Week 4 Season 2023:
The Australian Open is still continuing of course, but there’s plenty of players who have already moved on from Melbourne, and looking to play more matches. So what’s on offer for them? No official ATP or WTA tour events, but a handful of lower tier tournaments to keep tennis aficionados content for another week.
ATP Challenger Tour:
Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve 125, Belgium:
Probably the hardest name to pronounce on the tour, but it is one of the biggest, being a 125 category of Challenger. This is a new tournament, held just outside of Brussels, so you would expect a nice crowd to attend this indoor hardcourt event.
Belgian’s favourite son, David Goffin, has received a wildcard into the event, joining fellow top 100 player Oscar Otte. Add to this, 22 year old Alexander Shevchenko, who took out the Tenerife Challenger last week, and it should be an exciting week.
Quimper 125, France:
Another 125 Challenger event, this time in Quimper, which has held this indoor event for over a decade. It has now been upgraded to a 125 tournament, which has resulted in quite a strong field assembling, including 4 top 100 players, Quentin Halys, who has won this event before, Gregoire Barrere, Vasek Pospisil, and Radu Albot.
Keep an eye on young Italian, Matteo Arnaldi too. He just fell short of qualifying for the Australian Open, and I would expect to see him inside the top 100 sooner rather than later.
Petros Tsitsipas is interestingly listed in the doubles draw. Having been courtside at his brother’s fourth round match, he’d better get on a flight quickly.
There have been a number of young players go on to bigger and better things after winning her. Sebastian Korda and Andrei Rublev have held the trophy here, along with home town heroes, Benoit Paire, and Adrian Mannerino.
Concepcion 100, Chile:
Chilean Challenger events are usually very well patronised, so this should be a big tournament, having gone from a Challenger 80, to now, a 100 tournament.
The previous two winners of this event are Daniel Galan, and Sebastian Baez. Both players have gone on to establish themselves at genuine top 100 players, so keep an eye on the winners of these South American tournaments. The level will be very high.
The two finalists from last week’s tournament in Brazil, Andrea Collarini, and Tomas Barrios Vera will take their place in the field, alongside the number 1 seed, and top 100 player, Federico Coria.
ITF Women’s Tour:
W60 Sunderland, Great Britain:
We head to the indoor hard courts this week. Seven top 200 women are in the draw, led by Spanish world number 123, Marina Bassols Ribera, who won three titles on the ITF tour last year, including the W80 in Valencia at the end of last season. Also in the draw is France’s Harmony Tan, who famously took down Serena Williams at Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round.
W60 Andrezieux-Boutheon, France:
Likewise on the indoor hard courts across the Channel in France. Quite a strong line-up here, with Clara Tauson, the world number 96 from Denmark as the top seed. But she will have plenty of competition, with 14 other players in the top 200 vying for the title.
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