Roman Safiullin made a confident start to his first ATP Tour event on Chinese soil Wednesday at the Chengdu Open, where the 26-year-old eased past Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 6-4.

The World No. 55 Safiullin delivered a scintillating display of clean hitting to overwhelm Nakashima in 88 minutes at the ATP 250. He struck 22 winners to his opponent’s 17 while remaining rock solid behind his serve. Safiullin did not face a break point as he improved to 23-2 against American opponents across all levels.

“I think the most important thing was to hold my serve and then just try to get some break points and try to use them.,” said Safiullin after winning his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Nakashima. “That was the main goal for the match.”

Safiullin has enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023. He reached his maiden Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon in July, a run which propelled him to a career-high No. 43 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Now 12-14 in tour-level matches for the year, his next assignment in Chengdu is a second-round clash with fourth seed Daniel Evans.

Corentin Moutet also wasted little time notching a first-round victory in Sichuan province. The Frenchman prevailed 6-2, 6-2 against home wild card Mu Tao, who was making his ATP Tour debut. Moutet will play seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic or qualifier Benjamin Lock in the second round.

There was an upset in the opening match of the day on Chengdu’s centre court. Taro Daniel downed eighth seed Aleksandar Vukic 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to improve to 6-6 against Top 50 opponents for the season. Daniel will next chase back-to-back main-draw wins at an ATP Tour event for the first time since March when he meets Christopher O’Connell or Alibek Kachmazov.

#NextGenATP Czech Dalibor Svrcina captured his second tour-level win on Wednesday when he moved past Chinese wild card Li Zhe 6-4, 6-3 at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships.

The 20-year-old, who earned his only previous tour-level victory at the Australian Open in January, limited mistakes throughout the one-hour, 31-minute clash. Svrcina committed just five unforced errors, while he struck 18 winners to reach the second round at the ATP 250.

The Czech star is 14th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah and knows a deep run in Zhuhai will further boost his chances of qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals. He will next face Australian qualifier Luke Saville or fifth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

Earlier this year, Svrcina clinched an ATP Challenger Tour trophy on home soil.

In other action, South African Lloyd Harris downed Czech Jiri Vesely 6-4, 6-2 to improve to 13-4 against left-handers at tour-level hard-court events.

The 26-year-old produced an impressive serving perfomance, firing 19 aces and winning 93 per cent (26/28) of points behind his first delivery to advance after 71 minutes.

Harris will next play another lefty in the shape of Yoshihito Nishioka. The Japanese star defeated Frenchman Terence Atmane 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 to earn his eighth first-round win of the season.

Touchdown.

The stars have arrived in Vancouver ahead of the fifth edition of the Laver Cup, where Team World will look to retain the trophy against Team Europe.

Before the serious action starts on Friday, players took time to fine-tune their games on court, while others relaxed away from Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz and Team Europe Vice Captain Thomas Enqvist swapped their racquets for golf clubs on Tuesday when they put their putting skills to the test.

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_{^{Hubert Hurkacz hits an iron.}}
Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe have starred on home soil in recent years. The 20-year-old Shelton advanced to the semi-finals at the US Open this month, while Tiafoe reached the same stage in 2022.

Ahead of the Laver Cup, both spent time with another sporting star who is making waves in North America, Elias Pettersson. The Swede plays for NHL side Vancouver Canucks.

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_{^{Ben Shelton and John McEnroe spend time with Elias Pettersson.}}
Players and captains have also been hitting the court ahead of the Laver Cup, to be held from Friday to Sunday in Canada.

Team World Captain John McEnroe showed his team that he still knows his way around a court, hitting with Milos Raonic.

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Photo Credits: Getty Images

Each match may come down to individual or doubles-tandem brilliance, but Roger Federer believes team integration remains the key for Laver Cup success.

The Swiss great helped Team Europe to victory against Team World in 2017, 2018 and 2019 before bringing his career to a close in emotional scenes at the 2022 edition of the annual team event. What advice does the former World No. 1 have for the seven Laver Cup debutants set to compete inside Vancouver’s Rogers Arena this weekend?

