Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Payback was sweet for Cameron Norrie on Wednesday at the Moselle Open.

The Briton overcame #NextGenATP home favourite Luca Van Assche 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to book his quarter-final spot at the indoor hard-court ATP 250. Seeking to avenge a three-set loss to Van Assche on the ATP Challenger Tour last month, Norrie delivered an emphatic third-set display to seal a one-hour, 52-minute victory in Metz.

“Luca and I played a couple of weeks ago in Roanne in a Challenger and he got me last time, so it was nice to face him again and have the chance to get revenge,” said Norrie. “I have a lot of respect for him. He’s so tough to play and I had to really serve well and come up with some really good stuff, especially in the third set, to get a break. Then I managed to hold my nerve and serve it out, but a lot of credit to Luca to come out and compete the way he did.”

Lightning fast reactions ⚡️⚡️@cam_norrie pulls through a tight encounter against Van Assche 6-3 3-6 6-1 to make the final 8 in Metz!@MoselleOpen | #MoselleOpen pic.twitter.com/hmfFQ7gE6v

Norrie converted three of six break points he earned against Van Assche, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The former No. 8 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who is this week competing as the World No. 57 after an injury-disrupted 2024, will next take on Zizou Bergs, who eased past Hugo Gaston 6-4, 7-5.

Fans will be able to watch live as the elite eight players at the Nitto ATP Finals are placed into their four-man groups in Turin on Thursday. A live stream of the draw will be available on nittoatpfinals.com at approximately 12:45 p.m. CET/6:45 a.m. ET.

Top seed Jannik Sinner heads the Ilie Nastase group and could find himself matching up with archrival Carlos Alcaraz, who comes into the tournament as World No. 3. New World No. 2 and two-time tournament champion Alexander Zverev heads the John Newcombe group, where he could face 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev.

Alcaraz and Medvedev will be randomly drawn into either the Nastase or Newcombe groups. World No. 6 Taylor Fritz and No. 7 Casper Ruud will also find themselves in opposing groups, as will No. 8 Alex de Minaur and No. 9 Andrey Rublev. (World No. 6 Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the event due to injury.)

The doubles field will be split into the Mike Bryan Group and the Bob Bryan Group.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Denis Shapovalov is rounding off his comeback season in style with an impressive run at the Belgrade Open.

The 25-year-old produced a near-flawless performance on Wednesday to defeat fifth seed Nuno Borges 6-2, 6-4 and advance to his 40th tour-level quarter-final. Shapovalov, who came through qualifying, was clinical on serve throughout the match, during which he won 91 per cent (31/34) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“It was a fast-paced match today, I started really well out the gates,” said Shapovalov, who broke Borges’ serve in the opening game. “I kept the momentum going. I’ve been playing well all week, so I am very happy with another win.

“It’s one of the best wins of the season for me, so I’ll enjoy it a little bit and then I’ll start thinking about the quarter-finals.”

SUPER DENIS ?@denis_shapo is into his 4⃣0⃣th tour-level QF ?#BelgradeOpen pic.twitter.com/sgXP1d9Rl7

Preparations for the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals are in full swing. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner took to the Inalpi Arena’s centre court for a practice session with second-time qualifier Taylor Fritz on Wednesday.

The pair, who went head to head in this year’s US Open final, were the first to hit on the court as anticipation builds around the fourth edition of the season finale in Turin. 

Sinner fell short to Novak Djokovic in last year’s championship-match clash in Turin, but will be eager to go one further this time around. The Italian clinched his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January, and did not look back in an emphatic year. 

Fritz made the semi-finals on his debut appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2022. Now, after another stellar season, during which he reached his maiden major final, the American is back on the hunt in Turin.

Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev, who qualified on Tuesday, also took to the practice courts ahead of their Nitto ATP Finals campaigns. De Minaur hit with Juan Carlos Prado Angelo, while Rublev shared the court with Andres Martin.

Alex Michelsen had little time for sentiment on Tuesday at the Moselle Open.

