Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud & Co - Hamburg at the expense of the French Open?
While Rafael Nadal , Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem have been in Paris for a few days, Stefanos Tsitsipas , Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud are still fighting for the title at Rothenbaum in Hamburg - and that until Sunday if they are successful. But what does that mean for the French Open, which will start on Sunday?
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Sep 25, 2020, 10:34 pm
It is a situation that is hardly known to anyone as well as Andrey Rublev. The Russian started a veritable run of success at the beginning of the year, secured the title at both ATP 250 events in Australia, which were held before the first Grand Slam of the year - and traveled to Melbourne with corresponding physical strain. Up until the round of 16, the 22-year-old didn't notice much of this, but then he was clearly the final destination against Alexander Zverev.
Something similar could blossom for the quarter-finalist at this year's US Open at the French Open starting on Sunday, as the Russian has not taken a break since the Grand Slam in New York City - and was past the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome Week can also be found on the entry list of the ATP 500 event at Hamburg's Rothenbaum, which is taking place these days.
And there Rublev is quite successful, after his strong quarter-final success over the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, the world number 14 is. in the semifinals - and has to serve at least on tomorrow's Saturday in the Hanseatic city. Like Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is also in the semi-finals of the Hamburg Open, the Russian is in the upper part of the draw of the French Open and will be out in Paris by Tuesday at the latest. If the two of them reach the finals, they would only have a day off.
Nadal and Djokovic take a different approach
This would be even shorter for Casper Ruud if he made it to the finals. The Norwegian is a possible third-round opponent of Dominic Thiem and would join the action at Bois de Bolougne on Monday at the latest as part of the lower half of the draw. All three players run a high risk of having to deal with the possible strains of an intense ATP 500 event in time for the French Open. For Stefanos Tsitsipas in particular, who was number five on the seed list in Paris, it was a daring undertaking.
Casper Ruud, who is considered an absolute clay court specialist and has had his greatest successes there, could pay a high price for his joy in playing. The two superstars of tennis, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, who started in Rome, used the week before the French Open to relax and intensively prepare for the third and last Grand Slam of the year .
rg2020