set — but Ruud raced through the finish by winning six straight games.