STARNBERG, July 16, 2018
Russia’s #NextGenATP star Andrey Rublev will look to make a triumphant return to the ATP World Tour this week at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. The 20-year-old celebrated his maiden tour-level title last year in Umag, becoming the first lucky loser in eight years to win an ATP World Tour title.
But Rublev has been out of action since mid-April because of a lower-back stress fracture. The No. 4 seed will open his campaign at the coastal city in Istria after a first-round bye against Canadian wild card entry Félix Auger-Aliassime or a qualifier. Meanwhile, three-time ATP World Tour titlist Damir Dzumhur and Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato will try to slide their way to the Umag title.
Schwartzman leads the field in Bastad
Top seed Diego Schwartzman of Argentina will go for his third ATP World Tour title as he leads the field at the SkiStar Swedish Open.
But some of Spain’s finest, including second seed Pablo Carreno Busta and seventh seed and defending champion David Ferrer, will try to halt Schwartzman from celebrating his third clay-court title.
Grass-court swing continues in Newport
France’s Adrian Mannarino will try to capture his maiden tour-level title at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open, the final ATP World Tour grass-court tournament of 2018.
But Germany’s Mischa Zverev, fresh off his first ATP World Tour crown at the grass-court Nature Valley International in Eastbourne last month, will try to cap his grass-court season with another title.