After back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, the ATP Tour moves to Winston-Salem next week for an ATP 250 event, the Winston-Salem Open.
Plenty of stars will try to secure important PIF ATP Rankings points, including defending champion Sebastian Baez, third-seeded wild card Francisco Cerundolo and fourth seed Adrian Mannarino.
Francisco Cerundolo — replacing 0 points
Cerundolo has never competed in Winston-Salem before, but he arrives at the ATP 250 to pursue his first hard-court title on the ATP Tour.
The Argentine made his only ATP Masters 1000 semi-final on hard court (2022 Miami), the same surface Winston-Salem is played on. Despite a first-round loss to Karen Khachanov in Cincinnati, he has shown signs of his best tennis in recent weeks, winning his third tour-level trophy last month in Umag. Third seed Cerundolo will face Laslo Djere or a qualifier in his opening match.
The 25-year-old can only add points to his rankings breakdown this week, which makes him a good selection for your team.
Alex Michelsen — replacing 25 points
The Cincinnati draw shows that the #NextGenATP American lost in the second round of the main draw. But Michelsen put up a tough fight against Jannik Sinner and also battled through qualifying, proving his form is in good shape.
The two-time Newport finalist continues to climb the PIF ATP Rankings and has another chance to make a move during Winston-Salem, where he will chase his first title. The 19-year-old will also be confident on the back of his run to the Washington quarter-finals, where he pushed eventual finalist Flavio Cobolli to a final-set tie-break.
Nuno Borges replacing 20 points
The Portuguese standout won his first tour-level title earlier this year in Bastad on clay. However, he is plenty comfortable on hard courts. A fourth-round finisher at this year’s Australian Open, Borges played college tennis — on hard courts — at Mississippi State University.
Borges is the eighth seed in Winston-Salem and will play James Duckworth or Thiago Seyboth Wild in his opening match.
Bonus Ball — Alex Michelsen
Michelsen is the 11th seed and has never claimed an ATP Tour title. But why not back the teen now for a big run? The American has proven he enjoys quicker surfaces, where he is able to maximise his serve and use his all-court game to work his way into his opponent’s service games.
With plenty of room to add net points in Winston-Salem, doubling up that number could mean a big week for your PIF ATP Rankings Predictor team.
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