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Novak Djoković cały czas nie potrafi poradzić sobie z nieustannie dokuczającym mu urazem łokcia. W sobotę Serb wycofał się z turnieju w Dosze.

Milos Raonić wyjawił swoje noworoczne postanowienia
Novak Djoković po raz ostatni pojawił się na korcie w czasie ubiegłorocznego Wimbledonu. Od tego momentu pauzował z powodu problemów z łokciem. Serb planował powrócić do rywalizacji pod koniec tego sezonu i przygotować się do Australian Open w Abu Zabi i Dosze. Z obu występów jednak zrezygnował z powodu bólu w łokciu.
Djoković, 12. obecnie tenisista świata, sezon temu wygrał zawody organizowane w Dosze. W finale pokonał w trzech setach Andy'ego Murraya. O wycofaniu się z tegorocznej edycji poinformował w sobotę za pośrednictwem portali społecznościowych.


- Niestety, od piątku mój stan zdrowia nie uległ poprawie i nadal czuję ból w łokciu -napisał Djoković. - Dlatego też jestem zmuszony wycofać się z zawodów ATP w Dosze, które w sezonie 2017 zostały wybrane najlepszym turniejem rangi ATP World Tour 250. Przykro mi, że nie będę mógł się pokazać moim fanom.

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- Wiążę z tym turniejem wiele wspaniałych wspomnień. Pamiętam wiele meczów jak chociażby ubiegłoroczny finał przeciwko Andy'emu [Murray'owi]. Atmosfera panująca na głównym obiekcie jest zawsze wspaniała, a organizacja na najwyższym poziomie. Z pewnością będzie mi tego bardzo brakowało. Po kilku konsultacjach z lekarzami postanowiliśmy kontynuować rehabilitację mojego łokcia - dodał.

Broniący tytułu Grigor Dimitrow będzie najwyżej rozstawionym tenisistą rozpoczynającego się w niedzielę turnieju ATP World Tour 250 w Brisbane, który zostanie rozegrany na kortach twardych. W drabince widnieje również nazwisko Andy'ego Murraya.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
30 Grudnia 2017, 13:31
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Getty Images / Francois Nel / Na zdjęciu: Andy Murray
Turniej w Brisbane od 2009 roku tradycyjnie oficjalnie inauguruje nowy sezon w męskich rozgrywkach. Choć impreza ma najniższą rangę ATP World Tour (250), z uwagi na dogodny termin, świetną organizację oraz wsparcie sponsorów, zawsze może poszczycić się znakomitą obsadą i jest chętnie odwiedzana przez czołowych tenisistów globu.


Sparing z Roberto Bautistą nie napawa optymizmem, ale Andy Murray zadecydował, że wyruszy w podróż do Brisbane
W tym roku nie będzie inaczej, choć w Brisbane International nie zagra Rafael Nadal. Hiszpan miał być największą gwiazdą, lecz wycofał się z turnieju z powodu zmęczenia i urazu kolana. Wobec nieobecności Rafy, najwyższy numer rozstawienia przypadł Grigorowi Dimitrowowi. Bułgar, mistrz poprzedniej edycji zmagań w stolicy stanu Queensland, w I rundzie otrzymał wolny los, a rywalizację rozpocznie meczem z posiadaczem dzikiej karty Johnem Millmanem bądź z kwalifikantem.
REKLAMA

Drugą najważniejszą postacią imprezy ma być Andy Murray. Nazwisko Szkota pojawiło się w drabince, choć jego start nie jest jeszcze pewny. Tenisista z Dunblane nie gra od lipca z powodu kontuzji biodra. Do Brisbane przybył wprost z Abu Zabi, gdzie odbył krótki obóz treningowy. Dopiero na miejscu ma zadecydować, czy wystąpi w zawodach. Jeśli tak, na otwarcie zmierzy się z z lepszym z pary Ryan Harrison - Leonardo Mayer.

W Brisbane do gry powrócą także inni tenisiści, którzy w końcówce minionego sezonu zmagali się z kłopotami zdrowotnymi - Milos Raonić i Gilles Muller. Kanadyjczyk został oznaczony numerem czwartym, natomiast Luksemburczyk to "piątka" i w I rundzie zagra z Hyeonem Chungiem.

Gospodarze największe nadzieje wiążą z osobą Nicka Kyrgiosa. W turnieju wystąpią także utalentowani Denis Shapovalov, Frances Tiafoe, Jared Donaldson, Kyle Edmund czy Alex de Minaur oraz znakomicie prezentujący się w 2017 roku Diego Schwartzman, Mischa Zverev i Damir Dzumhur.

W zmaganiach debla najwyżej rozstawieni zostali wiceliderzy rankingu Henri Kontinen i John Peers. Drugi numer przypadł parze Marcelo Demoliner / Michael Venus. W Brisbane International 2018 zabraknie reprezentantów Polski.


