Frances Tiafoe to challenge Medvedev, Khachanov and Shapovalov in..
The ASB Class"c in Auckland will take place between January 13-18, serving as the last chance for the players to shape up their game before the first Grand Slam of the season at the Australian Open. The ASB Tennis Arena is undergoing significant improvements ahead of January, transforming the famous Yock Stand and preparing everything for a retractable roof that should come in the upcoming years. World no. 4 Daniil Medvedev had been the first confirmed player for Auckland 2020 and the organizers had signed another Russian top-10 star, with Karen Khachanov signing to play the ASB Classic for the third time in last four years.
The third confirmed player is another young gun from the top-15, with Denis Shapovalov who comes to Auckland for the third straight year. Following a similar pattern, another young gun Frances Tiafoe will also fight for the crown in January, making his Auckland debut and hoping to challenge the better-ranked opponents. Tiafoe cracked the top-30 after a thrilling campaign in Melbourne, becoming the youngest Major quarter-finalist from the USA since 2003 and hoping for more of the same in the rest of the season.
After four early losses in the upcoming tournaments, the American reached the quarter-final in Miami for another notable result and more points on his tally, staying around the 30th position at that moment but slowly losing ground in the rankings following many exits in the early stages of the tournaments and three small ATP 250 quarter-finals. In his last Next Gen Finals campaign in Milan, Frances lost to Alex de Minaur in the semi-final, ready to make a fresh start in 2020 and fight for the place in the top-30 again.
"Frances is one of the most exciting and entertaining players you're likely to see on the court. His passion is there for everyone to see, and he takes you on a ride with him. He is a big match player and loves the spotlight, possessing the game to back it up. He is so physical in the way that he plays something that sets him up across all surfaces. He is certainly part of this next generation of players who are breaking through to lead the ATP Tour. It's fascinating for us. We're going to have a mix of real established superstars like Serena being joined by the future of the sport in Bianca, Daniil, Shapo, Karen and now Frances. It is shaping up to be a great two weeks," said ASB Classic tournament director Karl Budge.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2Q7DTcO
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