Players Look To Make One Final Push In Lyon And Geneva Ahead Of Roland Garros - UBITENNIS
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Players Look To Make One Final Push In Lyon And Geneva Ahead Of Roland Garros

Six top 20 players are set to be in action at events taking place this week.

By Adam Addicott
5 Min Read
Dominic Thiem (zimbio.com)

With only seven days to go until the start of the French Open, the likes of Dominic Thiem, Fabio Fognini and Stan Wawrinka are looking for a last-minute boost at a duo of ATP 250 events taking place this week.

In Switzerland the Geneva Open will take place for the third consecutive year. Held at the Tennis Club de Genève, just two top 20 players are set feature in the draw. Sam Querrey will play in the tournament for a third consecutive year. He is yet to progress beyond the quarter-finals, but did win the doubles title back in 2016 alongside Steve Johnson. Querrey is yet to win an ATP title on the clay.

Second seed Fabio Fognini recently illustrated his talent on the clay at the Italian Open. Knocking out Madrid runner-up Thiem before taking a set off Rafael Nadal. Unlike his American rival, all six of Fognini’s ATP titles have occurred on the clay. Including one earlier this year in Brazil.

Perhaps the most talked about player in the tournament will be defending champion Stan Wawrinka. The three-time grand slam champion has been blighted by knee problems over the past two seasons and underwent surgery last year. He has already missed three months of action this year due to a recurrence of the issue, but is maintaining an upbeat perspective.

“My level is really high, better than what I expected,” Wawrinka said following his first round exit in Rome. “I’m happy with physically where I am right now.”

Wawrinka is already a two-time champion in Geneva. He will open up his campaign against either Denis Istomin or Jared Donaldson.

Other notable names in the draw include David Ferrer, who will play his first tournament since Miami, Frances Tiafoe and Ivo Karlovic.

Thiem’s Lyon mission

In France, the Lyon Open has a quartet of top 20 players taking part. Top seed Thiem will be playing on the tour for a fifth consecutive week ahead of Roland Garros. The Austrian has experienced a mixed couple of weeks with a run to the Madrid final being followed by a first round exit in Rome. For him, Lyon is all about tuning up parts of his game ahead of the French major.

“My feelings are good, I’m playing well,” Thiem told a press conference in Rome. “I was fighting well from the first to the last ball. I will play Lyon next week, and there I can adjust some things on my game. I can have some more practice days. And, hopefully, some more matches.”

Miami Open champion John Isner has been known in the past for being a tricky player on the clay. Illustrated by the time he took Nadal to five sets at the 2011 French Open. The American is 3-3 on the clay so far this season. Making Lyon a prime place where he can pick up a confidence boost.

Currently ranked 143rd in the race for London, Jack Sock has failed to carry over the momentum he generated at the end of last year. Despite being seeded third in the tournament, he is yet to win back-to-back matches this year. Placing his title hopes in serious doubt.

Last year’s champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is currently absent from the tour as he recovers from surgery on his knee.

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