Brisbane International, Brisbane (Australia)
ATP World Tour 250, kort twardy, pula nagród 468,9 tys. dolarów

Losowanie głównej drabinki:

Grigor Dimitrow (Bułgaria, 1) wolny los
Q - John Millman (Australia, WC)
Denis Shapovalov (Kanada) - Kyle Edmund (Wielka Brytania)
Hyeon Chung (Korea Południowa) - Gilles Muller (Luksemburg, 5)

Nick Kyrgios (Australia, 3) wolny los
France Tiafoe (USA) - Matthew Ebden (Australia)
Q - Horacio Zeballos (Argentyna)
Ołeksandr Dołgopołow (Ukraina) - Diego Schwartzman (Argentyna, 6)


Mischa Zverev (Niemcy, - Q
Federico Delbonis (Argentyna) - Q
Steve Johnson (USA) - Alex de Minaur (Australia, WC)
Milos Raonić (Kanada, 4) wolny los

Damir Dzumhur (Bośnia i Hercegowina, 7) - Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan)
Jared Donaldson (USA) - Jordan Thompson (Australia, WC)
Ryan Harrison (USA) - Leonardo Mayer (Argentyna)
Andy Murray (Wielka Brytania, 2) wolny los

Marin Cilić jest najwyżej rozstawionym uczestnikiem rozpoczynającego się w poniedziałek turnieju ATP World Tour 250 w Pune, który będzie rozgrywany na kortach twardych. W pierwszej edycji imprezy zagrają też m.in. Kevin Anderson i Roberto Bautista.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
30 Grudnia 2017, 22:55
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Getty Images / Naomi Baker / Na zdjęciu: Marin Cilić
Nadchodząca edycja turnieju ATP World Tour 250 w Pune zostanie rozegrana w dniach 1-7 stycznia i będzie pierwszą w historii. Za sprawą działań agencji menedżerskiej IMG jedyna impreza głównego cyklu rozgrywana w Indiach po 20 latach została przeniesiona z Madrasu właśnie do dawnej stolicy Imperium Marathów.


ATP Brisbane: Grigor Dimitrow najwyżej rozstawiony. Andy Murray znalazł się w turniejowej drabince
Organizatorzy Tata Open Maharashtra mają ambitne plany. Marzą o zakontraktowaniu Rogera Federera i Rafaela Nadala. Na razie jednak to jest niemożliwe. Największą gwiazdą turnieju i zarazem jedynym uczestnikiem zawodów notowanym w czołowej "dziesiątce" będzie Marin Cilić. Chorwat, aktualnie szósty gracz świata, na inaugurację zmierzy się z posiadaczem dzikiej karty Ramkumarem Ramanathanem bądź z Roberto Carballesem.

Jako drugi najwyżej rozstawiony wystąpi Kevin Anderson. Afrykaner (ATP 14), finalista ubiegłorocznego US Open, na początek zmierzy się z kwalifikantem albo z Rubenem Bemelmansem. Wolne losy w I rundzie otrzymali także oznaczeni numerami trzecim i czwartym Roberto Bautista oraz Benoit Paire.

W Pune do tenisa wróci Pablo Andujar. Hiszpan, który z powodu chronicznej kontuzji łokcia w ciągu ostatnich 15 miesięcy rozegrał zaledwie trzy mecze, a na poziomie głównego cyklu ostatnio wystąpił we wrześniu 2016 roku, w I rundzie trafił na Nicolasa Jarry'ego, 22-letnią nadzieję Chile.

Najwyżej rozstawieni w zmaganiach debla zostali Robert Lindstedt i Franko Skugor. W turnieju zabraknie reprezentantów Polski.

Tata Open Maharashtra, Pune (Indie)
ATP World Tour 250, kort twardy, pula nagród 501,3 tys. dolarów


Losowanie głównej drabinki:

Marin Cilić (Chorwacja, 1) wolny los
Ramkumar Ramanathan (Indie, WC) - Roberto Carballes (Hiszpania)
Yuki Bhambri (Indie) - Arjun Kadhe (Indie, WC)
Marco Cecchinato (Włochy) - Pierre-Hugues Herbert (Francja,

Roberto Bautista (Hiszpania, 3) wolny los
Gilles Simon (Francja) - Tennys Sandgren (USA)
Q - Q
Q - Jiri Vesely (Czechy, 6)

Robin Haase (Holandia, 5) - Blaz Kavcić (Słowenia)
Nicolas Jarry (Chile) - Pablo Andujar (Hiszpania, PR)
Nicolas Kicker (Argentyna) - Marton Fucsovics (Węgry)
Benoit Paire (Francja, 4/WC) wolny los


Michaił Kukuszkin (Kazachstan, 7) - Radu Albot (Mołdawia)
Laslo Djere (Serbia) - Marius Copil (Rumunia)
Q - Ruben Bemelmans (Belgia)
Kevin Anderson (RPA, 2) wolny los