The #NextGenATP star rallied from the brink of defeat to secure a thrilling comeback victory over Richard Gasquet, ending the Frenchman’s fairytale final run in Metz. Michelsen saved two match points in the deciding-set tie-break before sealing a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 7-6(8) triumph.

“I wasn’t really thinking, I was just playing,” said Michelsen, who is second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. “I felt super calm in the pressure moments and I think that was why I came through. I was down two match points and I found two winners.”

In an absorbing battle, it was Michelsen who held his nerve, striking 65 winners en route to his seventh quarter-final of 2024. The 20-year-old will next face either Buyunchaokete or qualifier Jesper de Jong for a place in the last four.

“He’s been doing it for 20 years and he is still that good,” Michelsen added of Gasquet, who is retiring at the conclusion of Roland Garros 2025. “He's an incredible player. I knew it was going to be a tough battle. All the credit to him for competing as hard as he could.”

Jiri Lehecka delivered a statement performance against Marin Cilic on Tuesday at the Belgrade Open to serve up some Czech history.

The fourth seed powered to a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory, becoming the first Czech player to reach seven ATP Tour quarter-finals in one season since Tomas Berdych in 2017. With the one-hour, 43-minute win, Lehecka extended his perfect record against opponents outside the Top 100 in the PIF ATP Rankings to 8-0.

“He didn’t forget how to play,” Lehecka said of Cilic, the former World No. 3. “We saw that today, it was a good test for me. It’s always a good win against a very experienced player, a Grand Slam champion, so I’m very happy.”

Lehecka was ruthless on serve throughout the match, during which he won 89 per cent (33/37) points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats. In the last eight, the 22-year-old will face qualifier Lukas Klein, who earlier upset seventh seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4, 7-6(8).

Elsewhere, Hamad Medjedovic continued his return to form with a hard-fought win over Aleksandar Kovacevic to advance to his third tour-level quarter-final. The wild card did not face a single break point, en route to a 7-6(5), 6-4 triumph.

It is summertime in Italy, and on this Sunday afternoon members at the Harbor Club Milano are divided on which tennis matches to watch. The one on the big screen features Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori playing in the Terra Wortmann Open final. Or walk outside the clubhouse, and watch the qualifying matches of the ATP Challenger event.

These are the glory days for Italian tennis. On any given Sunday, you will likely see an Italian player in the hunt for a trophy on the ATP Tour and Challenger Tour.“[Jannik] Sinner is the most popular sportsman in Italy,” says Massimo Giomba, a veteran journalist for Italy’s tennis news website Ubitennis. “All companies want to have his face to make advertising. And many people are interested about tennis now. It even happens on the metro you can hear normal people discussing the chances of Sinner or [Lorenzo] Musetti to win the tournament or to climb the rankings.”

Lorenzo Musetti in action at the 2024 Sardegna Open. (Photo Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour)

Italians are not only climbing the PIF ATP Rankings, they are absolutely stacking it. With Sinner currently crowned the best player in the world, and Musetti on the rise at No. 17, Italy’s supply chain of players is well-balanced and flourishing. Like the national high-speed train, La Frecciarosa, Italy has steamrolled perennial powerhouse Spain off the tracks with the most players in the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings by a non-grand slam nation.

“As I always said, we are lucky because we have junior tournaments, we have Future events, and then we have a lot of Challenger events in Italy,” says Jannik Sinner, who this year became the first Italian man to rise to World No. 1. “Which potentially could give a chance for the young players, having some wild cards, trying to understand what the level is until a certain point and talking about ranking-wise. Then after we have also big events. In Turin, we have the [Nitto] ATP Finals.”

With Novak Djokovic unable to compete due to injury, the field for the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals is now set. Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur and Andrey Rublev have claimed the final three singles positions at the season finale, which will be played at the Inalpi Arena in Turin from 10-17 November.

The stars will join Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz in the field.

Ruud returns to the year-end championships two years after claiming one of the best results of his career at the tournament. The Norwegian reached the title decider at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals and will make his third overall appearance in the prestigious event.

