Florence and Gijon host indoor hard-court motion this week as two robust fields compete in an ATP 250 double-header from 10-16 October.
Felix Auger-Aliassime is the highest seed on the UniCredit Firenze Open because the ATP Tour returns to Florence for the primary time since 1994. Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Musetti are amongst the ones hoping to protected a house victory within the Italian town.
Andrey Rublev headlines the draw on the Gijon Open, the place Andy Murray and Dominic Thiem will even compete. Pablo Carreno Busta and Roberto Bautista Agut lead the house hopes in north-west Spain.
ATPTour.com seems to be forward at 5 issues to look at at each and every match.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN FLORENCE
1) Felix To Fire In Florence?: Auger-Aliassime will eye a robust reaction to his first-round go out in Astana remaining week as the highest seed in Florence. The Canadian has carried out smartly on indoor difficult courts in 2022, lifting his maiden ATP Tour crown in Rotterdam in February ahead of attaining the overall in Marseille per week later. A straight-sets win in opposition to Novak Djokovic on the Laver Cup in London two weeks in the past too can give the 22-year-old self assurance as he opens in opposition to Marton Fucsovics or Oscar Otte in Italy.
A excellent week in Florence may well be key for Auger-Aliassime’s hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the primary time. The Canadian is lately 8th within the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.
2) Berrettini Seeks Turin Boost: Berrettini spearheads the Italian rate because the ATP Tour returns to Florence for the primary time since 1994. Like Auger-Aliassime, the second-seeded Berrettini may give his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes a fine addition with a deep run in his place of origin. The Italian holds a 29-10 document for the season, a tally which incorporates grass-court titles in Stuttgart and on the Queen’s Club, and he’s lately fifteenth within the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.
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3) Seeded Americans: A trio of Americans playing robust seasons on Tour will hope to carry their highest point to the indoor difficult courts in Florence. Fourth seed Maxime Cressy and 8th seed Brandon Nakashima each claimed their maiden ATP Tour titles this season, in Newport and San Diego, respectively, whilst 6th seed Jenson Brooksby was once a finalist in Dallas and Atlanta.
4) Young Italians Look To Impress: Musetti leads a squad of 4 #NextGenATP Italians taking a look to make their mark in entrance in their house enthusiasts. The Hamburg champion, who has already certified for November’s Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals, is the 3rd seed in Florence. His in-form countryman Lorenzo Sonego, the champion in Metz two weeks in the past, is a possible second-round opponent.
Musetti & Rune Qualify For Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals
Francesco Passaro, Giulio Zeppieri and Francesco Maestrelli are the opposite Italian children within the Florence draw. The World No. 123 Passaro is the highest-ranked of the trio — the 21-year-old has reached 5 finals (successful one) at the ATP Challenger Tour in 2022 and is lately 9th within the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Milan.
5) Koolhof/Skupski Lead Strong Doubles FIeld: Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski are chasing their 7th identify of 2022 in Florence, the place their competitors come with Astana champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic. Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek, and Wimbledon champions Matthew Ebden/Max Purcell, who’re twelfth and thirteenth within the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, respectively, also are seeded in Italy.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN GIJON
1) Rublev Leads Field: The 11-time tour-level titlist Rublev is the highest seed because the ATP Tour visits Gijon for the primary time. The 24-year-old arrives in north-west Spain in excellent variety, having sponsored up his run to the quarter-finals on the US Open in September with a semi-final look in Astana this week.
Currently 6th within the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, Rublev will search a robust appearing in Gijon as he targets to qualify for November’s Nitto ATP Finals for the 3rd consecutive yr.
2) PCB Leads Spanish Charge: Four of the 8 seeds within the Gijon draw are house favourites. Second seed Carreno Busta will glance to recapture the shape that earned him his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Montreal in August, whilst 3rd seed Bautista Agut is chasing his 9th tour-level hard-court crown — however his first indoors.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Albert Ramos-Vinolas are the 6th and 8th seeds, respectively, whilst former World No. 12 Feliciano Lopez enters the draw as a wild card.
3) Murray Chases First Title Of Year: Despite attaining finals in Sydney and Stuttgart this season, former World No. 1 Murray continues to be in quest of his first ATP Tour identify since his 2019 triumph in Antwerp. The British wild card faces a tricky get started in Gijon, then again, the place he meets Davidovich Fokina within the first around. It would be the pair’s maiden ATP Head2Headvert assembly.
4) Thiem To Shine In Spain?: Thiem will glance to construct on contemporary indicators that he’s discovering his highest variety after returning to the Tour in April following a wrist harm. A former champion on indoor difficult courts in St. Petersburg and Vienna, Thiem has received his previous six first-round fits at ATP Tour occasions. He will search to increase that run in Gijon in opposition to the Portuguese World No. 62 Joao Sousa.
5) Doubles Teams Chase Turin Spot: Top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos can consolidate their position in 5th within the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings with a robust week in Gijon. The Spanish-Argentine pair is chasing its 3rd consecutive look on the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in November.
Also in quest of to spice up their hopes of qualifying for the season finale with a a hit travel to Spain are moment seeds Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini (lately 9th within the Race), and Tokyo finalists Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez (lately 14th within the Race).