Dominic Thiem został najwyżej rozstawionym tenisistą rozpoczynającego się w poniedziałek turnieju ATP World Tour 250 w Dosze, który będzie rozgrywany na kortach twardych. W zmaganiach debla wystąpi Marcin Matkowski.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
31 Grudnia 2017, 08:21
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WP SportoweFakty / Michał Domnik / Marcin Matkowski
Organizatorzy turnieju ATP w Dosze przyzwyczaili, że w ich turnieju występują największe gwiazdy męskich rozgrywek. Tymczasem w nadchodzącej edycji po raz pierwszy od pięciu lat na starcie nie pojawi się ani jeden tenisista z tzw. "Wielkiej Czwórki". Miał być nim Novak Djoković, lecz Serb wycofał się z powodu problemów z łokciem.


ATP Pune: Marin Cilić największą gwiazdą pierwszej edycji, Pablo Andujar wraca do głównego cyklu po 15 miesiącach
W obliczu nieobecności Djokovicia, największą gwiazdą turnieju będzie Dominic Thiem. Austriak, piąty gracz rankingu ATP, wróci do Dohy po pięciu latach. Na otwarcie zmierzy się z Jewgienijem Donskojem, a już w ćwierćfinale może trafić na Richarda Gasqueta, mistrza Qatar ExxonMobil Open z sezonu 2013.

Drugim najwyżej rozstawionym i zarazem drugim uczestnikiem zawodów notowanym w czołowej "10" rankingu będzie Pablo Carreno. Hiszpan, dziesiąty tenisista świata, w I rundzie trafił na utalentowanego Bornę Coricia. Następnie na jego drodze mogą stanąć rodacy, Fernando Verdasco czy Albert Ramos.

W Dosze do tenisa po prawie czteromiesięcznej przerwie powróci Gael Monfils. Miniony sezon z powodu kłopotów zdrowotnych Francuz zakończył już we wrześniu. Jego inauguracyjnym rywalem będzie Paolo Lorenzi, a w II rundzie może trafić na Tomasa Berdycha, który czwarty rok z rzędu nowy sezon zainauguruje występem w Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

Jedynym reprezentantem naszego kraju na starcie katarskiego turnieju jest Marcin Matkowski. Warszawianin w zmaganiach debla utworzy parę z Aisamem-ul-Haqiem Qureshim. Polsko-pakistański duet miał bardzo trudne losowanie. W I rundzie trafił na najwyżej rozstawionych Jamie'ego Murraya i Bruno Soaresa.

Jeśli Polak i jego partner pokonają pierwszą przeszkodę, w ćwierćfinale zagrają z Filipem Krajinoviciem i Viktorem Troickim bądź z duetem Borna Corić / Jan-Lennard Struff. W ewentualnym półfinale mogą trafić na Feliciano Lopeza i Rajeeva Rama, turniejowe "trójki".


Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Doha (Katar)
ATP World Tour 250, kort twardy, pula nagród 1,286,675 mln dolarów

Losowanie głównej drabinki:

Dominic Thiem (Austria, 1) - Jewgienij Donskoj (Rosja)
Aljaz Bedene (Słowenia) - Malek Jaziri (Tunezja, WC)
Florian Mayer (Niemcy) - Q
Victor Estrella (Dominikana) - Richard Gasquet (Francja, 5)

Tomas Berdych (Czechy, 3) - Jan-Lennard Struff (Niemcy)
Paolo Lorenzi (Włochy) - Gael Monfils (Francja, WC)
Viktor Troicki (Serbia) - Q
Peter Gojowczyk (Niemcy) - Filip Krajinović (Serbia, 6)


Feliciano Lopez (Hiszpania, - Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Hiszpania)
Andreas Haider-Maurer (Austria, PR) - Q
Jabor Al-Mutawa (Katar, WC) - Q
Guido Pella (Argentyna) - Albert Ramos (Hiszpania, 4)

Fernando Verdasco (Hiszpania, 7) - Dudi Sela (Izrael)
Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (Niemcy) - Andriej Rublow (Rosja)
Thomas Fabbiano (Włochy) - Nikołoz Basilaszwili (Gruzja)
Borna Corić (Chorwacja) - Pablo Carreno (Hiszpania, 2)

Ołeksandr Dołgopołow w dwóch setach pokonał Diego Schwartzmana w I rundzie rozgrywanego na kortach twardych turnieju ATP World Tour 250 w Brisbane. W drugim meczu inauguracyjnego dnia nowego sezonu z wygranej cieszył się Alex de Minaur.
Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
31 Grudnia 2017, 16:03
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Getty Images / Bradley Kanaris / Na zdjęciu: Ołeksandr Dołgopołow
Paradoksalnie sezon 2018 w męskich rozgrywkach został zainaugurowany jeszcze 2017 roku. Pierwszy turniej rozgrywek, impreza rangi ATP World Tour 250 w Brisbane, rozpoczął się bowiem 31 grudnia.


