ATP Japan Open draw: Taylor Fritz handed brutal route with ATP Finals spot on the line
Taylor Fritz will once again have to come through a difficult draw if he is to successfully defend his Japan Open title with the American needing a good run in Tokyo if he is to stay in the hunt for a place at the ATP Finals.
Last year Fritz defeated Denis Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe to win the ATP 500 title in Asia and this year he might have to get the better of compatriot Tiafoe again.
The top seed has been handed a nightmare opener as he will face world No 16 Cameron Norrie in the first round on Tuesday and if he comes through that he will take on either Shintaro Mochizuki or Tomas Etcheverry.
Fritz is projected to meet seventh seed Karen Khachanov in the quarter-final while fourth seed Alex de Minaur, newly crowned Shanghai Masters champion Hubert Hurkacz or Tiafoe could await in the semi-final.
World No 8 Fritz is currently in ninth place in the ATP Finals Race to Turin – only 145 points behind eighth-placed Holger Rune, but the likes of Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Tommy Paul and De Minaur are also breathing down Rune’s neck.
De Minaur himself has a tricky path in Japan as he faces rising British star Jack Draper in his opener while he could face either Hurkacz or Tiafoe in the last eight.
Ruud is also in the draw and he headlines the bottom half with a much easier path.
The second seed kicks off his campaign against Yosuke Watanuki while he is projected to meet Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-final with Alexander Zverev expected to be a possible semi-final opponent.
Third seed Zverev starts off against Jordan Thompson and he could face American Ben Shelton in the second round and fifth seed Paul in the last eight. Shelton faces local qualifier Taro Daniel in round one while Paul is up against Daniel Altmaier.
Fellow ATP Finals chasing stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rune will be in action in Antwerp and Stockholm, respectively.
Tsitsipas is the top seed at the European Open and he has a bye into the second round with Dominic Stricker or Botic van de Zandschulp his second-round opponent while Arthur Fils could await in the semi-final.
Jan-Lennard Struff is the second seed and will face either Arthur Rinderknech or Hugo Gaston in the second round while Alexander Bublik is a projected semi-final opponent.
Rune will start his Stockholm Open title defence against either Miomir Kecmanovic or Karl Friberg while he could face third seed Tallon Griekspoor or seventh seed Chris Eubanks in the semi-final.
Adrian Mannarino is the second seed and either Roman Safiullin or Thiago Seyboth Wild in the second round with fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also in his half.
READ MORE: 2023 ATP Finals: How does Hubert Hurkacz’s Shanghai win affect Holger Rune and company?
