De Minaur returns in Antwerp, Rublev Tiafoe top seeds in Almaty, Stockholm: Scouting Report
pATP Tour action continues next week with three ATP 250 events: the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/almaty/9410/overview'Almaty Open/a, the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/antwerp/7485/overview'European Open/a in Antwerp and the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/stockholm/429/overview'BNP Paribas Nordic Open/a in Stockholm. /p
pThe top seeds are a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/frances-tiafoe/td51/overview'Frances Tiafoe/a (Almaty), a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-de-minaur/dh58/overview'Alex de Minaur/a (Antwerp) and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andrey-rublev/re44/overview'Andrey Rublev/a (Stockholm). ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each tournament./p
pstrongFIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ALMATYbr /
1) Top Seed Tiafoe:/strong The American showed what he is capable of when he reached the semi-finals of the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/us-open/560/overview'US Open/a. Will he be able to bring that level to the court in Almaty, where he will try to claim his first title of the season? The three-time ATP Tour champion will begin his tournament against a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/taro-daniel/da81/overview'Taro Daniel/a or a qualifier./p
pstrong2) Tremendous Tabilo: /stronga href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alejandro-tabilo/te30/overview'Alejandro Tabilo/a has been one of the breakthrough stars of the 2024 season. The Chilean lefty began his year at No. 85 in the PIF ATP Rankings and has climbed as high as World No. 19. A champion in Auckland and Mallorca in 2024, the second seed will open his pursuit of a third trophy against a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/damir-dzumhur/d923/overview'Damir Dzumhur/a or a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/maximilian-marterer/mn13/overview'Maximilian Marterer/a./p
pstrong3) Mighty Machac: /strongQuietly, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/tomas-machac/m0fh/overview'Tomas Machac/a of Czechia has been one of the best players on the ATP Tour in the second half of the season. The a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/scores/archive/paris/96/2024/results'Paris Olympics/a mixed doubles gold medalist (with Katerina Siniakova), the 23-year-old reached the Tokyo semi-finals before upsetting a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/carlos-alcaraz/a0e2/overview'Carlos Alcaraz/a en route to the Shanghai semi-finals. Only a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jannik-sinner/s0ag/overview'Jannik Sinner/a was able to stop him. Machac, the fifth seed in Almaty, will take on Kazakhstani a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/timofey-skatov/s0gr/overview'Timofey Skatov/a./p
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pstrong4) Shevchenko Leads Kazakhstani Charge: /strongThere are three Kazakhstanis in the Almaty main draw (before the completion of qualifying). a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alexander-shevchenko/s0h2/overview'Alexander Shevchenko/a, the World No. 58, leads the way. Skatov and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/beibit-zhukayev/z09z/overview'Beibit Zhukayev/a received wild cards./p
pstrong5) Lammons/Withrow Pushing For Turin Spot: /strongFor the second consecutive year, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nathaniel-lammons/li37/overview'Nathaniel Lammons/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jackson-withrow/w686/overview'Jackson Withrow/a are making a push to qualify for the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/nitto-atp-finals/605/overview'Nitto ATP Finals/a. The Americans are ninth in the PIF ATP Doubles Teams Rankings and will try to improve their standing as the top seeds in Kazakhstan./p
pstrongFIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN ANTWERPbr /
1) De Minaur Returns: /strongThe top seed at the Belgian ATP 250 is De Minaur, who will compete for the first time since reaching the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/us-open/560/overview'US Open/a quarter-finals due to injury. The Australian is ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, and will make his return against a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/roberto-carballes-baena/cf59/overview'Roberto Carballes Baena/a or a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/dominik-koepfer/ke73/overview'Dominik Koepfer/a./p
pstrong2) Tsitsipas Second Seed: /strongOne year ago, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/stefanos-tsitsipas/te51/overview'Stefanos Tsitsipas/a won the doubles title in Antwerp with brother a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/petros-tsitsipas/tg77/overview'Petros Tsitsipas/a. The Greeks are defending their crown and Stefanos is the second seed in singles. This yearrsquo;s Monte-Carlo champion will attempt to add a hard-court title to his 2024 collection. He will need to be sharp from the first ball against a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/giovanni-mpetshi-perricard/m0gz/overview'Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard/a or a qualifier./p
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pstrong3) Belgians At Home: /strongWill there be a home champion in singles or doubles for the first time in Antwerp? a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/zizou-bergs/bu13/overview'Zizou Bergs/a, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alexander-blockx/b0pg/overview'Alexander Blockx/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/raphael-collignon/c0jp/overview'Raphael Collignon/a represent Belgium and will have the support of their local fans. In doubles, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/sander-gille/gd32/overview'Sander Gille/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/joran-vliegen/v895/overview'Joran Vliegen/a will try to collect hardware./p
