Thiem’s ​​farewell, the fight for Turin and other stories to see in Basel and Vienna | ATP Tour

Scouting Report

Thiem’s ​​goodbye, key week towards Turin: stories from Basel and Vienna

Aspects to take into account in upcoming ATP Tour events

October 20, 2024

The season is coming to an exciting climax as the world’s best players try to earn their place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. The chase continues this week at the ATP 500 events in Basel and Vienna, where many points are up for grabs.

Andrey Rublev is the top seed at the Swiss Indoors Basel and Alexander Zverev is the top seed at the Erste Bank Open. It will be an emotional week in Vienna, where local hero Dominic Thiem will retire after a remarkable career in which he reached No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings and won the 2020 US Open.

ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch at each tournament.

FIVE THINGS TO SEE IN BASEL
1) Rublev leads the way: The top seed in Basel is Andrey Rublev, who is competing in the tournament for the first time. Every match, starting with his first match against Portuguese Nuno Borges, is key for the 26-year-old. Rublev is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is attempting to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive season.

2) Felix Two-time defending champion: Felix Auger-Aliassime joined an elite list last year when he won his second consecutive title in Basel. The only other players to achieve the feat are Roger Federer, Juan Martín del Potro, Stefan Edberg and Ivan Lendl. The Canadian’s two most recent wins have been at this ATP 500 and he will try to achieve his third consecutive victory, starting with his first round clash against the Argentine Sebastián Báez.

3) Stan at home: Swiss Stan Wawrinka heads the guest list on his home soil. The 39-year-old enjoyed his best tournament of the year in Stockholm, where he advanced to the semi-finals, and will look to carry that momentum into Basel, where he seeks his first crown. His compatriot Dominic Stricker and former Top 10 Denis Shapovalov are also in the field as guests.

4) Ruud y Tsitsipas: There are many more stars in Basel. Second favorite Casper Ruud, who is seventh in the Live Race, faces a difficult opening test against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is seeking his second title of the year and will begin his quest against Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo. Sixth seed Ben Shelton brings his powerful serve to Basel for the first time.

5) The search for Koolhof and Mektic in Turin: The main favorites in the doubles draw are Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic. The 2020 Nitto ATP Finals champions are seventh in the race to Turin in doubles and are looking to return to the season-ending tournament. They rose to their current position by winning the ATP Masters 1000 title in Shanghai.

FIVE THINGS TO SEE IN VIENNA
1) Thiem’s ​​farewell: Thiem, one of the best players of his generation, retires in Vienna. The 31-year-old won the title at the tournament in 2019 and owns a 16-11 record there, where he played his first ATP Tour event in 2010. That year, he competed in the qualifiers as a 17-year-old. Thiem will begin his event against Argentina’s Mariano Navone on Tuesday night.

2) Zverev, top favorite: Zverev is at the top of the ATP 500 table. The German has recorded a 9-2 record in Vienna, where he lifted the trophy in 2021. With qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals already assured, Zverev will try to add to his victory in Rome a second victory in 2024. In the first round he will face the 18-year-old Austrian Joel Schwaerzler, invited by the organization.

3) Race to Turin: Several players aiming for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals will compete for a spot at the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin in Vienna. Álex de Minaur is ninth in the Live Race, 275 points behind eighth-placed Andrey Rublev for the last qualifying position. With 500 points at stake this week, the Australian will try to advance towards a debut in Turin. Grigor Dimitrov, champion of the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, and Tommy Paul, who meet in the final in Stockholm, are just behind De Minaur, trying to get closer to a qualifying spot.

4) Tempting first round matchups: There are several intriguing first round matches to watch. Seventh seed Jack Draper will face former world number 4 Kei Nishikori, fifth seed Frances Tiafoe will play former Top 10 star Cameron Norrie and fourth seed Paul will try to defeat compatriot Brandon Nakashima, champion of the Next Gen ATP Finals 2022 presented by PIF.

Other opening matches to watch out for include a battle of the Italians between sixth seed Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego, as well as a rematch of this year’s Newport final between Marcos Giron and #NextGenATP Alex Michelsen.

5) Arévalo/Pavic and Bopanna/Ebden lead the way: The top two favorites in the doubles field are reigning Roland Garros champions Marcelo Arévalo/Mate Pavic and Australian Open winners Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden. Bopanna/Ebden face a tough opening test against Robin Haase and Zverev, who received a wild card. Another team that won a major this year, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, will try for ATP 500 glory in Vienna as third seeds.