Good morning, Court Theorists! ☕️☀️
Today’s tennis mood: Excited for today’s line-up (but sad I’ll be asleep for most of it) and not sure I’m as ready for Nishikori’s final tournament as he says he is.
Let’s tennis!
-Allen
🎾 On tap: Main draw matches have now begun in Tokyo for the men in the Japan Open, while men and women are playing in Beijing — a 1000 for the women and a 500 for the men. The line-up between the two cities is something of an embarrassment of riches. More on that below. Noteworthy: In Tokyo, Kei Nishikori takes the court against Frances Tiafoe in what could be his final professional match.
🎾 ICYMI: Because of the midweek starts and finishes during the Asian swing, we’ve got a couple of results…
🎾 One to watch: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Alex Michelsen (1st round - ATP 500 - Tokyo): Watch this one as another data point on Carlos Alcaraz’s return to the tour and to see how Alex Michelsen carries himself. It’s the young American’s first match since his heartbreaking five-set loss to Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open.
The record: This will be the first time Carlos Alcaraz and Alex Michelsen face each other.
On the line: Alcaraz is the defending champ in Tokyo, so an early loss is not part of the plan. Of course, Michelsen wants to win. But, more than anything, he needs to get the taste of the last match out with a strong performance.
🎾 🏆 🎤 YOUR CALL
(Yesterday’s poll results: 63% of you called for Andrey Rublev to defeat Daniil Medvedev. Medvedev won 7-5, 6-4.)
And that’s game.
