IT is a big week on the ATP Tour after a break from the 250 events post-US Open, whilst a number of Challenger events take place across the globe.

Moselle Open – ATP 250:

An impressively stacked draw from the lower half of the Top 30, Hubert Hurkacz leads all-comers as the number one seed. US Open first round losers Pablo Carreno Busta and Alex de Minaur are also among the seeds, with Gael Monfils the third seed getting some much-needed continuity on-court. A must-watch match is between sixth seed Ugo Humbert, and British wildcard Andy Murray, in what will likely put the winner on a collision course with Hurkacz in the semi-finals. For de Minaur, he has a relatively cushy start and should reach a quarter final against Russian Karen Khachanov at the very least.

In the past this even has been dominated by the French, and whilst it did not occur in 2020, nine of the past 11 titles have gone to the home nation, with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (four), Gilles Simon (three), Lucas Pouille (one) and Monfils (one) all earning the champion title. Monfils and Simon are lining up in this draw, and could clash in the quarter finals if both make it there. The remaining French are all in the top half of the draw, with Pouille set to face Hurkacz in the second round, whilst Gregoire Barrere, Arthur Rinderknech and Richard Gasquet join Humbert in filling out five of the top 13 slots in the main draw. Past winner Peter Gojowczyk will have to come through qualifying in order to make himself a two-time winner.

Astana Open – ATP 250:

A far weaker draw than the Metz event, Nur-Sultan has an open field lead by Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev. In the first time the Russian will be the top seed in an ATP Tour event, he will receive a bye in the first round like all of the top four seeds. A potential second round clash with Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori is mouthwatering, but all eyes will be on fifth seed John Millman who enters the draw as defending champion. The Australian won his maiden title in 2020 at Nur-Saltan, but has not been as successful since, winning just 14 of 34 games, and even struggling of late on the hard courts with a shock first round exit in straight sets to Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen at the US Open.

The player he knocked off on the way to his crown last year in Alexander Bublik is second seed at the event, with a potential second round clash against Miomir Kecmanovic on the cards. There is a real Serbian influence at the 250 event, with the third seed (Dusan Lajovic), fourth seed (Filip Krajinovic) and seventh seed (Laslo Djere) all competing at the event. From a Next-Gen perspective, Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti is the best chance of a title, taking on a qualifier up first before a likely clash with Djere and the Lajovic to reach the semis. Kazakh wildcard Timofey Skatov is the other Next-Gen prospect in the main draw.

CHALLENGER TOUR NOTES: ALL ATP 80 EVENTS

• Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis makes his return to the court at Bucharest event, with Italian world number 99 Stefano Travaglia the top seed there. Eighth seed Jiri Lehecka is an interesting prospect, and the top-ranked Next-Gen talent, with the 19-year-old currently 201st in the world, showing the drop at the event
• At Braga on the clay, world number 92 Thiago Monteiro is the top seed, with Japan’s Taro Daniel coming in at second and French young gun Hugo Gaston the third seed. Dutch Next-Gen prospect Jesper De Jong is also taking part, with a potential quarter finals clash with Gaston on offer if he can make it that far
• In Biel, Switzerland, Jerome Kym has earned a wildcard off his Davis Cup experience with Switzerland, joining fellow Swiss teens Leandro Riedi and Dominic Stricker – who stepped up for his nation in both singles – in the draw. Swiss top seed Henri Laaksonen is second seed behind Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert
• In Columbus, Tennys Sandgren tries to put behind him his default at the last Challenger event, with the former Top 50 player top seed at the Challenger event. In a fairly week draw dominated by United States representatives, Sandgren should be a huge change to grab a title, with third seed Alex Bolt the biggest threat
• After helping send his nation to the Davis Cup World Group Qualifiers, Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas returns to the Challenger Tour as top seed in Ecuador, with Slovenia’s Andrej Martin as second seed, with Martin set to potentially play Chilean Gonzalo Lama fresh off a run to a final in the same country

Picture credit: ATP Tour