ATP Tour

Alcaraz faces opening Michelsen test in Tokyo, Nishikori to play Tiafoe in farewell

Reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz will begin his title defence at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships against recent US Open quarter-finalist Alex Michelsen and could meet Americans Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz en route to the final.

The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings Alcaraz, who triumphed on his tournament debut in Tokyo last year, returned from a wrist injury earlier this month at the US Open, where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual finalist Ben Shelton.

Michelsen arrives in Tokyo in red-hot form, having advanced to his maiden major quarter-final in New York. The 22-year-old American, a former quarter-finalist in Tokyo, has never previously faced Alcaraz.

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If the Spaniard advances to the second round, he would face Matteo Arnaldi or Japanese wild card Rei Sakamoto, with seventh seed Paul Alcaraz’s seeded quarter-final opponent. Paul, who lost to Alcaraz at the US Open, opens against Alejandro Tabilo.

Alcaraz could meet third seed and 2022 champion Fritz in the semi-finals in a rematch of last year’s Tokyo final. Fritz plays a qualifier in the first round and could play former Top-10 star Lorenzo Musetti in the second round. Musetti opens against Wimbledon semi-finalist Arthur Fery.

Frances Tiafoe is the second seed and plays home favourite and two-time champion Kei Nishikori, who is competing in Tokyo for the final time. Tiafoe recently advanced to his third major semi-final at the US Open. The American is seeded to play Valentin Vacherot in the quarter-finals and Spaniard Rafael Jodar in the semis.

Vacherot has tasted big success in Asia previously, having captured the title at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai last year. Vacherot opens against Alexander Blockx, while Jodar faces a qualifier. Fifth seed Brandon Nakashima is also in the bottom half and is Jodar’s seeded quarter-final opponent.

Jodar has enjoyed a breakout season on the ATP Tour and is currently ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. The 19-year-old Spaniard, who reached the final on hard courts in Washington and the semi-finals in Montreal in August, plays a qualifier in his opening match. Jodar is aiming to become just the third player alongside Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals the year after playing at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Holger Rune is making his ATP Tour return this week. The Dane returned to action in the Davis Cup earlier in September following an Achilles injury, which he suffered in Stockholm last October. Rune plays Kyrian Jacquet in the first round and could meet sixth seed Casper Ruud in the second round. Rune is in Fritz’s section of the draw. Jacquet is enjoying a career-best week in Hangzhou, where he is in the semi-finals.