RAFAEL NADAL, J.M. DEL POTRO, MARIN CILIC, & DOM THIEM AMONG THOSE PLAYING IN BEIJING AND TOKYO

Written by: Staff on 1st October 2017

RAFAEL NADAL, J.M. DEL POTRO, MARIN CILIC, & DOM THIEM AMONG THOSE PLAYING IN BEIJING AND TOKYO

epa06222022 Spanish Rafael Nadal of the Team Europe in action against US Jack Sock of the Team World during the Laver Cup tennis tournament in Prague, Czech Republic, 23 September 2017. The first Laver Cup is held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 22 to 24 September 2017. It is a three-day tournament pitting a team of the six best tennis players from Europe against six opponents from the rest of the world. The tournament has been named in honor of Australian tennis legend Rod Laver. EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK |

Nadal, Del Potro, Cilic, and Thiem among those taking the court in Beijing and Tokyo

By Ricky Dimon

Following a week of 250-point tournaments, the stars are coming out for the continuation of the Asian swing, with a combined five top-10 players in action at the China Open in Beijing and the Japan Open in Tokyo. That list consists of Rafael Nadal, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Marin Cilic, and Dominic Thiem. Juan Martin Del Potro is also playing this week and Milos Raonic is begging his comeback. Nadal is the clear favorite to bag the Beijing title, while the Tokyo trophy may be a bit more wide open.

China Open

Where: Beijing, China

Points: 500

Top seed: Rafael Nadal

2016 champion: Andy Murray (not playing)

Draw analysis: Nadal exorcised any demons he had from his 2016 U.S. Open loss to Lucas Pouille when he lifted the trophy last month in New York for his 16th career Grand Slam title. Now the Spaniard finally has a shot at revenge in the form of a head-to-head showdown, as he will face Pouille in the Beijing opening round. The top half of the draw is not an easy one, as John Isner is a potential quarterfinal foe for Nadal and the other quarter includes Dimitrov, Del Potro, and Roberto Bautista Agut.

Nick Kyrgios captured the Tokyo title last year, but in 2017 he is taking his talents to Beijing. In a much more favorable section of the bracket than the top half, Kyrgios opens with Nikoloz Basilashvili and could face Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarterfinals. The second-seeded Zverev, meanwhile, was fatigued the whole way this past week in Shenzhen and got bounced by Damir Dzumhur in the quarters. Zverev may have a difficult opener on his hands with Kyle Edmund, while Dimitrov has to go up against the red-hot Dzumhur right off the bat.

Quarterfinal picks: Rafael Nadal over John Isner, Juan Martin Del Potro over Roberto Bautista Agut, Pablo Carreno Busta over Nick Kyrgios, and Alexander Zverev over Jared Donaldson

Semifinals: Nadal over Del Potro and Zverev over Carreno Busta

Final: Nadal over Zverev

Rakuten Japan Open

Where: Tokyo, Japan

Points: 500

Top seed: Marin Cilic

2016 champion: Nick Kyrgios (not playing)

Draw analysis: Tokyo is already without its biggest star, because Kei Nishikori is sidelined by another injury. A few of the other other top players in this field may not last too long, either. Thiem is still struggling on any surface other than clay and he is coming off an immediate exit in Chengdu as the No. 1 seed there (lost right away to Guido Pella). The third-seeded Raonic has not played since the Rogers Cup and has played just matches since Wimbledon, so Viktor Troicki or Benoit Paire could give him some trouble in the first or second round, respectively.

With Raonic a question mark, Cilic and Kevin Anderson are the favorites in the top half of the bracket. And they are in the same section, too, on a collision course for the quarterfinals. Cilic has dominated the head-to-head series (6-1), but Anderson recently made it all the way to the U.S. Open final. In the bottom half, Goffin, Feliciano Lopez, U.S. Open quarterfinalist Sam Querrey, U.S. Open quarterfinalist Diego Schwartzman, and Shenzhen runner-up Alexandr Dolgopolov could be in the title mix. Thiem, meanwhile, will kick off his campaign against dangerous American Steve Johnson.

Quarterfinal picks: Kevin Anderson over Marin Cilic, Yuichi Sugita over Adrian Mannarino, Feliciano Lopez over Taro Daniel, and Diego Schwartzman over Dominic Thiem

Semifinals: Anderson over Sugita and Schwartzman over Lopez

Final: Anderson over Schwartzman