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Now that the Asian swing is over, the house stretch of the 2024 tennis season is de facto upon us. European laborious courts mark the finale of every yr, and this time across the Euro swing begins in Antwerp, Stockholm, and Almaty. An entire host of prime gamers–together with loads of Nitto ATP Finals contenders–are in motion.
Listed below are my picks for the three ATP 250 occasions.
European Open
The place: Antwerp, Belgium
Prize cash: 690,135 Euros
High seed: Alex de Minaur
2023 champion: Alexander Bublik (not enjoying)
Draw evaluation: Alex De Minaur has struggled with a hip damage since Wimbledon, however he nonetheless managed to e-book a spot within the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open and he stays in Turin rivalry. The Aussie has a positive draw this week, as the opposite seed in his part is clay-court specialist Mariano Navone and the second-highest seed within the prime half is an ice-cold Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Issues are equally up for grabs on the opposite aspect of the draw. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Sebastian Baez are the 2 seeds with byes, however Tsitsipas is struggling as of late and Baez has by no means executed a lot of something on any floor aside from clay. Jiri Lehecka, Marcos Giron, Zizou Bergs, and/or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard might be capable of capitalize.
Quarterfinal picks: Alex de Minaur over Mariano Navone, Roberto Bautista Agut over Marton Fucsovics, Marcos Giron over Zizou Bergs, and Jiri Lehecka over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Semifinals: Bautista Agut over De Minaur and Lehecka over Giron
Closing: Bautista Agut over Lehecka
Nordic Open
The place: Stockholm, Sweden
Prize cash: 690,135 Euros
High seed: Andrey Rublev
2023 champion: Gael Monfils (not enjoying)
The Stockholm draw is stacked, led by Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, and Tommy Paul. The underside half is very sturdy, as Ruud and Dimitrov are joined by Matteo Berrettini, Tallon Griekspoor, and Lorenzo Sonego. Ruud might face Sonego within the second spherical and Griekspoor within the final eigth; Dimitrov might run into Berrettini as early because the quarterfinals.
Rublev will be the No. 1 seed, however he additionally has no simple highway to the title–and even to the ultimate. The Russian might go up towards Alexandre Muller in spherical two, Brandon Nakashima within the quarterfinals, and Paul within the SFs.
Quarterfinal picks: Andrey Rublev over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Tommy Paul over Cameron Norrie, Matteo Berrettini over Grigor Dimitrov, and Tallon Griekspoor over Casper Ruud
Semifinals: Paul over Rublev and Berrettini over Griekspoor
Closing: Berrettini over Paul
Almaty Open
The place: Almaty, Kazakhstan
Prize cash: $1,036,700
High seed: Frances Tiafoe
Defending champion: Adrian Mannarino
The Almaty area boasts Tiafoe, Alejandro Tabilo, Francisco Cerundolo, Karen Khachanov, and Tomas Machac. It may well’t fairly evaluate to Antwerp and Stockholm, however this can be a fairly stable attract its personal proper. Primarily based on present type, Machac in all probability needs to be thought of the favourite. The fifth-seeded Czech reached the fourth spherical of the U.S. Open and upset Carlos Alcaraz this previous week on his method to the Shanghai semis. Machac might collide with Khachanov within the QFs and Tiafoe within the SFs.
The seeded contingent is much less formidable within the backside half of the bracket, which leaves the door open for everybody. Gabriel Diallo, an on-the-rise Canadian who is de facto beginning to break by means of on the ATP degree, is amongst those that might benefit.
Quarterfinal picks: Roman Safiullin over Frances Tiafoe, Tomas Machac over Karen Khachanov, Francisco Cerundolo over Alexander Shevchenko, and Gabriel Diallo over Alejandro Tabilo
Semifinals: Machac over Safiullin and Diallo over Cerundolo
Closing: Machac over Diallo
Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and likewise maintains his personal tennis web site, The Grandstand. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @Dimonator.
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