Vienna tournament draw released: Sinner leads, Russia's top three all enter!

While the three ATP 250 semifinals are taking place tonight Beijing time, the Vienna 500 tournament that follows next week has just announced its draw today. Let's see how the player field looks for one of the final two 500 events this year.

Sinner, who is set to battle Alcaraz tonight in the six kings Grand Slam showdown, had early on declared his intention to compete in this event. The top seed’s first-round opponent will be Germany’s Altmaier. The Italian suffered one of his worst Grand Slam defeats in recent years at the hands of this German player during the French Open two years ago, exiting early after Altmaier’s impressive performance.

Also placed in the same quarter are Bublik, who has won several tour titles this year, and Taberner, who recently claimed a tour title as well, both vying for a spot to advance. The other first-round matches in this quarter are Copil versus Mahach and Michelson against Cerundolo.

The second quarter is led by Demin and Rublev, with the latter facing former British No.1 Norrie in the first round. The two local wildcards are unlikely to prevent the Australian "little rabbit" from securing a quarterfinal berth. Another first-round match in this quarter features Poplin against Berrettini.

The third quarter is headed by Medvedev and Musetti. Medvedev has already reached the final of the Almaty tournament scheduled for tomorrow night, and it remains to be seen if his stamina will hold up. He will face Portugal’s top player Borges in the opening round. Mutai and Echeverri are also in this section. Of course, the most exciting matchup is the first-round clash between Tsitsipas and Musetti.

The final quarter is led by Zverev, who is expected to easily secure a quarterfinal spot. Looking further ahead, last year’s finalist Khachanov will be the biggest challenge; the Russian will face Dutch top player Griekspoor in the first round. Additionally, Brandon Nakashima will meet Darderi in the opening round.

Overall, with Sinner, Russia’s top three, and Grand Slam finalists like Tsitsipas and Zverev all gathered here, the star power of this event far surpasses that of the simultaneous Basel tournament.

In last year’s final, Brit Draper defeated Russian Khachanov to claim his highest-level career title at the time. However, after playing at the US Open this year, he has announced his season is over. Currently, only Alcaraz and Sinner have secured spots in the ATP Finals quarterfinals, leaving six places still open. Who will emerge from this tournament to grab a last-minute ticket to the year-end finals? Let’s wait and see!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)