ATP Brisbane: Grigor Dimitrow najwyżej rozstawiony. Andy Murray znalazł się w turniejowej drabince
Jako pierwszy ze zwycięstwa w nowym sezonie mógł cieszyć się Ołeksandr Dołgopołow. W inauguracyjnym spotkaniu turnieju Brisbane International 2018 Ukrainiec pokonał 6:4, 7:6(3) rozstawionego z numerem szóstym Diego Schwartzmana. Dołgopołow, który w niedzielę posłał sześć asów, jeden raz został przełamany oraz wykorzystał dwa z trzech break pointów, w II rundzie zmierzy się z Horacio Zeballosem bądź z kwalifikantem Ernesto Escobedo.

W pierwszym dniu turnieju powody do radości mieli także gospodarze. 18-letni posiadacz dzikiej karty Alex de Minaur, wielka nadzieja australijskiego tenisa, wygrał z notowanym na 44. miejscu w rankingu ATP Steve'em Johnsonem 7:6(7), 6:4, w inauguracyjnej odsłonie bronić pięciu setboli.

- Jestem zachwycony. Zakończyłem ten rok najlepiej, jak tylko mogłem. Rozegrałem świetny mecz i pokonałem przeciwnika prezentującego tenis wysokiej jakości - powiedział De Minaur, który w 1/8 finału zagra z rozstawionym z numerem czwartym Milosem Raoniciem. - On jest tenisistą, którego od długiego czas oglądam w telewizji, więc rozegranie z nim meczu da mi mnóstwo frajdy - dodał Australijczyk.

W niedzielę rozegrano również decydujące mecze kwalifikacji. Awans do głównej drabinki wywalczyli John-Patrick Smith, Peter Polansky, Ernesto Escobedo i Michael Mmoh.

Brisbane International, Brisbane (Australia)
ATP World Tour 250, kort twardy, pula nagród 468,9 tys. dolarów
niedziela, 31 grudnia

I runda gry pojedynczej:

Ołeksandr Dołgopołow (Ukraina) - Diego Schwartzman (Argentyna, 6) 6:4, 7:6(3)
Alex de Minaur (Australia, WC) - Steve Johnson (USA) 7:6(7), 6:4

wolne losy: Grigor Dimitrow (Bułgaria, 1); Andy Murray (Wielka Brytania, 2); Nick Kyrgios (Australia, 3); Milos Raonić (Kanada, 4)

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week on the ATP World Tour
The 2018 ATP World Tour season gets underway with a trio of tournaments, as today's stars descend on Brisbane, Doha and Pune. Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov is the top seed and defending champion at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, while Dominic Thiem leads the field at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Marin Cilic leads the pack at the Tata Open Maharashtra.

View Draws: Brisbane | Doha | Pune

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN BRISBANE
(1) 2018 Begins in Brisbane: The 2018 ATP World Tour kicks off with the 10th Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, where main draw play begins on New Year’s Eve. World No. 3 and Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, two-time Brisbane winner and 2016 year-end World No. 1 Andy Murray and top Aussie Nick Kyrgios are the Top 3 seeds.

(2) From Australia to The O2: Dimitrov started and ended 2017 as a champion, defeating three Top 10 players en route to the Brisbane title and five Top 10 players to earn his most prestigious trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Bulgarian is back in Brisbane at a career-high No. 3.

(3) Pair Of Returns: Not only is Murray making a comeback on the ATP World Tour, but the Scot returns to Brisbane for the first time since defeating Dimitrov to defend his title in 2013. Murray is No. 16 in the ATP Rankings -- the same spot that Federer started 2017 from before ending the year at No. 2. Murray has not played on tour since the Wimbledon quarter-finals on 12 July due to a hip injury.

(4) Comeback Kids: Other seeded players returning from injury are Kyrgios (left hip), Milos Raonic (right calf) and Gilles Muller (left elbow). Raonic was the 2016 Brisbane champion.

(5) Size of the Heart: No. 6 seed Diego Schwartzman entered 2017 with 31 tour-level victories. He ended it with 39 more, breaking into the Top 50 and the Top 25. Schwartzman defeated then-No. 7 Marin Cilic at the US Open, where he became the shortest Grand Slam quarter-finalist in 23 years.

(6) Out with a Bang: In his last tournament as a #NextGenATP player, 21-year-old Hyeon Chung went 5-0 at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals. Chung earned a career-high $390,000 for his efforts, which began with a come-from-behind win over fellow Brisbane entrant Denis Shapovalov.

(7) Sophomore Shapo: Shapovalov followed in Chung’s footsteps when he was named the Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, an award that the South Korean won in 2015. Shapovalov’s rookie season included a win over Nadal in Montreal, where the 18-year-old Canadian became the youngest ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-finalist and semi-finalist in the 28-year history of the series.

