Third-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev notched a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in the second round of the Erste Bank Open on Thursday in Vienna to earn a spot in the year-end Nitto ATP Finals.
Rublev had 21 winners against six unforced errors while reaching the Finals for the fourth straight year. Arnaldi had 19 winners and 11 unforced errors.
Top-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev and second-seeded Jannik Sinner have previously qualified for the Nitto Finals. Medvedev beat Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday, while Sinner won a battle of Italians with a 6-2, 6-4 win over lucky loser Lorenzo Sonego.
Croatian wild card Borna Gojo had 22 winners and five unforced errors while upsetting sixth-seeded Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-4. Fourth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas outlasted qualifier Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, and seventh-seeded Frances Tiafoe rallied for a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over France’s Gael Monfils.
Swiss Indoors Basel
Dominic Stricker, qualifier Alexander Shevchenko, Tallon Griekspoor and Ugo Humbert all recorded second-round upsets in Switzerland.
Stricker of Switzerland delivered 13 aces while producing a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (1) upset of second-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway. Shevchenko, from Russia, had 40 winners and just eight unforced errors while outlasting third-seeded Taylor Fritz 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5).
Griekspoor of the Netherlands need just 84 minutes to complete a 6-4, 6-3 win over Australia’s Alex de Minaur, the No. 5 seed. France’s Humbert advanced with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (4) win over No. 7 Nicolas Jarry of Chile.
Top-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark beat Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 7-6 (2), 6-1. Sixth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp.
–Field Level Media