pstrong4) Retiring Gasquet: /strongThis week a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/richard-gasquet/g628/overview'Richard Gasquet/a announced through an interview with Lrsquo;Equipe that 2025 a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/roland-garros/520/overview'Roland Garros/a will be the final tournament of his illustrious career. The 2016 Antwerp champion received a wild card into the event and will search for vintage form against sixth seed a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/tomas-martin-etcheverry/ea24/overview'Tomas Martin Etcheverry/a in the first round./p
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pstrong5) Krawietz/Puetz Top Doubles Seeds: /stronga href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/kevin-krawietz/kb92/overview'Kevin Krawietz/a captured glory at the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/antwerp/7485/overview'European Open/a in 2019 witha href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andres/a132/overview' Andres/a Mies. This edition, he will pursue the trophy with another countryman, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/tim-puetz/pc68/overview'Tim Puetz/a, with whom he is sixth in the PIF ATP Doubles Teams Rankings. The second seeds are 2023 a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/nitto-atp-finals/605/overview'Nitto ATP Finals/a competitors a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/santiago-gonzalez/g551/overview'Santiago Gonzalez/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/edouard-roger-vasselin/r613/overview'Edouard Roger-Vasselin/a./p
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pstrongFIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN STOCKHOLMbr /
/strongstrong1) Rublev On The Bubble: /strongTop seed a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andrey-rublev/re44/overview'Andrey Rublev/a is in a tight battle in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The 26-year-old, who is trying to qualify for the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/nitto-atp-finals/605/overview'Nitto ATP Finals/a for the fifth consecutive year, is eighth in the Live Race. He can help secure his standing with a deep run in Stockholm, where he will play a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/leo-borg/b0jg/overview'Leo Borg/a or a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alexandre-muller/mp20/overview'Alexandre Muller/a in his opening match./p
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pstrong2) High Live Race Consequences: /strongRublev is not the only player competing in Stockholm who is jockeying for Live Race position. a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/casper-ruud/rh16/overview'Casper Ruud/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/tommy-paul/pl56/overview'Tommy Paul/a are in seventh and 11th, respectively. Ruud will open against a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/lorenzo-sonego/su87/overview'Lorenzo Sonego/a or a qualifier, while 2021 champion a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/tommy-paul/pl56/overview'Tommy Paul/a will try to move past a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/pedro-martinez/mo44/overview'Pedro Martinez/a or a qualifier./p
pstrong3) Borg, Wawrinka amp; Ymer Wild Cards:/strong This yearrsquo;s Stockholm main draw singles wild cards went to Swede a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/leo-borg/b0jg/overview'Leo Borg/a, the son of a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/bjorn-borg/b058/overview'Bjorn Borg/a, former World No. 3 a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/stan-wawrinka/w367/overview'Stan Wawrinka/a and home favourite a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/elias-ymer/y218/overview'Elias Ymer/a. Wawrinka debuted in Stockholm in 2010, when he advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/roger-federer/f324/overview'Roger Federer/a in three sets./p
pstrong4) Former Champion Dimitrov: /stronga href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/grigor-dimitrov/d875/overview'Grigor Dimitrov/a, the 2017 a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/nitto-atp-finals/605/overview'Nitto ATP Finals/a champion, is 10th in the Live Race, 645 points behind eighth-placed Rublev. The Bulgarian will hope that his fond memories of Stockholm, where he won his first ATP Tour title in 2013, help him narrow the deficit. Dimitrov will begin his event against a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/quentin-halys/hb64/overview'Quentin Halys/a or a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/sumit-nagal/n897/overview'Sumit Nagal/a./p
pstrong5) Heliovaara/Patten Lead Doubles Field: /strongThis yearrsquo;s a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/wimbledon/540/overview'Wimbledon/a doubles champions, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/harri-heliovaara/h808/overview'Harri Heliovaara/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/henry-patten/p0g6/overview'Henry Patten/a, are the top seeds in Stockholm. Having also triumphed together in Marrakech and Lyon, they will try to earn their fourth title of the season. The second seeds are a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/hugo-nys/n670/overview'Hugo Nys/a and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jan-zielinski/z423/overview'Jan Zielinski/a./p
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