(8) #NextGenATP Watch: Shapovalov is the youngest player (18) in the main draw and he is joined by fellow teenagers American Frances Tiafoe (19) and Aussie wild card Alex de Minaur (18).

(9) Homecoming King: Brisbane native John Millman returns home as a wild card this week. Millman made his ATP World Tour debut (2010) and earned his first win (2013) in Brisbane, also pushing Murray and Federer to three sets through the years. He ended 2017 with an ATP Challenger Tour title at Hua Hin, Thailand.

(10) Where It All Began: Fellow Aussie John Peers and Henri Kontinen are back where their budding partnership began. Kontinen and Peers won the 2016 Brisbane title in their team debut and are 10-1 overall in finals, including titles at the 2017 Australian Open and 2016 & 2017 Nitto ATP Finals. Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt is a doubles wild card with Jordan Thompson.

Read Brisbane Draw Preview

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN DOHA
(1) 250 of the Year: The ATP rings in the new year Monday with the award-winning Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Selected by players as the 2017 ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year, Doha is the only of 40 events at the 250-level won by the Big Four of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

(2) Rising Stars: Dominic Thiem and Pablo Carreno Busta ended 2017 at No. 5 and No. 10 respectively in the ATP Rankings. They are the Top 2 seeds in Doha, where both are seeking their first tournament win in their second appearance respectively. Thiem’s lone hard court title came at 2016 Acapulco while Carreno Busta won hard court titles in 2016 Winston-Salem and Moscow.

(3) Thiem’s Travails: Much of Thiem’s success in 2017 came on clay, where he went 24-5 with two semi-final finishes, two finals and one title. The Austrian was 25-22 overall and 0-6 in quarter-finals not on clay. Thiem is 3-12 lifetime in Asia with a first-round loss to Peter Gojowczyk at 2014 Doha.

(4) Along Those Lines: After falling to Thiem in the Rio de Janeiro final, Carreno Busta reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final at Indian Wells and Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open. But the Spaniard struggled down the stretch, ending the year with eight losses in his last nine matches.

(5) Back to the Grind: Few players had as short of an offseason as 2013 Doha champion Richard Gasquet, who helped France claim the Davis Cup crown over Belgium. Gasquet is 8-3 lifetime in Doha and in his last appearance in 2015 he reached the QFs.

(6) Gael Makes Return: Three-time Doha finalist (2006, 2012, 2014) Gael Monfils, a wild card entry, is making his eighth appearance (19-7 record) in Qatar, his first since 2014. This will be his first tournament since retiring with a season-ending right knee injury in the 3R at the US Open.

(7) Berdych Five in a Row: This is the fifth straight Doha appearance for the No. 3 seed. He lost in the 1R in his 2014 debut, reached the final in 2015 (l. to Ferrer) and the SFs the last two years.

(8) Suddenly Seeded: No. 6 seed Filip Krajinovic begins the 2018 season at No. 34 in the ATP Rankings -- 201 spots higher than when he started 2017 at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Koblenz, Germany. Krajinovic ended 2017 at Paris as the first qualifier to reach an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in five years.

(9) Rise of Rublev: #NextGenATP player Andrey Rublev achieved a career-high ranking 12 times in 2017, breaking into the Top 150, Top 100 and Top 50. Rublev, then 19, defeated Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov and runner-up David Goffin en route to the US Open quarter-finals.

(10) Doubles Draw: Top seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares begin their third full season as a team in Doha and the past two years they reached the SFs. Daniel Nestor, a winner of 91 career doubles titles, makes his 10th Doha appearance, first since 2010. He won titles in 1996 and 2001 and reached finals in 2003 and 2009. The 45-year-old Canadian plans to retire in 2018.

Read Doha Draw Preview

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN PUNE
(1) ATP Comes to Pune: The ATP World Tour rings in the new year in a new city Monday at the Tata Open Maharashtra. From Chennai to Pune, India’s only ATP event welcomes Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic, US Open finalist Kevin Anderson and defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut.

(2) Consistent Croat: Cilic returns to India after winning the Chennai championship in 2009 and 2010. The Croat has captured an ATP World Tour title in 10 straight seasons, highlighted by the 2014 US Open. Cilic qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals and posted Top 10 finishes in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

(3) Tall Order: The 6-foot-8 Anderson became the tallest Grand Slam finalist in the Open Era when he met World No. 1 Rafael Nadal for the US Open title on 10 September. Ranked 32nd at the time, Anderson also emerged as the lowest-ranked US Open finalist since the inception of ATP Rankings in 1973 and the first South African US Open finalist in the Open Era. He has never played in India.

