Tennis - ATP & WTA calendar: Vienna, Basel, Tokyo... Discover this week's tournaments and our favourites!
by Cydias Aujard | by Cydias Aujard
We're entering the home stretch of the 2024 season and our tennis predictions, with the men and women aiming to qualify for the Masters at the end of the season. It's a busy week on the tennis courts, with some high-profile tournaments in Europe and Asia.
ATP Vienna: Dominic Thiem's very last one
The ATP 500 tournament in Vienna is a not-to-be-missed autumn event, and this season even more so, as local star Dominic Thiem is set to call time on his career at the end of the tournament in the Austrian capital. The US Open winner has never returned to his best since injuring his elbow just over 2 years ago and, after a number of attempts to get back to the top, Dominic Thiem will be putting away his racket after this week in front of his home crowd!
While the focus will be on the Austrian, there will also be a good crowd in the city of music, with 7 top 20 players in attendance! Germany's Alexander Zverev, seeded No. 1 and winner in 2021, will be one of the favourites, even if his last performance at the Shanghai Masters 1000 was not up to the standard of the world No. 3.
Tommy Paul, Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev, Alex De Minaur... We're in for a treat in Vienna.
Many competitors will be lining up on Monday to succeed Jannik Sinner, winner in 2023 and absent this week. Finalists in Stockholm, Tommy Paul and Grigor Dimitrov will also be contenders for victory on Sunday, but it remains to be seen whether the American and the Bulgarian will be physically fit after their fine performances in Sweden.
What if Alex De Minaur wins? The Australian, seeded No. 2, has turned a corner this season and even if his recovery last week in Antwerp was a struggle, the world No. 9 will have something to play for in a very open tournament.
Tournaments at the end of the season are always more indecisive as fatigue starts to set in. Number 1 seed in Vienna, Alexander Zverev has to get the ball rolling again in Austria. The two-time Grand Slam finalist will be looking for a second title this season after Rome, and if the world No. 3 can rediscover his form, he will be a tough nut to crack.
Our ATP Vienna prediction: victory for Alexander Zverev!
ATP Basel: a hat-trick for Felix Auger-Aliassime?
It's shaping up to be a spectacular week at the ATP tournament in Basel! In the home of Roger Federer, winner of the tournament 10 times in front of his fans, 7 of the world's top 20 players have decided to head to Switzerland for what promises to be an intense week.
Most of the tournament favourites are losing ground in 2024, making next Sunday's outcome even more indecisive. Seeded 1, 2 and 3 respectively, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas have all suffered disappointments this season. While the Russian is capable of the best and the worst, even though he has been known to be consistent for several seasons, the Greek and the Norwegian have shown signs of fatigue in their attitude and determination, resulting in results below their level.
In other words, the race for victory will be wide open to see who can follow in the footsteps of Felix Auger-Aliassime, the two-time winner in Basel. Could the Canadian make it 3? After a rollercoaster year, the Quebecer is still a candidate, but his latest results (1st round at the US Open, Tokyo and Shanghai, quarter-final in Antwerp) offer no guarantees.
What about Ben Shelton? The American, currently world number 23, could go far in the competition, as he will meet a familiar face in Tomas Martin Etcheverry, whom he recently beat twice in 2024. He will be keen to improve on his last two tournaments, when he was knocked out in the quarter-finals in Tokyo and the last 16 in Shanghai.
Our ATP Basel prediction: Ben Shelton reaches the last four!
WTA Tokyo: a new title for Qinwen Zheng?
The Tokyo WTA 500 may be without the top 6 players in the WTA rankings, but that doesn't mean it won't be interesting! Olympic champion in Paris in August, Qinwen Zheng will be the overwhelming favourite in the Japanese capital. The Chinese player is in great form, having reached the quarter-finals of the US Open, the semi-finals in Beijing and the final in Wuhan. While the string of matches could nevertheless take its toll, the world No. 7 has shown in the past that she has the physique to keep up the pace.
But who then could prevent the Chinese player from being crowned champion in Tokyo? The winner in Ningbo on Sunday, Daria Kasatkina could be one of them. The Russian has been impressive over the last few days, and playing at this level, she could still be in contention, even if she may be tired from all the matches and travelling.
Beatriz Haddad Maia, who also enjoyed a fine Asian tour that included a title in Seoul, will be one to watch very closely. The Brazilian, seeded No.2, has gradually come into her own in the second half of the season, and it would be no surprise to find the South American at the weekend.
Although the title has not eluded a European since 2005, Qinwen Zheng is set to put an end to the old continent's domination in Tokyo. The Chinese player, who has been performing well in recent weeks, seems to have the perfect route to the trophy in Japan.
Our WTA Tokyo prediction: Qinwen Zheng wins!
WTA Guangzhou: Czech Republic in the spotlight?
The second WTA tournament of the week, Guangzhou hosts the 18th edition of the WTA 250 from Monday. Last season, China's Xiyu Wang sprang a surprise by winning in front of her home crowd, her first title since her unforgettable triumph at the US Open in 2018. But this season, the 98th player in the world is in a tough spot and may not have the weapons to fight back.
Against this backdrop, the Czech Republic will have two key players to succeed the Chinese, Katerina Siniakova and Marie Bouzkova. Seeded 1 and 2 respectively, the two Czech players are in with a shout of winning the title in China, but the margin will be small.
Several of the women tennis players present in Guangzhou are very close in the rankings (5 players ranked between 42nd and 52nd) and none of them is really in the lead. So anything could happen at this week's WTA 250 in Guangzhou, and Harriet Dart could fin her way through.
The English No.3 has just come through the last 16 in Hiroshima and has not reached the semi-finals since February. She therefore will be well placed to pick up a result against opponents who are no better than her.
Our WTA Guangzhou prediction: Harriet Dart in the quarterfinals!
The images featuring this article are licensed from the IMAGO website.
