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Casper Ruud bounced back from his Bastad final defeat on Wednesday when he overcame Argentine Sebastian Baez 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 to reach the second round at the Hamburg European Open.

The Norwegian, who is making his fourth appearance at the ATP 500 clay-court event, won 46 per cent (33/71) of points on Baez’s first-serve to earn his 21st tour-level clay-court win of the season after one hour and 58 minutes.

"It was really tough," Ruud said. "Sebastian is a great fighter. He has taken big steps in the past year, so it was always going to be a tough challenge. It takes a little time to adjust to new conditions. Today we had to play indoors under the roof, so it makes a difference on clay. It makes it a lot more humid and the balls are heavier, it took a while to adjust.

"I started well but the second set was not great, but I fought hard in the last and I am happy to be through."

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Andrey Rublev came back from the brink on Wednesday at the Hamburg European Open, where he saved three match points to claw past Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles 5-7, 6-1, 7-6(7).

The second seed recovered from a slow start at the ATP 500 clay-court event, finding his best level deep in the third set to fend off Zapata Miralles, who was chasing his first Top 10 win of the season. Rublev rallied from 4/6 in the third-set tie-break and saved his third match point at 6/7 with a blistering forehand winner. The 25-year-old raised his arms aloft after winning the two-hour, 53-minute first-round thriller.

"The feeling was that I was playing well and it was under control, but somehow I lost the first set and was frustrated," Rublev said. "I came back and recovered mentally and won a really good second set. The third set was tough. I started to get tired and nervous, because the score is going to the tie-break and I didn't have many chances to break him.

"The feeling was that he deserved to win. He was fighting like crazy from tough scores. When I went 0/3, I started to stress a lot. But then I played two amazing rallies and told myself to keep fighting, keep fighting... It is amazing I was able to win."

The World No. 7 has now won five consecutive matches after clinching his second tour-level title of the season at the ATP 250 in Bastad last week. He will aim to continue his run when he meets Yannick Hanfmann or Zhang Zhizhen in the second round.

There is nothing like returning home after a long trip.

Just ask Christopher Eubanks, who raced through his opening-round match Tuesday at the Atlanta Open. Playing his first match since his dream Wimbledon quarter-final run, Eubanks wasted no time to defeat Andres Martin 6-2, 6-4.

In a match of two Atlanta natives, Eubanks produced firepower and clean hitting from the baseline to dispatch the wild card after one hour, seven minutes. In the opening set, Eubanks did not a drop a point behind his hefty serve (16/16) and as the match wore on, the fifth seed continued to thrill the home crowd by striking one-handed backhand winners with ease.

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"I knew it was going to be a fun atmosphere," Eubanks said in his on-court interview. "I knew college night, even the years that I played it and last year Andres had the privilege of playing on college night, Georgia Tech fans really come out and they show a lot of support.

Kei Nishikori just couldn’t catch a break.

After sitting out the 2022 season following hip surgery, the Japanese star was in Bradenton, Florida working hard at the end of the year to be ready for a return at the start of 2023. That’s when a seemingly minor ankle sprain spiralled into something much more serious.

“After eight or nine months of rehab after the hip surgery I was almost ready to come back when I sprained my ankle,” Nishikori told ATPTour.com Tuesday at the Atlanta Open. “It turned out to be complicated and much worse than what I first saw. That set me back another four or five months.

“Once or twice I almost thought [about retiring]. It was mentally shocking to be so close and then to have a second injury. I wasn’t sure if I could come back from that. So that was the toughest time.”

Little wonder then that Nishikori’s first tour-level win (over Jordan Thompson Tuesday in the first round of the Atlanta Open) since Indian Wells in October 2021 was an emotional experience.

Italian Matteo Arnaldi earned victory on debut at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag on Tuesday when he overcame Dutch qualifier Jesper De Dong 6-3, 6-2 to reach the second round.

The 22-year-old, who competed at the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2022, won 77 per cent (20/26) of his first-serve points and broke De Dong four times to triumph one hour and 33 minutes at the clay-court ATP 250.

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The seventh seed Arnaldi has now earned seven tour-level wins this year, with his best result a run to the third round in Madrid. He will next play countryman Flavio Cobolli.

In other action, Hungarian Zsombor Piros beat Australian Christopher O’Connell 6-3, 6-4. The World No. 124 has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year.

