Carlos Alcaraz won Indian Wells last week (Image: Getty)
This week, two ATP 500 events take place on grass, showcasing some of the world’s finest players. The tournaments in Halle and London are scheduled from June 19th to 25th.
At the Cinch Championships in London, top seed Carlos Alcaraz makes his debut in the event. The Spanish player is joined by Holger Rune and former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who are also competing for the title.
In Halle, Daniil Medvedev takes the lead as the top seed. The Russian player reached the championship match at this event last year. Notably, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios are also part of the strong field in Germany.
eurosportplux.com looks ahead at five things to watch at each event.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH AT QUEEN’S CLUB
1) Alcaraz Makes Tournament Debut: With a career record of 4-2 on grass, the current World No. 2 is set to compete for his fifth title of the season. This week marks Carlos Alcaraz’s first appearance in a grass event outside of Wimbledon, where he impressed by reaching the fourth round last year. Making his debut at the Queen’s Club, Alcaraz holds the top seed position and will face a qualifier in his opening match.
2) Red-Hot Murray In Action: Coming off two consecutive ATP Challenger Tour titles on grass, Andy Murray arrives at The Queen’s Club with confidence. The Scottish player emerged victorious in Surbiton and Nottingham, becoming one of only three players to win three Challenger Tour titles this season. As a record five-time champion at the Cinch Championships, the 36-year-old Murray aims to continue his impressive form and make a strong impact in the tournament.
3) Early-Round Blockbusters: In the opening round, seventh seed Alex de Minaur is set to face off against three-time major champion Andy Murray. Meanwhile, second seed Holger Rune will take on the serve-and-volley player Maxime Cressy. Cressy, who had a winless clay swing, will be eager to continue his transition to grass, a surface where he has experienced success. The 26-year-old notably triumphed at the ATP 250 event in Newport last year and reached the final in Eastbourne.
4) Raonic Continues Return: After a 23-month absence from competition, Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic made his comeback last week in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The 32-year-old secured a victory over Miomir Kecmanovic in the opening round but was ultimately defeated by Jordan Thompson. Now, Raonic will have another opportunity to face Thompson as they meet in the first round of the Queen’s Club tournament.