“I think it’s [all about] thriving in the team environment, being well prepared and embracing a big crowd,” said the Swiss great in Vancouver ahead of this weekend’s action. “It always depends on when you play, obviously, whether it’s opening day or the second day, but listen to the ones who have already been at Laver Cups before, and they can give you some sound advice.

“I’m sure they’ll be fine. They’re all excellent players here, we’re talking about world-class players.”

POV: You bump into Roger at the Rogers Arena 😎@lavercup | #lavercup pic.twitter.com/nI3QsFX3rH

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 19, 2023

Federer lined up on the doubles court alongside his great friend and rival Rafael Nadal for the final match of his career in London a year ago, when Team World denied him a victorious goodbye by snatching a 13-8 victory at the O2. The Swiss believes that part of the beauty of the Laver Cup is the opportunity it gives fans to witness top ATP Tour singles stars join forces on the doubles court.

“I always get very excited about Laver Cup doubles teams because they’re usually always teams that we haven’t seen in the past,” said Federer. “[This year for Team Europe] I’d like to maybe see [Hubert] Hurkacz and [Andrey] Rublev play together. On the World side, I think there’s tonnes of doubles teams there. Ben Shelton, I see him playing quite a few, also Frances [Tiafoe], I can see him playing some. Maybe also Taylor Fritz, I’d like to see how he plays doubles.

“I just like superstar combinations; I think that’s always very exciting.”

As the first anniversary of his retirement approaches, Federer’s passion for tennis remains. Although no longer lighting up stadiums with his on-court prowess, he is happy to sit back and enjoy watching his former ATP colleagues from the stands, as he will do this weekend in British Columbia.

“It’s good fun. I was at Wimbledon this year, also sat in the stands, and it felt great,” said Federer. “I was really happy seeing tennis. I still follow results. I can’t sit through full matches just because I’ve got too much going on or it’s a bad time zone, but I sometimes check out the highlights and being live in the stadium honestly has a different feeling.

“Tennis is a great live sport, so I’m really happy to be back here in Vancouver and seeing some live tennis again.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas has withdrawn from the Laver Cup due to injury, event organisers announced Tuesday. #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils will replace the Greek on Team Europe in Vancouver.

Fils is poised to make his Laver Cup debut, joining teammates Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Gael Monfils. Their captain is Bjorn Borg and their vice captain is Thomas Enqvist.

Alternate Arthur Fils will replace Stefanos Tsitsipas on Team Europe for Laver Cup Vancouver 2023. Tsitsipas has withdrawn due to injury. pic.twitter.com/VJ6QyeXED2

— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 19, 2023

The 19-year-old Fils has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the ATP Tour and is at his career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 44. He claimed his first tour-level crown in May in Lyon.

Fils and Team Europe will try to take back the Laver Cup trophy from Team World, which will feature Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo. John McEnroe is the captain and Patrick McEnroe the vice captain.

The Laver Cup is a unique annual team competition that sees a host of the ATP Tour’s finest players line up for either Team Europe or Team World. Among those in action this year in Vancouver will be Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the three-day event:

When is the Laver Cup?

The sixth edition of the team event will be held from 22-24 September. The indoor hard-court contest, established in 2017, will take place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The Laver Cup CEO is Steve Zacks.

Who is playing at the Laver Cup?

Ruud, Rublev, Hubert Hurkacz, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Arthur Fils and Gael Monfils will represent Team Europe, to be captained by Bjorn Borg. Fritz, Auger-Aliassime, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo will be at the disposal of Team World captain John McEnroe.

When are the matches at the Laver Cup announced?

Friday’s matches at the Laver Cup will be announced on Thursday afternoon.
Saturday’s matches at the Laver Cup will be announced an hour after play ends on Friday night.
Sunday’s matches at the Laver Cup will be announced an hour after play ends on Saturday night.

What is the schedule for the Laver Cup?