As one of the fiercest competitors on the ATP Tour, inconsistency isn’t something you typically associate with Alex de Minaur.

But as the ATP Tour season moves into the third quarter and he takes stock of his 2023 performance, the Australian speedster is focussed on weeding out some of the disappointing early-round losses, particularly on the big stages, which have prevented him turning a good season into a great one.

At World No. 17, he’s just two spots away from his career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking. His 22-14 record on the year is solid. He claimed the biggest title of his career in February at the ATP 500 in Acapulco and was competitive in a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the Queen’s final shortly before the Spaniard went on to win Wimbledon.

But after a run to the Australian Open fourth round (l. to Djokovic) in January, De Minaur has endured a 4-7 record at the Grand Slam and ATP Masters 1000 levels.

“It’s been quite an up and down season. I've had some very good results and some not so good ones, which I would like to erase,” De Minaur told ATPTour.com in Atlanta. “But still right now I stand at a pretty good spot with the second part of the year to go and I’m looking forward to hopefully being able to make good use of where I am and have some good results and keep pushing higher and higher and hopefully get to a new career high.”

Kei Nishikori made a successful comeback to ATP Tour action on Tuesday with a tight straight-sets win at the Atlanta Open.

The former World No. 4 won his first tour-level match since October 2021 when he defeated Australian Jordan Thompson 7-6(5), 7-6(5) to reach the second round. He will next play sixth seed Ben Shelton or qualifier Shang Juncheng.

“Not [an] easy first round against Jordan. He's very steady from the baseline. He doesn't miss much and I have to be aggressive all the time,” Nishikori said in his on-court interview. “But I'm quite happy the way I played today. There were some moments that I should have stepped up a little more. But with these tough condition I'm happy to win in two sets.”

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The 33-year-old returned on the ATP Challenger Tour last month and immediately won a title in Puerto Rico. In the first tour-level match of his comeback, Nishikori moved well in sweltering Atlanta conditions and saved all four break points he faced to claw through a gruelling baseline duel after two hours and 25 minutes.

Much has changed for Christopher Eubanks since he played his hometown event 12 months ago.

This time last year the former Georgia Tech standout attracted little attention as he raced from the Indianapolis Challenger to take his place in the qualifying draw, where he lost in the first round to Briton Jack Draper in a tight three setter.

Fast forward to 2023 and Eubanks returns to the Atlanta Open as the headline act after his fairytale run to the Wimbledon quarter-finals that moved him more than 100 places higher to No. 32 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“I remember that match against Jack because I got in the really, really late from Indianapolis and the whole day was just kind of a blur,” Eubanks said.

Far from the anonymity of the qualifying rounds, Eubanks on Tuesday leads off a marquee night session that also features countryman Ben Shelton, who made his pro debut at Atlantic Station last year. Eubanks will face 22-year-old American Andres Martin. (Interestingly, the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets followed through on an earlier plan to practise together at the weekend before the draw was made.)

Wu Yibing’s rapid rise has been one of the notable stories on the ATP Tour in the past year. In a span of 13 months, the Chinese star climbed from No. 1,738 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to a career-high No. 54 in April.

The 23-year-old’s journey has been filled with hard work and memorable moments. Wu revealed in ATP Uncovered one fun story involving his discovery of a new cheat meal.

“When I first came back from Covid, I broke my ankle and then my first tournament I came back, I’m playing [an ITF World Tennis Tour event] in the States,” Wu said. “On the way to the tournament, me and my coach saw this burger place, Five Guys, it’s very popular in the States. Me and my coach said, ‘Let’s eat this if you win the tournament!’ I actually won it, so we celebrated with Five Guys. I got a hot dog and a burger.”

Wu also reflected on his childhood and explained why tennis won out over another sport.

Away from tennis, Wu likes to stay loose. Watch the full video above to find out what his dream day off would entail, which English Premier League club he supports and the basketball player he considers his idol.

Reigning champion Lorenzo Musetti made a winning start to his title defence at the Hamburg European Open on Tuesday when he cruised past Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-1.

Competing under the roof at the ATP 500 clay-court event, Musetti combined guile with power to outfox Ymer. The 21-year-old Italian won 76 per cent (23/34) of his first-serve points and broke Ymer’s serve five times to triumph after one hour and 16 minutes.

