Ricky’s picks for this week’s events in Antwerp, Stockholm, and Almaty

Now that the Asian swing is over, the home stretch of the 2024 tennis season is really upon us. European hard courts mark the finale of each year, and this time around the Euro swing begins in Antwerp, Stockholm, and Almaty. A whole host of top players–including plenty of Nitto ATP Finals contenders–are in action.

Here are my picks for the three ATP 250 events.    

European Open

Where: Antwerp, Belgium  
Prize money: 690,135 Euros  
Top seed: Alex de Minaur 
2023 champion: Alexander Bublik (not playing)  

Draw analysis: Alex De Minaur has struggled with a hip injury since Wimbledon, but he still managed to book a spot in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open and he remains in Turin contention. The Aussie has a favorable draw this week, as the other seed in his section is clay-court specialist Mariano Navone and the second-highest seed in the top half is an ice-cold Felix Auger-Aliassime. 

Things are similarly up for grabs on the other side of the draw. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Sebastian Baez are the two seeds with byes, but Tsitsipas is struggling these days and Baez has never done much of anything on any surface other than clay. Jiri Lehecka, Marcos Giron, Zizou Bergs, and/or Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard could be able to capitalize.

Quarterfinal picks: Alex de Minaur over Mariano Navone, Roberto Bautista Agut over Marton Fucsovics, Marcos Giron over Zizou Bergs, and Jiri Lehecka over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

Semifinals: Bautista Agut over De Minaur and Lehecka over Giron 

Final: Bautista Agut over Lehecka 

Nordic Open

Where: Stockholm, Sweden  
Prize money: 690,135 Euros  
Top seed: Andrey Rublev 
2023 champion: Gael Monfils (not playing) 

The Stockholm draw is stacked, led by Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov, and Tommy Paul. The bottom half is especially strong, as Ruud and Dimitrov are joined by Matteo Berrettini, Tallon Griekspoor, and Lorenzo Sonego. Ruud could face Sonego in the second round and Griekspoor in the last eigth; Dimitrov could run into Berrettini as early as the quarterfinals.

Rublev may be the No. 1 seed, but he also has no easy road to the title–or even to the final. The Russian could go up against Alexandre Muller in round two, Brandon Nakashima in the quarterfinals, and Paul in the SFs.

Quarterfinal picks: Andrey Rublev over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Tommy Paul over Cameron Norrie, Matteo Berrettini over Grigor Dimitrov, and Tallon Griekspoor over Casper Ruud 

Semifinals: Paul over Rublev and Berrettini over Griekspoor  

Final: Berrettini over Paul 

Almaty Open

Where: Almaty, Kazakhstan 
Prize money: $1,036,700  
Top seed: Frances Tiafoe 
Defending champion: Adrian Mannarino 

The Almaty field boasts Tiafoe, Alejandro Tabilo, Francisco Cerundolo, Karen Khachanov, and Tomas Machac. It can’t quite compare to Antwerp and Stockholm, but this is a pretty solid draw in its own right. Based on current form, Machac probably has to be considered the favorite. The fifth-seeded Czech reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open and upset Carlos Alcaraz this past week on his way to the Shanghai semis. Machac could collide with Khachanov in the QFs and Tiafoe in the SFs. 
 
The seeded contingent is less formidable in the bottom half of the bracket, which leaves the door open for everyone. Gabriel Diallo, an on-the-rise Canadian who is really starting to break through at the ATP level, is among those who could advantage. 

Quarterfinal picks: Roman Safiullin over Frances Tiafoe, Tomas Machac over Karen Khachanov, Francisco Cerundolo over Alexander Shevchenko, and Gabriel Diallo over Alejandro Tabilo 

Semifinals: Machac over Safiullin and Diallo over Cerundolo 

Final: Machac over Diallo 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on Twitter at @Dimonator.