Can Ruud, Rublev strengthen title hopes during critical Basel-Vienna week? | ATP Tour

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Can Ruud, Rublev strengthen title hopes during critical Basel-Vienna week?

Stars can build in ATP 500 events

October 21, 2024

The PIF ATP Live Race To Turin continues to heat up with three weeks left for players to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals. With two ATP 500 events this week, the Swiss Indoor Basel and the Erste Bank Open, season finalists have a chance to earn valuable points.

Seventh-ranked Casper Ruud and eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev will look to strengthen their standings this week when they compete in Basel. Ruud has 225 points ahead of Rublev, who owns 265 more than ninth-placed Alex de Minaur.

“When you are in this position, you think [the Nitto ATP Finals] there is a lot,” said Ruud in Basel. “It’s a fun chase and it’s fun… It’s nice to have something to really motivate yourself.”

PIF ATP Live Race to Turin (from 20 October)

Ruud’s last appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals was in 2022, when he advanced to the championship match (lost by Novak Djokovic). The Norwegian is in good shape to secure his place at the end of the season for the third time and can improve his chances with a strong performance in Switzerland.

The 25-year-old is the second seed in Basel and will play Antwerp champion Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round. It’s a tough opening match for Ruud, who trails Bautista Agut 1-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Rublev is trying to win the year-end championship for the fifth season in a row. He is in the final qualifying spot, but is determined to run this week to build his advantage over the chasing pack, led by De Minaur.

The Australian has never qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, but could improve his chances of competing at the Inalpi Arena by progressing through the Vienna draw. De Minaur will open his tournament with Jan-Lennard Struff.

Another player seeking his first Nitto ATP Finals title is 10th-ranked Tommy Paul, who improved his standing by winning the Stockholm title. The American is 485 points behind Rublev in the final qualifying spot, making a deep run in Vienna critical. Paul faces a tough challenge in the first round against fellow countryman Brandon Nakashima.

Eleventh seed Grigor Dimitrov, runner-up in Stockholm and 2017 Nitto ATP finals champion, competes in Vienna. Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won the last season of 2019, plays in Basel.