De Minaur is set to debut at the Nitto ATP Finals and become the first Australian singles player to compete in the season finale since former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings Lleyton Hewitt made the final in 2004.

Rublev will make his fifth consecutive appearance in the season finale. After participating in the event’s final year in London, he has qualified for all four editions held in Turin.

Novak Djokovic has announced that he will not play the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held 10-17 November in Turin, Italy.

Djokovic is a seven-time champion at the season finale, but cited injury as the reason for his announcement.

"I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won't be playing next week," Djokovic wrote in an Instagram Story. "Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!"

Djokovic has a 37-9 match record on the year, highlighted by his victory at the Paris Olympics, where he completed the career Golden Slam by winning his 99th tour-level title.

Djokovic, 37, won last year's title in Turin by defeating Jannik Sinner in the final. He first triumphed at the season finale in 2008, when the tournament was known as the Tennis Masters Cup.

Novak Djokovic has announced that he will not play the Nitto ATP Finals, which will be held 10-17 November in Turin, Italy.

Djokovic is a seven-time champion at the season finale, but cited injury as the reason for his announcement.

"I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won't be playing next week," Djokovic wrote in an Instagram Story. "Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!"

Djokovic has a 37-9 match record on the year, highlighted by his victory at the Paris Olympics, where he completed the career Golden Slam by winning his 99th tour-level title.

Djokovic, 37, won last year's title in Turin by defeating Jannik Sinner in the final. He first triumphed at the season finale in 2008, when the tournament was known as the Tennis Masters Cup.

It felt as if it was a full-circle moment for Richard Gasquet on Monday at the Moselle Open.

The 38-year-old, who made the first of his 33 ATP Tour finals in Metz, secured a thrilling opening-round comeback against Thiago Monteiro to stay alive in his final campaign at the tournament. Gasquet saved a match point to prevail 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(6) and record his first tour-level win since May.

“It’s important for me to play here, it’s the last time I’m playing in Metz, so I want to do well,” said Gasquet, who is retiring at the conclusion of Roland Garros 2025. “It’s a big honour for me [to receive a wild card].

“I am really happy with the way I played, the way I felt, so it’s a big win for me. Everything started here [in Metz]. It’s where I reached my first ATP Tour final. I have great memories playing here, so I am really happy with the way I played today.”

Resilience personified ?@richardgasquet1 completes a miraculous comeback, saving a MP, moving past Monteiro in a three-set thriller 4-6 6-4 7-6(6)! @MoselleOpen | #MoselleOpen pic.twitter.com/tMVDRarI7l

Marin Cilic returned to winning ways on the ATP Tour on Monday with an opening-round triumph at the Belgrade Open.

The 36-year-old saved each of the two break points he faced in a clinical second set, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a 7-6(2), 6-3 victory over Alexandre Muller. It was Cilic's first tour-level win of 2024, outside of his run to the title in Hangzhou in September. 

“I felt good, but when you haven’t played for a while it’s [important] to find that intensity,” said Cilic, the former No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I needed to find that balance today, and it took me a while to get used to the conditions and the balls.

“After 30 minutes, I started to feel great on the court, hitting, moving, serving. From there until the end of the match was fantastic, I felt really nice on the court.”

After powering past Muller, the World No. 68, and snapping his four-match losing streak, Cilic will face fourth seed Jiri Lehecka in the second round.

With the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin reaching its final week, the battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals will be finalised in Belgrade and Metz. Sixth-placed Novak Djokovic (3,910 points), seventh-placed Casper Ruud (3,855), eighth-placed Alex de Minaur (3,745) and ninth-placed Andrey Rublev (3,720) are battling for two spots.

Following the Rolex Paris Masters and ahead of the final week of the regular season, ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 4 November. 

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Casper Ruud – Seventh (3,855 points)
The Norwegian arrives in Metz with his Turin fate in his own hands. Ruud, who lost in his opening match in Paris, will qualify for the prestigious year-end event if he reaches the semi-finals at the ATP 250. Ruud is chasing his third appearance in Turin, having advanced to the final in 2022.

