Del Potro Returns at Munich; ATP Previews This Week

The Top 10 players are all resting-up for next week’s Masters-level Mutua Madrid Open, but there is plenty to action to look for this week, including Juan Martin del Potro returning in Munich, Gilles Simon and Nick Kyrgios headlining Estoril, and Bernie “The Tank Engine” Tomic and Grigor Dimitrov in Istanbul.

Here is a look at the fields:

BMW OPEN BY FWU AG
Munich, Germany; Surface: clay

Seeds: David Goffin, Gael Monfils, Dominic Thiem, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Fabio Fognini, Thomaz Bellucci, Vasek Pospisil, Alexander Zverev

Floaters: Juan Martin del Potro, Lukas Rosol, Ernests Gulbis, Mikhail Youzhny

Notes: The former US Open champ Del Potro returns to test his wrist, in the first round facing smokin’ German Dustin Brown…(6) Bellucci could be tested by the veteran Russian Youzhny…No Top 10 players but three from the Top 20, including the red-hot Monfils and the rocketing Thiem…The Top 4 seeds receive opening-round byes…In addition to Del Potro, other wildcards went to Germans Maximilian Marterer and Mischa Zverev…Pulling from the event were Roberto Bautista Agut, Simone Bolelli and Jeremy Chardy…In last year’s final Andy Murray edged Kohlschreiber 7-6 in the third for the title…Former champs in the field are Kohlschreiber (2012,’07), and Youzhny (2010).

MILLENNIUM ESTORIL OPEN
Estoril, Portugal; Surface: clay

Seeds: Gilles Simon, Nick Kyrgios, Benoit Paire, Joao Sousa, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Borna Coric, Leonardo Mayer, Pablo Carreno Busta

Floaters: Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco, Nicolas Almagro

Notes: Not a lot of unseeded talent but (8) Carreno Busta will have his hands full in his opener against Hot Sauce, and (4) Sousa is looking at the veteran Almagro in the second round…Wildcards were awarded to Portugal’s Frederico Ferreira Silva and Pedro Sousa, and Spain’s Verdasco…Withdrawing from the field were Gilles Muller, Tommy Robredo, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Dmitry Tursunov…The absent Richard Gasquet beat Kyrgios in last year’s final.

TEB BNP PARIBAS ISTANBUL OPEN
Istanbul, Turkey; Surface: clay

Seeds: Bernard Tomic, Grigor Dimitrov, Ivo Karlovic, Federico Delbonis, Marcel Granollers, Jiri Vesely, Teymuraz Gabashvili, Albert Ramos-Vinolas

Floaters: none

Notes: No Top 20 players, but Istanbul you do have Bernie “The Tank Engine” Tomic! For at least a round…Wildcards went to Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan and Cem Ilkel, and Russian Karen Khachanov…Pulling from the event were Juan Monaco and Rajeev Ram…Apparently part of Tomic’s guarantee package was that he has to play doubles with Turkey’s Ilkel?…Last year’s final saw Roger Federer defeat Pablo Cuevas for the title.