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Félix Auger-Aliassime did something on Wednesday that he hasn’t done for seven months.
That’s winning back-to-back matches on the ATP Tour.
As much as has been written about his struggled in 2023, that’s still a staggering statistic.
There was more star power in Tokyo as Shanghai champion Hubert Hurkacz tried to rev the machine back up after that long slog to the title, and has to face Chinese star Zhang Zhizhen. And because third-set tiebreaks are Hurkacz’s thing (in victory and defeat), so it was. But he came out on the short end.
In Stockholm, top seed Holger Rune (feels like it’s been awhile) and Gaël Monfils are among those in action. Rune was ousted by a not-particular-in-form Miomir Kecmanovic.
(Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of EDT; Stockholm and Antwerp are six hours ahead).
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Japan Open Tennis Championships
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Dates: Oct. 16 – 22, 2023
Prize money: $2,022,700
Draws: S32 – 16
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023
Final results
Singles, second round
[8] Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs. Sebastian Ofner (AUT) 64 61
[Q] Marcos Giron (USA) def [2] Casper Ruud (NOR) 63 64
[5] Tommy Paul (USA) def. Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 64 62
Ben Shelton (USA) def. Jordan Thompson (AUS) 67 (5) 64 63
Singles, first round
Zhizhen Zhang (CHN) def Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 36 64 76 (4)
Doubles, first round
[3] Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) / Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) def. Alexander Erler / Lucas Miedler (AUT) 64 64
Jamie Murray (GBR) / Michael Venus (NZL) def. Alexei Popyrin / Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) [LL] Seita Watanabe / Takeru Yuzuki (JPN) 62 67 (8) [10-3]
Rinky Hijikata / Max Purcell (AUS) def. [LL] Rio Noguchi / Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN) 57 76 (4) [10-5]
[LL] Kaichi Uchida / Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) def Francisco Cerundolo / Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG) 60 61
Ben McLachlan / Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) def. [Q] Taisei Ichikawa / Masamichi Imamura (JPN) 63 67 (5) [10-7]
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European Open
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor Hard
Dates: Oct. 16 – 22, 2023
Prize money: €750,950
Draws: S28 – D16
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023
Final results
Singles, second round
[3] Alexander Bublik (KAZ) def. Gregoire Barrere (FRA) 64 62
[4] Arthur Fils (FRA) def. [WC] Mark Lajal (EST) 76 (4) 76 (2)
[8] Juan Pablo Varillas (PER) def. Alexander Shevchenko (RUS) 36 63 62
Nuno Borges (POR) def Dominik Koepfer (GER) 76 (6) 64
[Q] Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) def [WC] David Goffin (BEL) 75 63
Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) def Dominic Stricker (SUI) 67 (4) 63 63
Doubles quarterfinal
Petros Tsitsipas / Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) def [4] Matwe Middelkoop (NED) / Andreas Mies (GER) 75 63
Doubles, first round
Ariel Behar (URU) / Adam Pavlasek (CZE) def [1] Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) / Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 63 67 (2) [10-7]
Romain Arneodo (MON) / Sam Weissborn (AUT) def [2] Kevin Krawietz / Tim Puetz (GER) 64 46 [10-8]
[3] Lloyd Glasspool (GBR) / Hugo Nys (MON) def. Constantin Frantzen / Hendrik Jebens (GER) 75 67 (5) [10-3]
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BNP Paribas Nordic Open
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Indoor Hard
Dates: Oct. 16 – 22, 2023
Prize money: €750,950
Draws: S28 – D16
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023
Final results
Singles, second round
Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) def [1] Holger Rune (DEN) 76 (3) 62
[3] Tallon Griekspoor (NED) def Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) 76 (3) 64
Laslo Djere (SRB) def. J.J. Wolf (USA) 75 64
[Q] Pavel Kotov (RUS) def Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) 64 75
Singles, first round
[PR] Gael Monfils (FRA) def Marton Fucsovics (HUN) 26 62 75
Roman Safiullin (RUS) def. Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) 63 62
Doubles quarterfinal
Tallon Griekspoor / Bart Stevens (NED) def. Sebastian Baez (ARG) / Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) WALKOVER
Doubles, first round
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) / Denys Molchanov (UKR) def [1] Maximo Gonzalez / Andres Molteni (ARG) 75 36 [10-7]
Yuki Bhambri (IND) / Julian Cash (GBR) def [2] Nikola Cacic (SRB) / Mate Pavic (CRO) 64 63
Tallon Griekspoor / Bart Stevens (NED) def [3] Sadio Doumbia / Fabien Reboul (FRA) 46 retd
[4] Robert Galloway (USA) / Albano Olivetti (FRA) def. [WC] Filip Bergevi / Leo Borg (SWE) 75 63
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