Ruud, Wawrinka, Paul Lead Bastad, Gstaad, Newport Fields | ATP Tour

After a fortnight of main motion at Wimbledon, the 2023 season rolls on with Bastad, Gstaad and Newport internet hosting ATP 250 occasions from 17-23 July.

Casper Ruud leads the sphere on the Nordea Open, the place Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev may also be competing on the Bastad clay. Roberto Bautista Agut is the highest seed at one other clay occasion, the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad, which additionally options house favorite Stan Wawrinka and former champion Dominic Thiem.

Newport, Rhode Island performs host to the ultimate grass-court motion of the 2023 season. Dwelling favorite Tommy Paul is the highest seed on the Infosys Corridor of Fame Open, the place Maxime Cressy is the defending champion and Kevin Anderson makes his return from retirement.

ATPTour.com seems forward at 5 issues to observe at every occasion.

View Attracts: Bastad | Gstaad | Newport

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BASTAD
1) Ruud Prime Seed: The World No. 4 Ruud returns to the Nordea Open trying to bounce again from his second-round exit at Wimbledon. The Norwegian will compete in acquainted environment in Bastad, the place he lifted the trophy in 2021. Ruud’s first match on clay because the Roland Garros ultimate shall be towards Juan Manuel Cerundolo or Alexander Shevchenko.

2) Rublev Returns: Rublev reached the semi-finals on his Bastad debut in 2022 and the World No. 7 returns because the second seed in Sweden. The 25-year-old is 35-14 for the 12 months after reaching his maiden Wimbledon quarter-final and has loved loads of success on clay in 2023, together with lifting his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in April in Monte-Carlo.

3) Musetti, Zverev Characteristic: Lorenzo Musetti chases his first Bastad match win in three appearances, and the 21-year-old Italian faces a tricky opening check towards Emil Ruusuvuori or his in-form countryman Matteo Arnaldi. A stacked discipline additionally options former World No. 2 Zverev, who returns to the ATP 250 for the primary time since he reached the semi-finals in 2015.

4) Cerundolo Defends Title: The unseeded Francisco Cerundolo charged to his maiden ATP Tour crown final 12 months with a string of big-hitting performances in Bastad. The 24-year-old returns because the fourth seed in Sweden, the place he’s trying to preserve his kind after he lifted his first tour-level grass title two weeks in the past in Eastbourne. 

5) Martin/Mies Lead Doubles Draw: Fabrice Martin and Andreas Mies are the top-seeded doubles crew on the Swedish coast, the place their rivals embody 2021 winners Sander Arends/David Pel and second seeds Sander Gille/Joran Vliegen, who triumphed in 2019. Third seeds Alexander Erler/Lucas Miedler search their third ATP Tour crown of the season. 

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN GSTAAD
1) Bautista Agut, Kecmanovic Lead Discipline: Roberto Bautista Agut was a 2018 finalist on the EFG Swiss Open Gstaad however has gained only one match in three subsequent appearances. The Spaniard will hope to be impressed by the gorgeous Alpine setting for the clay-court ATP 250, the place Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic is the second seed.

2) Dwelling Favorite Wawrinka: The previous World No. 3 Wawrinka competes in Gstaad for the primary time in 10 years. The 38-year-old, who misplaced to Gaston Gaudio within the 2005 ultimate and holds a 9-10 report on the occasion, arrives in his homeland off the again of a third-round run at Wimbledon.

3) Thiem Chases Second Gstaad Title: Dominic Thiem enters Gstaad chasing his first tour-level win since April in Madrid. The Austrian, who lifted the title within the Swiss Alps in 2015, is 7-15 for the 12 months, however confirmed indicators of his greatest kind two weeks in the past by pushing Stefanos Tsitsipas to 5 units at Wimbledon. Thiem’s first-round opponent is Alexandre Muller.

4) #NextGenATP Battle: Arthur Fils and residential wild card Dominic Stricker meet in an thrilling first-round conflict in Switzerland. The 19-year-old Frenchman Fils is fourth within the Pepperstone ATP Stay Subsequent Gen Race, whereas 2022 Subsequent Gen ATP Finals semi-finalist Stricker is seventh. Will probably be the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly.

5) Swiss Dream Group: Stricker and Wawrinka convey two generations of Swiss expertise collectively in a single doubles crew for house followers in Gstaad. The duo competes as a wild card duo in a draw that’s led by prime seeds Marcelo Demoliner/Matwe Middelkoop and second seeds Sadio Doumbia/Fabien Reboul. 

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN NEWPORT
1) Dwelling Favorite Paul Leads Discipline: The 26-year-old Paul makes his Infosys Corridor of Fame Open debut as the highest seed. The American reached a championship match on grass in Eastbourne two weeks in the past earlier than advancing to the third spherical at Wimbledon. He’s aiming to turn out to be the tenth American champion prior to now 14 editions of the ATP 250 occasion.

2) Cressy Defends Crown: The latest of these house winners is Cressy, who recovered from 2-6, 0-3 to down Alexander Bublik and triumph in final 12 months’s ultimate. The 26-year-old will hope to deploy his famend serve-and-volley sport to nice impact once more as he seems to show round his 2023 season.

3) Anderson Returns From Retirement: One other former Newport champion, Kevin Anderson, comes out of retirement to compete as a wild card in Rhode Island. The South African, who lifted the trophy in 2021, introduced his comeback to the ATP Tour earlier this month, having initially retired final Might. The 37-year-old Anderson is a seven-time tour-level champion.

4) Isner Chases Fifth Newport Crown: John Isner holds a 25-6 report in Newport, the place he lifted the trophy in 2011, 2012, 2017 and 2019, and the big-serving American returns in pursuit of a record-extending fifth crown on the ATP 250. Different People within the discipline embody Mackenzie McDonald, Michael Mmoh and 2018 champion Steve Johnson.

5) Lammons/Withrow Prime Seeds: Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow chase their second ATP Tour title collectively as the highest seeds in Newport. Their rivals on the Rhode Island grass embody Adrian Mannarino/Jordan Thompson and Julian Money/Maxime Cressy, whereas William Blumberg, who lifted the trophy with Jack Sock in 2021 and Steve Johnson in 2022, performs alongside Max Purcell.