"It took a little bit to get the momentum going. It was not easy because the opponent was playing well, pretty aggressive from the beginning," Musetti said. "In the end I think I found the right balance, the right rhythm. I have good memories from last year and I am really feeling good here."

Musetti is chasing his third tour-level trophy and first of the season, having also won in Naples in October 2022. The third seed, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the title match in Germany last year, will face Jozef Kovalik in the second round after the Slovakian defeated Thiago Seyboth Wild 7-6(6), 6-4.

Musetti now holds a 15-10 record on clay this season. The World No. 18's deepest runs this year were semi-final appearances at the ATP 500 event in Barcelona in April and at the ATP 250 in Bastad last week.

Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis recovered from a first-set blowout and a dire position in the final-set tie-break to stun Frenchman Gael Monfils to reach the second round of the Atlanta Open Monday night.

After a series of loose forehand errors in the deciding-set tie-break, the World No. 86 gathered his composure after a warning for racquet abuse and rallied from 0/4 and 3/5 to close out a 6-1- 3-6, 7-6(5) victory on his first match point.

"At 0/4 I thought it was pretty much over... From there it's one point at a time," Kokkinakis said. "In a tie-break you can go down quickly and can come back quickly. I got a point on his serve and then two on mine and all of a sudden he's feeling the pressure.

“It was pretty stressful, especially in the first set, which wasn’t much fun He posed a lot of challenges and he is one of the quickest players on tour. I can’t get a ball by him most of the time."

Monfils was playing his first match since withdrawing from his second-round match with Holger Rune at Roland Garros due to a left wrist tear.

On Sunday, Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud battled for the Bastad trophy. One day later, they stood next to each other in Hamburg with big smiles on their faces and, perhaps most importantly of all, a dog.

So is the way of the Tour that in a day, players can turn from opponents to friends, ready to tackle a new tournament. Rublev, Ruud and the latter’s Shih Tzu, Bajas, are now focussed on the Hamburg European Open, an ATP 500.

“It was really great week,” Rublev told ATP Media of his effort in Bastad. “When I saw the draw, I was thinking no way. First of all, no way, what a tough draw. Second, no way, what a tough draw and this is only [an ATP] 250?

“And then the third was like no way, most likely I'm not going to win the title. And then now looking back, [knowing] that I was thinking this and now to know that I won the title, is a really great feeling.”

Watch Bastad Final Highlights:

Things are happening fast for California teen Alex Michelsen.

Three weeks ago, he was No. 250 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. Two weeks ago, he won the Chicago Challenger, taking out former World No. 4 Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals. Last week, he advanced to the Newport final in his second ATP Tour event, a run that saw the 18-year-old surge to World No. 140.

And he’s not about to stop there.

“If you told me two weeks ago that I would move from 250 to 140 I don’t think I would have thought it could happen,” Michelsen told ATPTour.com Monday at the Atlanta Open, where he has a special exempt entry into the main draw. “I would have been pretty happy, but it comes down to all the hard work I’ve been doing. That’s why it’s happening.”

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John Isner has been a towering presence at the Atlanta Open during his career, both literally and figuratively.

The 38-year-old has played in all 12 editions of the event, capturing six titles from nine finals. Now deep into his storied career, the former University of Georgia Bulldog has returned to Atlantic Station, possibly for the last time, hoping to write another chapter in his love story with the ATP 250.

“When I first turned pro, the tournament wasn’t even on the calendar, but when it was announced I always thought that it was going to be a great opportunity for me and a tournament that I would never miss,” Isner told ATPTour.com Monday.

“And I was spot on. I've done amazing here and I've never missed the tournament. I think they've had 12 editions and I've made the finals nine times, winning six titles. I can’t really ask for much more success than that. The tournament has been a big springboard to success for me during my favourite time of the year.

“I’m definitely very proud of what I have achieved at the tournament. I get that it's not Wimbledon or the French Open, but not many people can say they've won the same tournament six times. The field has always been loaded with very, very good players.

Will players from France combine to break Argentina’s ATP Challenger Tour record from last year?

Argentines combined for 23 Challenger titles in 2022, marking the most titles by a single country in a season. The Frenchmen were just one short of tying the record. This year, players from France are on track to make history in a league of their own.

On Sunday, Hugo Gaston and Hugo Grenier claimed their second Challenger titles of the season to extend France’s lead to 17 Challenger crowns this year, with Argentina in second at 12.

