Top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas could face Jannik Sinner in a second-round matchup at the ABN AMRO Open, where the Greek is looking to clinch his first title at the indoor ATP 500 event in Rotterdam. Tsitsipas, who reached the final in Rotterdam last year before losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime, faces World No.
53 Emil Ruusuvuori in his first appearance on the ATP Tour since reaching the Open championship match at the Australia last month. If he defeats the Finn in his first match, the Greek could face Sinner in a rematch of their five-setter fourth-round clash at the Australian Open.
World No. 17 Sinner opens his campaign against Benjamin Bonzi, while 2015 champion Stan Wawrinka, seventh seed Pablo Carreno Busta and Auckland champion Richard Gasquet are potential quarterfinal opponents for both him and Tsitsipas.
A stacked draw brimming with quality also features fourth seed Holger Rune and eighth seed Alexander Zverev in its top half. Rune plays a qualifier in his debut at the event, while his potential quarterfinal opponent Zverev meets Adelaide International 2 champion Soonwoo Kwon first in the Netherlands.
Auger-Aliassime returns to the scene of his first ATP Tour triumph, but the defending champion will have to work his way through a forceful third quarter if he is to repeat his title run from 2022. The Canadian won four indoor titles last season, more than any other player on Tour, but his first-round opponent Lorenzo Sonego also has a recent pedigree on indoor hard courts: the Italian didn’t drop a set en route.
towards his third title at Tour level last September in Metz. If Auger-Aliassime can advance to the Rotterdam quarterfinals this week for the third time in five appearances, potential opponents for him include sixth seed and 2019 semifinalist Daniil Medvedev.
Tsitsipas remembers his beginnings
Seeded 1 of the tournament, this is the 7th participation in a row for Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rotterdam. The first time was against Tsonga. The Greek remembers his beginnings, and also comments on what he is currently experiencing with our colleagues from Nos.
“I am more and more attached to this sport, I like it more and more. It’s something I’ve dreamed of for years. You have periods in the year when you don’t feel like playing, when your body is very tense. You suffer from tension because you have to play so many games in a year. But now I like being on a tennis court.”