(4) Unique Streaks: Bautista Agut has finished four straight seasons with both a Top-25 ranking and 40+ wins. The Spaniard has also spent 103 consecutive weeks ranked between No. 13 and No. 23. Now ranked 20th, Bautista Agut is defending 250 points this week as the 2017 Chennai champion.

(5) Starting Over: Another player eager to start a new season in Pune is former World No. 6 Gilles Simon. The Frenchman went 16-25 in 2017 for his first losing season since 2004 (0-1). Now ranked 89th, Simon is making his first appearance in India and seeking his first final since 2015.

(6) Paire Successful in India: No. 4 seed and wild card entry Benoit Paire is making his sixth Indian appearance in seven years (except 2015). The Frenchman has a 10-5 record in Chennai, reaching the semi-finals in 2013 and the last two years.

(7) Leaving Clay is Hard: Nicolas Kicker ended 2017 in the Top 100 after reaching his first quarter-finals at Rio de Janeiro, Lyon and Hamburg. The 25-year-old Argentine has yet to win a pro match at any level off of clay courts. Kicker is 11-15 on the ATP World Tour (11-10 on clay), 78-53 on the ATP Challenger Tour (78-53 on clay) and 128-74 on the ITF Futures Circuit (128-73 on clay).

(8) Tennys Time: American Tennys Sandgren finished in the Top 100 for the first time at No. 96 last season, highlighted by a 46-22 record and two ATP Challenger Tour titles. He went 2-6 in tour play.

(9) Local Title Hopes: There are three Indian players in the singles main draw, led by the country’s top two duo of No. 116 Yuki Bhambri and wild card No. 148 Ramkumar Ramanathan, who reached the quarter-finals in 2016. Pune native and wild card Arjun Kadhe, plays Bhambri in the first round.

(10) Strong Indian Doubles Showing: There are nine Indian players in the doubles draw, led by No. 4 seeds and defending champions Rohan Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. They take on countrymen Leander Paes and Purav Raja. Paes won Chennai titles in 1997-99, 2002, 2011-12.

Read Pune Draw Preview

World No. 5 Dominic Thiem is joined in Qatar's capital by Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet

The 26th edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open commences this week and with legendary former champions such as Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (the list goes on and on...), players will be keen to get their hands on the tournament’s coveted golden falcon trophy.

The 2018 event, held at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in the Qatari capital of Doha, features Dominic Thiem as the tournament’s top seed after two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic withdrew due to an ongoing elbow injury. The World No. 5 will be arriving in Doha for the second time in his career, having qualified back in 2013 before losing in the first round to Peter Gojowczyk.

Thiem enters the new season following a career-best year. Having excelled on his favoured clay courts through many of 2017’s spring tournaments, the tenacious 23-year-old will be looking to improve his hard court results from the year prior. He opens against Evgeny Donskoy, who in 2017 became one of just five players in 2017 to defeat Federer in a remarkable three-set upset.

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Also coming off his best season to date is Pablo Carreno Busta, whose resolute and gritty defensive tennis earned him an alternate spot at the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals, where he eventually played two tough matches against the world’s best. Carreno Busta, last year’s US Open semi-finalist and the No.2 seed this week in Doha, plays #NextGenATP semi-finalist Borna Coric in a challenging opening-round encounter.

Former Top 10 players Tomas Berdych and Richard Gasquet also join the field this week. Berdych, who reached the final in 2015 before falling to David Ferrer, kicks off his tournament against Jan-Lennard Struff, while 2013 champion Gasquet plays Victor Estrella Burgos for a place in the second round.

The doubles competition features two-time Grand Slam champions and No.1 seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, as well as Wimbledon finalists Mate Pavic and Oliver Marach.

Thiem is coming off his second consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals
Dominic Thiem and Tomas Berdych had a career-first experience to kick off the 2018 Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha.

Thiem and Berdych hit a few balls at the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development on Sunday night. The foundation is a private, non-profit organization that “strives to nurture the future leaders of Qatar”.

“[It was a] very good welcome to Doha... very nice special effects and a good atmosphere to play in,” Thiem said.

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The Austrian, who finished his 2017 season by making his second appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals in London, is also making his second showing in Doha. In 2013, Thiem qualified but fell in the first round to Belgian Peter Gojowczyk.

Thiem, the World No. 5 and top seed, opens against Russian Evgeny Donskoy at 5:30 p.m. local time on Monday. It will be their first FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter.

Donskoy famously upset Roger Federer at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last season. The stunner was one of the upsets of the year.

Thiem and Berdych

Thiem is going for his second ATP World Tour hard-court title and his ninth overall. On hard courts, he also won 2016 Acapulco title. His seven other crowns have come on clay courts.

Berdych also enjoyed visiting the foundation. “It was really nice. It was good to be a part of that,” he said.

The 32-year-old is beginning his 17th year on the ATP World Tour. He ended his 2017 season in October after suffering a back injury at the China Open in Beijing. But Berdych, No. 19, still finished inside the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the 12th consecutive season (2006-2017).

