By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday October 25 2020
Novak Djokovic and Djokovic take their locations at reverse ends of the stacked Vienna draw.
Picture Supply: Erste Financial institution Open
This week’s Erste Financial institution Open in Vienna options six High 10 gamers, together with World No.1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Dominic Thiem.
With restricted enjoying alternatives this fall, gamers have flocked to Vienna, and it ought to make for an thrilling week in Austria.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Diego Schwartzman have additionally joined, with World No.11 Gael Monfils and World No.12 Denis Shapovalov rounding out the highest eight seeds.
Djokovic, who introduced final week that he’d be skipping Paris (Nov.1-8) and enjoying Vienna so as to concentrate on selecting up treasured rating factors to continue his assault on the ATP record books, says he’s thrilled to be part of such a stacked draw. He’ll meet compatriot Filip Krajinovic within the first spherical.
That is the @erstebankopen singles fundamental draw!#erstebankopen pic.twitter.com/mf4kvdSdJ8
— Erste Financial institution Open (@ErsteBankOpen) October 24, 2020
“It’s going to be an important problem,” Djokovic mentioned on the draw ceremony on Saturday. “Most likely one of many strongest 500 class attracts that I used to be ever part of. It’s wonderful to see six High 10 guys right here, and you’ll play first spherical somebody that’s actually ranked 15 on the earth.”
Thiem, who will face Kei Nishikori in his opening-round tilt, says it’s an honor to be again on house soil on the scene of one in every of his largest titles and the venue the place he performed his first ATP-level match in 2011.
“It’s at all times particular to start out as a defending champion of a match. This yr is unreal, the entire draw,” Thiem mentioned. “It was robust after which Novak arrived and it bought unreal even. Most likely the perfect 500 match ever, so defending the title shouldn’t be mission not possible, however virtually.”
Thiem was simply 18 when he gained his first ATP match at Vienna in 2011, which additionally marked the shut of Thomas Muster’s profession. Then, Muster was the one Grand Slam singles champion from Austria, now it’s an honor that the 2 share after Thiem took the title at this yr’s US Open.
Final yr, Thiem defeated Diego Schwartzman for his first title at Vienna, and grow to be the primary house expertise to take the title since Jurgen Melzer in 2010.
“Every thing that may occur in a tennis profession, occurred right here in Vienna with me and naturally to win the title in 2019, a childhood dream got here true,” he mentioned.
View the total Erste Financial institution Open draw right here:
Subsequent week’s very loaded Vienna (@ErsteBankOpen) draw 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/JLR6cASK9G
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) October 24, 2020