Gaston, 22, survived a marathon week at the Citta di Trieste Challenger in Italy, where he needed a deciding set in four of five matches to seal back-to-back Challenger titles. In the final, the fourth seed defeated sixth seed Italian Francesco Passaro 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to extend his winning streak to 10 after triumphing in Iasi, Romania last week.

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Alafia Ayeni may not be a household name on the ATP Tour, but that is not stopping him from making an impact by giving back to the sport.

The 23-year-old, who is competing at this week’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Astana, Kazakhstan, started his own brand Team 3x, designed to inspire and empower minorities in sports to overcome structural barriers and social stigmas. The former University of Kentucky star Ayeni launched Team 3x in 2022.

“Growing up, I think one of the biggest barriers to entry for this sport is the financial aspect of it, buying equipment, buying shoes, strings, those are all very high costs,” Ayeni told ATPTour.com recently at the NCAA championships in Lake Nona, Florida. “And for someone, even a middle class family, it's very difficult to make it because of those things.”

Originally from San Diego, California, Ayeni played four seasons at Cornell University before transferring to the University of Kentucky, where he went 18-9 in dual-season singles and earned ITA All-American honours this year. Thanks to the ATP/ITA Accelerator Programme, Ayeni’s hard work is rewarded with up to eight qualifying spots at select ATP Challenger Tour events in the next year.

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Eight years ago, a 21-year-old Dominic Thiem claimed his second ATP Tour title in Umag. On Monday, the Austrian won his first match at the Croatian ATP 250 event since that victory.

Thiem battled past Argentine qualifier Facundo Bagnis 6-4, 7-5 to reach the second round of the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.

“I knew that it was going to be hard work against him. He’s a great player, especially on the clay court,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “He had two victories here already in the qualies, which is never easy. It was his third day in a row, so he knows the conditions, he knows how to play at night, how the balls are bouncing. So it was a lot of hard work today, but now I’m super happy that I won that match.”

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The former World No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings saved all six break points he faced — including two on set points at 4-5 in the second set — against the lefty to advance after two hours and three minutes. Thiem will try to reach his first tour-level quarter-final since April when he faces top seed Jiri Lehecka.

Marcelo Melo celebrated a milestone in style on Monday when he partnered John Peers into the second round of the Atlanta Open.

The victory over Luis David Martinez and Reese Stalder marked the Brazilian’s 1,000th tour-level match. Melo now owns a 608-392 record.

“It means a lot. I think it means I’ve had so far a very good career, long term, many years on Tour winning of course a lot of matches,” Melo said. “It is huge for me actually to be able to play 1,000 matches so far.”

It is just the latest of several achievements for Melo, a 37-time tour-level titlist who has reached No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. Beyond the accolades, the 39-year-old loves what he does.

“I think that's why I'm still playing,” Melo said. “I always say the day I stop enjoying tennis, I [will] stop playing. So I'm really enjoying coming out like today, we played on centre court, lots of people watching the match. [I got] this cake after the match for the 1,000th [match]. This recognition means a lot to me.”

#NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche made a winning start on debut at the Hamburg European Open on Monday when he overcame countryman Alexandre Muller 7-6(3), 6-4 to reach the second round.

The 19-year-old won 50 per cent (31/62) of points on Muller’s first serve and rallied from a double break down in the second set, winning five consecutive games from 1-4 to clinch victory after two hours and 15 minutes.

Van Assche is into the second round at a tour-level event for the sixth time next season and will aim to reach the third round for the first time when he meets seventh seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Gstaad champion Pedro Cachin at the ATP 500 clay-court event.

Van Assche is currently sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race on 521 points. The Frenchman is seeking to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals at the end of the season.

American Alex Michelsen’s quest to compete at the Next Gen ATP Finals gathered pace last week when he advanced to his first tour-level final at the ATP 250 event in Newport.

Competing in just his second tour-level event, the 18-year-old earned standout wins against Maxime Cressy and John Isner at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open to rise four spots to seventh (416 points) in the Pepperstone ATP Live Next Gen Race.

Michelsen, who is aiming to make his debut at the 21-and-under event, clinched his first ATP Challenger Tour crown in Chicago earlier this month.

Serbian Hamad Medjedovic has jumped two spots to eighth (398 points) after advancing to his first tour-level semi-final at the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad. The 20-year-old came through qualifying at the ATP 250 clay-court event before he downed former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem.