And just like that Wimbledon is a week away. Only two more grass-court tournaments in the buildup to the season’s third Grand Slam remain, taking place in Eastbourne and Mallorca. Although plenty of top players are ready to take their talents to the All-England Club and spend the week resting and practicing, these ATP 250 fields are relatively strong. Among those in action are Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Alexander Bublik, Ben Shelton, Gael Monfils, and Dominic Thiem.
Rothesay International
Where: Eastbourne, Great Britain
Surface: Grass
Prize money: 740,160 Euros
Points: 250
Top seed: Taylor Fritz
Defending champion: Francisco Cerundolo
Draw analysis: Fritz is the top seed and 2022 Eastbourne winner, so he has to like his chances. The 12th-ranked American does not have an easy draw, however. Cameron Norrie is a potential quarterfinal opponent and the top half of the bracket also includes Alexander Bublik and defending champion Francisco Cerundolo. In addition to Norrie, Fabian Marozsan and Dominik Koepfer are dangerous unseeded floaters.
The other side is decidedly weaker and likely wide open—especially if Paul withdraws (he currently finds himself in the Queen’s Club final). Seeds Sebastian Baez and Mariano Navone are grass-court novices; Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is not particularly comfortable on the surface, either. Lorenzo Sonego and Halle semifinalist Zhizhen Zhang may be poised to take advantage.
Hot: Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Mariano Navone, Billy Harris, Flavio Cobolli, Zhizhen Zhang, Marcos Giron
Cold: Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Miomir Kecmanovic, Kei Nishikori, Lorenzo Sonego, Emil Ruusuvuori, Cameron Norrie
Quarterfinal predictions: Taylor Fritz over Cameron Norrie, Francisco Cerundolo over Fabian Marozsan, Zhizhen Zhang over Lorenzo Sonego, and Tommy Paul over Flavio Cobolli
Semifinals: Fritz over Cerundolo and Zhang over Paul
Final: Fritz over Zhang
Mallorca Championships
Where: Mallorca, Spain
Surface: Grass
Prize money: 932,135 Euros
Points: 250
Top seed: Ben Shelton
Defending champion: Chris Eubanks
Draw analysis: Can Chris Eubanks go back-to-back in Mallorca? Despite a quarterfinal performance in Halle, the 6’7’’ American needs a good result in the worst way with title points to defend this week following quarterfinal points to defend at Wimbledon. Eubanks is part of an intriguing bottom half that includes first-round opponent Jakub Mensik, No. 2 seed Ugo Humbert, and big-name veterans Monfils and Thiem. The latter two players are going head-to-head in the opening round.
The best grass-court players in the top half of the bracket are Adrian Mannarino and Jordan Thompson. However, Mannarino is in a dreadful slump and it remains to be seen how motivated Thompson is following a semifinal result at Queen’s Club. Shelton has not yet found his footing on grass in the early stages of his career, so a spot in the final appears to be entirely up grabs. Former Newport runner-up and recent Queen’s Club quarterfinalist Rinky Hijikata cannot be discounted.
Hot: Alejandro Tabilo, Luciano Darderi, Jordan Thompson, Nuno Borges, Rinky Hijikata
Cold: Ben Shelton, Adrian Mannarino, Chris Eubanks, Pablo Carreno Busta, Dominic Thiem
Quarterfinal predictions: Rinky Hijikata over Maximilian Marterer, Alex Michelsen over Sebastian Ofner, Chris Eubanks over Alexander Shevchenko, and Ugo Humbert over Gael Monfils
Semifinals: Michelsen over Marterer and Humbert over Eubanks
Final: Humbert over Michelsen
who ya got?
Perfect time for Mannarino to break out of the prolonged slump with his grass court prowess in a middling field.
let’s hope!
Isn’t he 36/7? A bit late.
He was in the form of his life just a few months ago…
And usually waits all year for the grass
Indian Summer.
I’m backing Zhang
Fabio Fognini got white hair