Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter from Miami, and I’m super excited to share the latest updates from the world of tennis. Whether you’re a junior player looking to make it big or just a fan of the game, there’s always something new and exciting happening.
Now that the Asian swing is over, the European hard courts are marking the finale of each year, and this time around, the Euro swing begins in Antwerp, Stockholm, and Almaty. A whole host of top players— including plenty of Nitto ATP Finals contenders—are in action.
Let’s dive into Ricky Dimon’s picks for this week’s ATP 250 events:
### European Open
**Where:** Antwerp, Belgium
**Prize money:** 690,135 Euros
**Top seed:** Alex de Minaur
**2023 champion:** Alexander Bublik (not playing)
The European Open in Antwerp is looking like a competitive event with Alex de Minaur, who has struggled with a hip injury since Wimbledon but still managed to book a spot in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. Despite his injury, he has a favorable draw this week. The other seed in his section is clay-court specialist Mariano Navone, and the second-highest seed in the top half is ice-cold Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Things are similarly up for grabs on the other side of the draw. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Sebastian Baez are the two seeds with byes, but Tsitsipas is struggling these days and Baez has never done much of anything on any surface other than clay. Jiri Lehecka, Marcos Giron, Zizou Bergs, and/or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard could capitalize.
Ricky’s quarterfinal picks include:
– Alex de Minaur over Mariano Navone
– Roberto Bautista Agut over Marton Fucsovics
– Marcos Giron over Zizou Bergs
– Jiri Lehecka over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
His semifinal picks include:
– Bautista Agut over De Minaur
– Lehecka over Giron
And finally, his final pick is:
– Bautista Agut over Lehecka
### Nordic Open
**Where:** Stockholm, Sweden
**Prize money:** 690,135 Euros
**Top seed:** Andrey Rublev
**2023 champion:** Gael Monfils (not playing)
The Stockholm draw is stacked with top players like Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, and Tommy Paul. The bottom half is especially strong as Ruud and Dimitrov are joined by Matteo Berrettini, Tallon Griekspoor, and Lorenzo Sonego.
Rublev may be the No. 1 seed but has no easy road to the title—or even to the final. He could face Alexandre Muller in round two, Brandon Nakashima in the quarterfinals, and Paul in the semifinals.
Ricky’s quarterfinal picks include:
– Andrey Rublev over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
– Tommy Paul over Cameron Norrie
– Matteo Berrettini over Grigor Dimitrov
– Tallon Griekspoor over Casper Ruud
His semifinal picks include:
– Paul over Rublev
– Berrettini over Griekspoor
And finally, his final pick is:
– Berrettini over Paul
### Almaty Open
**Where:** Almaty, Kazakhstan
**Prize money:** $1,036,700
**Top seed:** Frances Tiafoe
**Defending champion:** Adrian Mannarino
The Almaty field boasts Tiafoe, Alejandro Tabilo, Francisco Cerundolo, Karen Khachanov, and Tomas Machac. It can’t quite compare to Antwerp and Stockholm but is still a pretty solid draw in its own right. Based on current form, Machac probably has to be considered the favorite. The fifth-seeded Czech reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open and upset Carlos Alcaraz this past week on his way to the Shanghai semis.
Machac could collide with Khachanov in the quarterfinals and Tiafoe in the semifinals. The seeded contingent is less formidable in the bottom half of the bracket, leaving everyone with an opportunity to take advantage.
Ricky’s quarterfinal picks include:
– Roman Safiullin over Frances Tiafoe
– Tomas Machac over Karen Khachanov
– Francisco Cerundolo over Alexander Shevchenko
– Gabriel Diallo over Alejandro Tabilo
His semifinal picks include:
– Machac over Safiullin
– Diallo over Cerundolo
And finally, his final pick is:
– Machac over Diallo
### Trending Search Topics
Right now, trending search topics include updates on ITF Junior Circuit and high school tennis tournaments. If you’re interested in following these events closely, be sure to check out websites like ZooTennis and TennisRecruiting.net for the latest news and analysis.
For example, Jacob Lee and Jordyn Hazelitt made waves at the ITF J60 in Mexico. Jacob Lee won his fourth ITF Junior Circuit title with a thrilling victory over Navneet Raghuram, while Jordyn Hazelitt took the singles title without dropping a set.
### Conclusion
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it [here](https://www.10sballs.com/2024/10/13/rickys-picks-for-this-weeks-events-in-antwerp-stockholm-and-almaty/).
Yours truly,
Mia