ATP Race: Sinner, Norrie, Karatsev grateful for Murray's help
Jannik Sinner and Aslan Karatsev made up ground in the Race to Turin with their tournament victories on Sunday, but the Russian in particular is still missing a few points in qualifying. It's good that Andy Murray slowed down Hubert Hurkacz in Vienna.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Oct 25, 2021, 11:01 pm
Jannik Sinner will certainly have followed the draw for the Erste Bank Open with interest. And might have wished for a different result. Because the South Tyrolean, just recently crowned champion from Antwerp, has been assigned Reilly Opelka as his first task. The American has been in Vienna for a few days, took part in the Red Bull BassLine on Friday evening - and is a particularly big threat with his monster serve in the hall. The match between Sinner and Opelka will not be played until tomorrow, Wednesday.
Now the last opponents of Sinner would not rate his service as an objection either, but it could have been a bit easier. Because Jannik Sinner needs points. The 250 points from Antwerp brought him closer to Hubert Hurkacz in the annual standings, but the Pole is still in the last safe place for the season finale in Turin. Help was needed - and Andy Murray promptly provided it with his fantastic win on Monday evening in the Wiener Stadthalle.
Karatsev has to hope for Paris-Bercy
Now the aspirants like Cameron Norrie, Félix Auger-Aliassime (who will probably not start at the # NextGen Masters in Milan) and, with some cutbacks, Aslan Karatsev have to deliver. And that will be quite demanding.
Like Hurkacz, Norrie and Auger-Aliassime are at the start in Vienna. The Brit, surprise champion in Indian Wells, has to play against Marton Fucsovics. The Canadian opens against Ricardas Berankis and could meet Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. And Aslan Karatsev? He has to put all his hopes in the coming week in Paris-Bercy. Because the possible 250 points in St. Petersburg (Karatsev is in third place there) do not help the Russian much in the fight for a starting place in Turin. In Paris-Bercy it is four times as much. But of course also for Hubert Hurkacz, who no longer wants to have the butter removed from his bread.
Andy Murray himself has a clear favorite for the starting place in Turin, as he emphasized in the press conference after the match against Hurkacz: With all the love for another Italian starter in the person of jannik Sinner, he would rather be the British number one, Cam Norrie, see at the finals.