Alcaraz, Rune Return On The Grass At Queen’s; Murray 5-Time Champion

Youth will be served this week on the grass at Queen’s Club in London where a pair of 20-year-olds top the charts.

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz opens his season on the turf along with fellow 20-year-old Holger Rune.

“I wasn’t able to practice too much at home, we have no grass courts, so it’s been a bit difficult to adapt the movement and the shots on the grass but I’m really happy with the practice I’ve had here so far,” Alcaraz said to the Queen’s website.

“After the French Open I had four days off to rest a little bit and turn my mind off. I picked up a racket and practiced for three days back at home but that was on a hard court. I tried to make similar movements on the hard courts that you’d make on the grass but obviously it’s never the same.”

Alcaraz hopes to figure out the green stuff.

“There are a lot of players who slide on grass and I’m not one of them, so I have to think a lot more about my movement and be really focused on every move and every shot I make,” he said.

“It can be more tiring because you’re constantly moving. It’s totally different to the other surfaces and I have to put in a specific type of work to get ready for it.”

Lorenzo Musetti and new French teen Arthur Fils also lead the younger generation.

Top seeds this week are: 1 Carlos Alcaraz, 2 Holger Rune, 3 Taylor Fritz, 4 Frances Tiafoe, 5 Cameron Norrie, 6 Lorenzo Musetti, 7 Alex De Minaur, 8 Francisco Cerundolo.

No. 1 Alcaraz is projected to meet 8 Cerundolo in his quarter, No. 4 Tiafoe – 5 Norrie, No. 7 De Minaur – 3 Fritz, and in the bottom quarter it’s 6 seed Musetti – 2 Rune.

The semifinals could see Carlos Alcaraz-Frances Tiafoe and Holger Rune-Taylor Fritz.

The top seeded Alcaraz opens with the 19-year-old powerhouse Arthur Fils then gets the winner of Jiri Lehecka-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

The second seeded Rune begins with the dangerous big-serving American Maxime Cressy then gets the winner of Ugo Humbert or British wildcard Ryan Peniston.

Five-time champion Andy Murray will face Alex De Minaur in the opening round. Murray just won back-to-back challengers to start his grass season. Former finalist Milos Raonic also resumes his comeback against Jordan Thompson.

Some of the other first round matches: Jiri Lehecka-Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Grigor Dimitrov-Emil Ruusuvuori, Tommy Paul-Francisco Cerundolo, Frances Tiafoe-Botic Van De Zandschulp, Sebastian Korda-Daniel Evans, Miomir Kecmanovic-Cameron Norrie and JJ Wolf-Ben Shelton.

Former champions: Dimitrov, Murray(5)
Former finalists: Norrie

Last year, (2) Matteo Berrettini defeated Filip Krajinovic 7-5, 6-4.

LAST 10 QUEEN’S CLUB CHAMPIONS/FINALS
2022 Matteo Berrettini d Filip Krajinovic 7-5 6-4
2021 Matteo Berrettini d Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3
2019 Feliciano Lopez d Gilles Simon 6-2 6-7(4) 7-6(2)
2018 Marin Cilic d Novak Djokovic 5-7 7-6(4) 6-3
2017 Feliciano Lopez d Marin Cilic 4-6 7-6(2) 7-6(8)
2016 Andy Murray d Milos Raonic 6-7(5) 6-4 6-3
2015 Andy Murray d Kevin Anderson 6-3 6-4
2014 Grigor Dimitrov d Feliciano Lopez 6-7(8) 7-6(1) 7-6(6)
2013 Andy Murray d Marin Cilic 5-7 7-5 6-3
2012 Marin Cilic d David Nalbandian 6-7(3) 4-3 DEF

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