Read More: 30 Things To Watch In Week One

“It feels that it's been very fast. Time flies so quickly but I still find myself enjoying it and that's the most important thing. So let's go again and let's make it another good year,” Berdych said.

The third seed opens against German Jan-Lennard Struff. Berdych won their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter at 2017 Roland Garros.

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week on the ATP World Tour

The 2018 ATP World Tour season gets underway with a trio of tournaments, as today's stars descend on Brisbane, Doha and Pune. Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov is the top seed and defending champion at the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, while Dominic Thiem leads the field at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open and Marin Cilic leads the pack at the Tata Open Maharashtra.

View Draws: Brisbane | Doha | Pune

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN BRISBANE
(1) 2018 Begins in Brisbane: The 2018 ATP World Tour kicks off with the 10th Brisbane International presented by Suncorp, where main draw play begins on New Year’s Eve. World No. 3 and Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov, two-time Brisbane winner and 2016 year-end World No. 1 Andy Murray and top Aussie Nick Kyrgios are the Top 3 seeds.

(2) From Australia to The O2: Dimitrov started and ended 2017 as a champion, defeating three Top 10 players en route to the Brisbane title and five Top 10 players to earn his most prestigious trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Bulgarian is back in Brisbane at a career-high No. 3.

(3) Pair Of Returns: Not only is Murray making a comeback on the ATP World Tour, but the Scot returns to Brisbane for the first time since defeating Dimitrov to defend his title in 2013. Murray is No. 16 in the ATP Rankings -- the same spot that Federer started 2017 from before ending the year at No. 2. Murray has not played on tour since the Wimbledon quarter-finals on 12 July due to a hip injury.

(4) Comeback Kids: Other seeded players returning from injury are Kyrgios (left hip), Milos Raonic (right calf) and Gilles Muller (left elbow). Raonic was the 2016 Brisbane champion.

(5) Size of the Heart: No. 6 seed Diego Schwartzman entered 2017 with 31 tour-level victories. He ended it with 39 more, breaking into the Top 50 and the Top 25. Schwartzman defeated then-No. 7 Marin Cilic at the US Open, where he became the shortest Grand Slam quarter-finalist in 23 years.

(6) Out with a Bang: In his last tournament as a #NextGenATP player, 21-year-old Hyeon Chung went 5-0 at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals. Chung earned a career-high $390,000 for his efforts, which began with a come-from-behind win over fellow Brisbane entrant Denis Shapovalov.

(7) Sophomore Shapo: Shapovalov followed in Chung’s footsteps when he was named the Most Improved Player of the Year in the 2017 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon, an award that the South Korean won in 2015. Shapovalov’s rookie season included a win over Nadal in Montreal, where the 18-year-old Canadian became the youngest ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-finalist and semi-finalist in the 28-year history of the series.

(8) #NextGenATP Watch: Shapovalov is the youngest player (18) in the main draw and he is joined by fellow teenagers American Frances Tiafoe (19) and Aussie wild card Alex de Minaur (18).

(9) Homecoming King: Brisbane native John Millman returns home as a wild card this week. Millman made his ATP World Tour debut (2010) and earned his first win (2013) in Brisbane, also pushing Murray and Federer to three sets through the years. He ended 2017 with an ATP Challenger Tour title at Hua Hin, Thailand.

(10) Where It All Began: Fellow Aussie John Peers and Henri Kontinen are back where their budding partnership began. Kontinen and Peers won the 2016 Brisbane title in their team debut and are 10-1 overall in finals, including titles at the 2017 Australian Open and 2016 & 2017 Nitto ATP Finals. Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt is a doubles wild card with Jordan Thompson.

Read Brisbane Draw Preview

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN DOHA
(1) 250 of the Year: The ATP rings in the new year Monday with the award-winning Qatar ExxonMobil Open. Selected by players as the 2017 ATP World Tour 250 Tournament of the Year, Doha is the only of 40 events at the 250-level won by the Big Four of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

(2) Rising Stars: Dominic Thiem and Pablo Carreno Busta ended 2017 at No. 5 and No. 10 respectively in the ATP Rankings. They are the Top 2 seeds in Doha, where both are seeking their first tournament win in their second appearance respectively. Thiem’s lone hard court title came at 2016 Acapulco while Carreno Busta won hard court titles in 2016 Winston-Salem and Moscow.

(3) Thiem’s Travails: Much of Thiem’s success in 2017 came on clay, where he went 24-5 with two semi-final finishes, two finals and one title. The Austrian was 25-22 overall and 0-6 in quarter-finals not on clay. Thiem is 3-12 lifetime in Asia with a first-round loss to Peter Gojowczyk at 2014 Doha.

(4) Along Those Lines: After falling to Thiem in the Rio de Janeiro final, Carreno Busta reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final at Indian Wells and Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open. But the Spaniard struggled down the stretch, ending the year with eight losses in his last nine matches.

