ATP: Zverev and Co. - Looking for game practice
The organizers of smaller ATP tournaments often save their wildcards up to the last moment. In these weeks, some big names can appear.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Apr 22, 2019, 08:26 am
The urgent search for game practice has and will bring a lot of joy to the organizers of smaller tournaments in spring 2019. Especially since selected top managers want to treat themselves to more matches, especially Alexander Zverev. So when the ATP Tour 250 event in Marrakech inherited a top ten man, Zverev's arts enjoyed at least two games. Also this week in Barcelona, the German number one will try to get a few balls in competition mode at short notice - and if the course is somewhat successful, they will drop a celebrity double this Friday in Munich.
However, the timing of late requests for wildcards should not be underestimated: While Karen Khachanov had announced his appearance in Munich early enough and directly enriched the main field at MTTC Iphitos, Diego Schwartzman narrowly missed the connection in Barcelona. The Argentine, according to the latest number 25 in the world, had to take the detour via qualification in the Catalan capital. In addition to Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov and the two Spanish veterans David Ferrer and Feliciano Lopez had already been given a wildcard. Schwartzman has mastered the two qualification tasks, meets Yoshihito Nishioka at the start - and Dominic Thiem in the event of a win.
Fognini with four victories after Monte Carlo
On the other hand, Fabio Fognini has proven over the past few days that the subject of gaming practice may be too high. The Italian had won tender four matches before he started in Monte Carlo - after the most successful week of his career, at least five more were added, depending on the count (Gilles Simon could not compete in the second round game).
It is not yet certain whether Fognini will continue its 2019 balance sheet in Barcelona. The 31-year-old is represented in the tableau, waiting for the winner between Federico Delbonis and Nicola Kuhn. After Fognini injured his thigh slightly in the final against Dusan Lajovic, a little question mark can be placed behind his appearance. In the case of Fabio Fognini, game practice is obviously not the issue anyway.