U21 Race to Milan: Stefanos Tsitsipas is in a league of his own after Rome
Just like in the previous two seasons when Alexander Zverev played way above all the other U21 rivals in the battle for the NextGen Masters, we have the same situation with Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2019. The reigning NextGen champion is by far the best youngster in the world this season, scoring Tour leading 29 ATP wins and standing on 2805 points, more than Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe behind him combined! After losing in the final in Madrid, Stefanos was the one to look at in Rome as well, advancing into the semi-final where he lost to Rafael Nadal whom he beat a week earlier at the same stage in Caja Magica.
After amazing results in the first five months of the new season, the Greek is miles ahead of the next player on the list and it is most likely he is going to skip the NextGen Masters and compete in London at the ATP Finals instead, just like Zverev in 2017 and 2018. The best player born in 2000, Felix Auger-Aliassime has won just three matches in the last four tournaments and he still has a comfortable lead over the compatriot Denis Shapovalov and Frances Tiafoe who collected 740 points.
The Norwegian Casper Ruud qualified for the main draw in Rome and grabbed two victories to pass Alex de Minaur on the list and become the sixth player who has passed the 500-point mark. Miomir Kecmanovic lost to Ruud in the second qualifying round and again in Geneva, not playing well recently but still holding that last direct spot that leads to Milan in November. Samarkand Challenger finalist Corentin Moutet is the only new player in the top-10 and needs to bring more good results to catch the players above him and get in contention for the NextGen Masters.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2VErz2J
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