(5) Back to the Grind: Few players had as short of an offseason as 2013 Doha champion Richard Gasquet, who helped France claim the Davis Cup crown over Belgium. Gasquet is 8-3 lifetime in Doha and in his last appearance in 2015 he reached the QFs.

(6) Gael Makes Return: Three-time Doha finalist (2006, 2012, 2014) Gael Monfils, a wild card entry, is making his eighth appearance (19-7 record) in Qatar, his first since 2014. This will be his first tournament since retiring with a season-ending right knee injury in the 3R at the US Open.

(7) Berdych Five in a Row: This is the fifth straight Doha appearance for the No. 3 seed. He lost in the 1R in his 2014 debut, reached the final in 2015 (l. to Ferrer) and the SFs the last two years.

(8) Suddenly Seeded: No. 6 seed Filip Krajinovic begins the 2018 season at No. 34 in the ATP Rankings -- 201 spots higher than when he started 2017 at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Koblenz, Germany. Krajinovic ended 2017 at Paris as the first qualifier to reach an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in five years.

(9) Rise of Rublev: #NextGenATP player Andrey Rublev achieved a career-high ranking 12 times in 2017, breaking into the Top 150, Top 100 and Top 50. Rublev, then 19, defeated Nitto ATP Finals champion Grigor Dimitrov and runner-up David Goffin en route to the US Open quarter-finals.

(10) Doubles Draw: Top seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares begin their third full season as a team in Doha and the past two years they reached the SFs. Daniel Nestor, a winner of 91 career doubles titles, makes his 10th Doha appearance, first since 2010. He won titles in 1996 and 2001 and reached finals in 2003 and 2009. The 45-year-old Canadian plans to retire in 2018.

Read Doha Draw Preview

10 THINGS TO WATCH IN PUNE
(1) ATP Comes to Pune: The ATP World Tour rings in the new year in a new city Monday at the Tata Open Maharashtra. From Chennai to Pune, India’s only ATP event welcomes Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic, US Open finalist Kevin Anderson and defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut.

(2) Consistent Croat: Cilic returns to India after winning the Chennai championship in 2009 and 2010. The Croat has captured an ATP World Tour title in 10 straight seasons, highlighted by the 2014 US Open. Cilic qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals and posted Top 10 finishes in 2014, 2016 and 2017.

(3) Tall Order: The 6-foot-8 Anderson became the tallest Grand Slam finalist in the Open Era when he met World No. 1 Rafael Nadal for the US Open title on 10 September. Ranked 32nd at the time, Anderson also emerged as the lowest-ranked US Open finalist since the inception of ATP Rankings in 1973 and the first South African US Open finalist in the Open Era. He has never played in India.

(4) Unique Streaks: Bautista Agut has finished four straight seasons with both a Top-25 ranking and 40+ wins. The Spaniard has also spent 103 consecutive weeks ranked between No. 13 and No. 23. Now ranked 20th, Bautista Agut is defending 250 points this week as the 2017 Chennai champion.

(5) Starting Over: Another player eager to start a new season in Pune is former World No. 6 Gilles Simon. The Frenchman went 16-25 in 2017 for his first losing season since 2004 (0-1). Now ranked 89th, Simon is making his first appearance in India and seeking his first final since 2015.

(6) Paire Successful in India: No. 4 seed and wild card entry Benoit Paire is making his sixth Indian appearance in seven years (except 2015). The Frenchman has a 10-5 record in Chennai, reaching the semi-finals in 2013 and the last two years.

(7) Leaving Clay is Hard: Nicolas Kicker ended 2017 in the Top 100 after reaching his first quarter-finals at Rio de Janeiro, Lyon and Hamburg. The 25-year-old Argentine has yet to win a pro match at any level off of clay courts. Kicker is 11-15 on the ATP World Tour (11-10 on clay), 78-53 on the ATP Challenger Tour (78-53 on clay) and 128-74 on the ITF Futures Circuit (128-73 on clay).

(8) Tennys Time: American Tennys Sandgren finished in the Top 100 for the first time at No. 96 last season, highlighted by a 46-22 record and two ATP Challenger Tour titles. He went 2-6 in tour play.

(9) Local Title Hopes: There are three Indian players in the singles main draw, led by the country’s top two duo of No. 116 Yuki Bhambri and wild card No. 148 Ramkumar Ramanathan, who reached the quarter-finals in 2016. Pune native and wild card Arjun Kadhe, plays Bhambri in the first round.

(10) Strong Indian Doubles Showing: There are nine Indian players in the doubles draw, led by No. 4 seeds and defending champions Rohan Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan. They take on countrymen Leander Paes and Purav Raja. Paes won Chennai titles in 1997-99, 2002, 2011-12.

Read Pune Draw Preview