Alex de Minaur – Eighth (3,745 points)
The Aussie is in the final qualification spot after climbing one place following his run to the quarter-finals in Paris. De Minaur, who is hoping to make his debut in Turin, will qualify for the year-end event if he wins the title in Belgrade or matches Rublev’s result in Metz.

Croatia and Argentina have qualified for the United Cup in 2025 and round out the top 18 countries set to compete across Perth and Sydney from 27 December to 5 January.

Croatia will be led by Paris Olympic Games singles silver medallist and Wimbledon semifinalist Donna Vekic and former world No.12 Borna Coric for the third consecutive year.

Seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion Ivan Dodig will also star as part of the Croatian side.

“It’s honestly my favourite tournament of the year,” Vekic said.

“We have great energy in the team.  Borna has been my friend for more than 20 years. It feels like a little family. We are not a team, we are a family.

Hamad Medjedovic found a fitting way to register his first tour-level hard-court win of 2024 on Sunday at the Belgrade Open.

With countryman Novak Djokovic watching from the stands, the Serbian wild card edged past sixth seed Brandon Nakashima 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the second round. Medjedovic had his work cut out against the No. 35 in the PIF ATP Rankings, but he stood firm to record a two-hour triumph.

“It was a tough match, he was a better player in the first, and in the second I was trying to keep my nerves and find my game,” said Medjedovic, who improved to 8-6 over Top 50 opponents. “Slowly, step by step, I found my game and I was back on track.”

In a battle of the two previous Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF champions, Medjedovic shook off a sluggish start to dial in on serve in the second, during which he won 86 per cent (19/22) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Nakashima carved out two break opportunities in the third game of the decider, but Medjedovic held his nerve to seal victory. The World No. 158 will next face qualifier Branko Djuric or Aleksander Kovacevic in the second round.

An action-packed October on the ATP Tour saw Jannik Sinner continue his standout season by clinching his third ATP Masters 1000 trophy of 2024 in Shanghai. On European indoor hard courts, Jack Draper and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard achieved their most significant titles to date by triumphing in Vienna and Basel, respectively, before Alexander Zverev notched his second Masters 1000 success of the season in Paris.

ATPTour.com reflects on the champions of October.

Rolex Shanghai Masters, Shanghai – Jannik Sinner
After becoming the first Italian to win the US Open in September, Sinner carved more history in October. The 23-year-old downed Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in the Rolex Shanghai Masters final to become the youngest champion in tournament history. By denying Djokovic a 100th tour-level title, the World No. 1 Sinner clinched his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024 and levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 4-4.

Sinner's final triumph in China was his personal-best 65th win of the season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss index. Throughout the tournament, Sinner demonstrated solid form and dropped his only set against Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round. Following his semi-final win against Tomas Machac, the 23-year-old clinched ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, becoming the first Italian to achieve the feat.

Rolex Paris Masters, Paris – Alexander Zverev
Zverev joined Sinner in claiming a late-season Masters 1000 crown with a similarly dominant run at the Rolex Paris Masters. The German dropped one set all week at Paris-Bercy, where he raced past home favourite Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-2 in the championship match.

Alex Michelsen wasted little time in getting his debut campaign at the Moselle Open underway on Sunday.

The eighth seed at the indoor ATP 250 in Metz produced a clinical performance to breeze past French wild card Harold Mayot in 76 minutes. Michelsen saved all nine of the break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a 6-3, 6-1 triumph.

“I think my backhand was the determining factor,” Michelsen said, when asked about the key to his victory. “I feel like I was just painting the lines with my backhand today, and that doesn’t always happen, but when it does it feels pretty good. My forehand return felt unbelievable as well, so that’s always a plus.”

Michelsen, who is second in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, is seeded at an ATP Tour event this week for the fourth time in his career, having reached two finals as a seeded player in 2024 (Newport, Winston-Salem).

Metz-native Mayot applied pressure in the early stages but was unable to convert any of the eight break points he carved out in the third game. From there, Michelsen dialled in to race across the line and improve to 29-28 at tour-level in 2024.