* Day 1 & Day 2: Friday, 22 September & Saturday, 23 September: four matches starting from 1 p.m.
* Day 3: Sunday, 24 September: four matches starting from 12 p.m.
*View On Official Website

What is the format of the Laver Cup?

The Laver Cup will be played over three days, from 22-24 September, across five sessions. Each match win is worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on a high-stakes Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points (out of a possible 24) wins the Laver Cup.

How can I watch the Laver Cup?

TV Schedule

How can I follow the Laver Cup?

Hashtag: #LaverCup
Facebook: Laver Cup
Twitter: @LaverCup
Instagram: @lavercup

Who won the last edition of the Laver Cup in 2022?

Team World won the 2022 Laver Cup  with a 13-8 victory against Team Europe (Read More). It was the first victory for Team World in five editions of the event. For Team Europe, ATP Tour legend Roger Federer played the final match of his professional career on the first evening, lining up on the doubles court alongside his great friend and rival Rafael Nadal (Read More).

Who holds the Laver Cup record for most wins?

Team Europe has won four editions of the Laver Cup (2017-2019, 2021). Team World has won one (2022).

View Who Is Playing & Past Champions

Ahead of the Chinese hard-court swing, Grigor Dimitrov and Miomir Kecmanovic soaked in the country’s rich martial arts culture by trying kung fu.

Dimitrov and Kecmanovic, who are in action this week at the Chengdu Open, watched demonstrations from kung fu masters depicting the various styles of the Chinese art, before learning some of the most iconic stances and testing their wrist strength in a training exercise.

“I’m a big fan of kung fu, but I don’t think I did very well today,” Dimitrov joked. “I think it’s an amazing art and I’m such a huge Jackie Chan fan, so it was nice to experience that a little and hopefully one day I will have the chance to explore more of it. Doing the standing poses was really fun.”

The cultural activity took place at Feng Qing Lake, which is located near the Sichuan International Tennis Centre, where the ATP 250 event is held. Seventh seed Kecmanovic, who is making his Chengdu debut, enjoyed the challenge.

“I never got to try kung fu before and I see now that it’s actually very difficult and not as easy as they make it look,” Kecmanovic said. “I really enjoyed my time. My favourite was when we tried replicating the poses they showed us. It was quite fun and I hope I get the chance to do more of that.”

Miomir Kecmanovic (left) and Grigor Dimitrov learn kung fu in Chengdu.” />
^{Credit: Chengdu Open}

As Sebastian Korda recuperated from a testing summer in the United States, he watched with interest as Ben Shelton led an American charge at the US Open earlier this month. The 23-year-old Korda, who makes his debut in China this week at the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships, said it was inspiring to see his countrymen performing well.

Shelton’s charge ended in the semi-finals against eventual champion Novak Djokovic, while Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz managed to reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows. The results are one thing, but Korda was also impressed with the exciting manner in which the trio played and engaged with massive crowds during a headline-capturing fortnight.

“I think it is really great for American tennis [and] hopefully tennis in general. Hopefully we [are providing good] entertainment in some way,” Korda said.

“I think Ben did a great job at the US Open. He just really showed the world what he’s capable of and what he can do in the near future. And he’s got a great game. [He is] powerful, entertaining [and he] loves to kind of interact with fans as well. I think he’s a great role model for younger kids with the way that he plays. I think it’s awesome. It definitely pushes all of us to do better. And obviously, it shows the way, that it is possible for someone like him, or of any age, to be out there performing like him.”

Korda is well-positioned to know, for he was the shooting star of American tennis at the start of the year which began in highly encouraging fashion before he was stricken by a wrist injury. After falling to Djokovic in a compelling final in Adelaide, Korda joined Shelton in the Australian Open quarter-finals but was forced to retire against Karen Khachanov, who is the top seed in Zhuhai.

