The 50th edition of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament promises to be one of the best ever as a host of great players descend on Rotterdam as the European indoor hard-court swing continues.
Defending champion Felix Auger-Aliassime, who won his first ATP World Tour title at this event last year, is joined by Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev among the stars to enter the ATP 500 event.
First quarter
Tsitsipas is playing his first tournament since losing in the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic and should he get past Emil Ruusuvuori, the top seed could face Montpellier champion Jannik Sinner, who opens up against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi.
Stan Wawrinka has lost five of his last seven matches and hasn't won since the Basel Indoors event last fall. The 2015 major champion faces a tough opener against doubles partner Alexander Bublik. Richard Gasquet plays seventh seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the other match in this section.
Prediction: Carreno Busta def. Sinner
Second quarter
Fourth seed Holger Rune is coming off of a semifinal showing in Montpellier and the Paris Masters champion continues to climb the rankings. Should he defeat qualifier Constant Lestienne, a second-round date with wild card Gijs Brouwer or Marc-Andrea Huesler awaits.
Qualifier Mikael Ymer will take on another Dutch wild card in Talon Griekspoor while the other match in this section sees Zverev, seeded eighth, continue his comeback from ankle surgery against Soon-woo Kwon.
Prediction: Rune def. Zverev
Third quarter
Sixth seed Daniil Medvedev will look to regain the form that carried him to a title indoors in Vienna last fall, but he has a tough first-round matchup against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Botic van de Zandschulp takes on Borna Coric in the other match in this section.
2016 finalist David Goffin will look to go one better as he faces French qualifier Gregoire Barrere while a second-round showdown with Auger-Aliassime looms should the Canadian get past Lorenzo Sonego to open his title defense.
Prediction: Auger-Aliassime def. Medvedev
Fourth quarter
Fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz has reached the quarterfinals or better in four of his last six tournaments, but the big-serving Pole faces a tough opener in the form of veteran Roberto Bautista Agut. 2016 champion Grigor Dimitrov plays qualifier Aslan Karatsev in the other match in this section.
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Maxime Cressy reached the final in Montpellier, falling to Sinner and he starts here against the third Dutch wild card Tim van Rijthoven. Second seed and 2021 champion Andrey Rublev will meet Alex de Minaur to start out his 2023 campaign.
Prediction: Dimitrov def. Rublev
Semifinals
Rune def. Carreno Busta; Auger-Aliassime def. Dimitrov
Final
Auger-Aliassime def. Rune
