Scouting Report: Defending champ Baez joined by Draper, Mannarino in Winston-Salem | ATP Tour

Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Defending champ Baez joined by Draper, Mannarino in Winston-Salem

An govt abstract of what each fan ought to know in regards to the coming week

August 17, 2024

The North American hard-court swing continues this week on the Winston-Salem Open, the place Sebastian Baez would be the prime seed for his title defence. The Argentine will face stiff competitors from the likes of 22-year-old Briton Jack Draper and 2022 champion Adrian Mannarino.

ATPTour.com appears at 5 issues to look at in Winston-Salem.

1) Defending champ Baez: The 23-year-old Argentine gained his first tour-level title on onerous courts final yr in Winston-Salem, profitable 4 three-setters on his run. Baez has backed that up with clay trophies in Rio de Janeiro and Santiago this yr, with 5 of his six ATP Tour crowns approaching that floor. He’ll bid to enhance upon his 4-6 hard-court document this season after a second-round exit on the Cincinnati ATP Masters 1000.

Baez might be joined in Winston-Salem by fellow Argentines Francisco Cerundolo, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Mariano Navone and Federico Coria, with Cerundolo receiving a wild card into the singles draw.

2) Draper discovering footing: Draper performed three consecutive occasions on three completely different surfaces throughout Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics and Montreal. As he started adjusting to the North American onerous courts, he teamed with Jannik Sinner to type a fan-favourite doubles duo in Montreal, choosing up two wins. His focus narrowed to singles in Cincinnati, the place he gained a third-set tie-break in opposition to Jaume Munar earlier than coming from behind to upset Stefanos Tsitsipas. He then beat Felix Auger-Aliassime to succeed in the quarters and continues to be alive in Ohio.

3) Former champ Mannarino: After rising to a career-high PIF ATP Rating of No. 17 at first of 2024, Mannarino has struggled to an 8-22 document this season. The 36-year-old Frenchman will hope recollections of his 2022 title run in Winston-Salem — when he gained 11 consecutive units — can spark a resurgence of type. 

4) Michelsen, Opelka carry dwelling hopes: Alex Michelsen, a #NextGenATP star at 19, thrilled dwelling followers in Cincinnati by giving Jannik Sinner all he may deal with in a decent second-round defeat that can go away him wanting to return to the match court docket. The No. 57 within the PIF ATP Rankings would be the top-ranked American within the draw, the place Reilly Opelka was given a late wild card as he continues his harm comeback.

5) Lammons/Withrow defend doubles crown: People Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow are again after profitable their fourth tour-level doubles title as a group final yr in Winston-Salem. The pair has doubled its trophy tally since then, most just lately triumphing in back-to-back weeks on dwelling soil in Atlanta and Washington. Different title challengers embrace Neal Skupski and Michael Venus, Austin Krajicek and Jean-Julien Rojer, and Nikola Mektic and Wesley Koolhof.