The right-hander returned to the Tour in April and looked to be regaining his best touch leading into the US Open before injuring his ankle in Winston-Salem. There was also a flourish of his best form at The Queen’s Club prior to Wimbledon and despite the injury misfortune, Korda believes he is more than capable of achieving a primary goal for 2023 – to break into the Top 20 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Having peaked at No. 25 in June, Korda has slipped eight spots but he is confident in making significant inroads over the next three weeks in China. He has spent time practising with Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng in Zhuhai and said the slick hard courts at the Hengqin International Tennis Center are to his liking.

“It hasn’t been easy, for sure. But I enjoy these types of conditions playing here. It is kind of like indoor tennis, [which is] definitely one of my favourites,” he said. “My goal at the start of the year was to finish Top 20, Top 25. That’s still my goal. If I have a couple of good weeks, [I have] a good chance to do it. I have a lot of weeks ahead of me and hopefully I’ll have some good results to finish the year and prepare for next year.”

The American has only been in China for a week, but he feels at ease in Zhuhai.

“It’s actually a very, very beautiful place. [I’m] staying in a great hotel and have a great view of the whole city. It is very easy to be here. [I’m] very relaxed,” he said. “A lot of the players on the Tour said how great the crowds are here, the fans. People love tennis here… so I’m expecting a good week from the fans.”

As a diminutive player who concedes height to almost every player he meets, Japanese star Yoshihito Nishioka is a master at thinking laterally to topple the giants of the tennis tour.

The detailed plotting of the 27-year-old, who is the eighth seed for the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships beginning on Wednesday, worked wonders in the first half of the season.

The left-hander, who defends superbly and excels when through changing the tempo and trajectory of rallies, was surging to a Top 20 Pepperstone ATP Ranking breakthrough midway through the year.

“I don’t play with power, so I have to think about how to play my points, and always have to make big plans as to how to beat my opponents before I go on to the court,” he said.

“Sometimes I think my tennis is interesting to watch, because some other players don’t do it like I do. That is the reason some of the bigger players don’t like it, that they start to panic a little bit.

“But that is the way I play. I have to do things differently.”

Nishioka peaked at a ranking of 24 in June after reaching the second week of the Australian Open and French Open for the first time in what he considered a big step forward in his career.

But the rise in rankings also led to an increase in the expectations Nishioka placed on himself and, as he said in Zhuhai on Monday, resulted in his brain working overtime.

“It is always special when you do well in a Grand Slam and it was my first time in the Round of 16 at the Aussie Open and also at the French Open. It was a great feeling,” he said.

“But that was interesting, because I started to feel more pressure because I had to keep the seeding, keep the ranking. I was thinking too much. I started to feel that pressure.

“That is the reason that, after the French Open, I didn’t do so well on the Tour. That is something I have learned from this rise and I think I had to change (things) a little bit.”

The No. 1-ranked player in the Asian region hit a lean spell after Roland Garros, with his only triumph in six subsequent tournaments coming in the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000.

“I was very close to the Top 20 but when I thought too much about what it is, then (I put) a little bit too much pressure on myself, (which was) different from normal,” he said.

Nishioka said he is delighted to be back competing in Asia, where he has recorded his best results on the ATP Tour.

He claimed his maiden ATP Tour title in Shenzhen in 2018 and last year won in Seoul, defeating then-World No. 2 Casper Ruud on the way to the championship.

The Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships marks the return of tennis to China after a hiatus and Nishioka believes the swing through Asia, which includes Tokyo next month, suits him.

He faces a challenging opening round match in Zhuhai against French player Terence Atmane, who last week won an ATP Tour Challenger title in Guangzhou.

But Nishioka is feeling comfortable on the hard courts at the Hengqin International Tennis Center, which hosts the Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships beginning on Wednesday, 20 September.

“It is always good to come back for the Asian Swing and it is the first time the ATP Tour events are back in China after COVID, so I really am very excited to be able to play here,” he said.

“I won my first ATP Tour event in China and I have played well here. It is always enjoyable to play in China and to compete in Asia again.”

“If I can play much, much better, that will be great.”