Top 10 ‘Next-Gen’ Players in bid to make Milan Finals
Posted on September 19 2017
Find out who’s winning the race to the Next Gen Finals in Milan!
The Milan finals shall be the first of their kind bringing together the best the world has to offer under 21. It will also be the first ever event to be umpired solely by Hawk-Eye. With a great year for the next Gen and a growing buzz around the upcoming finals, I for one, can’t wait to see what happens and who takes home the title! So, let’s see who’s in and who’s out of the 8 man tournament.
Alexander is the younger of the two Zverev’s who have both had brilliant years on tour. He is also the only #nextgen player to have qualified for the next gen finals in Milan already. This year has seen Zverev take his ranking from 24 to 4 in the world making him many pundits favourite for the oddly scored tournament. In 2017 the young German has amassed five ATP titles; ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Canada, Washington, ATP World Tour Masters Rome, Munich, and Montpellier.
19 Year Old, Andrey Rublev has made a late surge to the top of the race to Milan after his Quarter Final appearance in the US Open. His performances in New York capped off the end of a great summer for the young Russian which saw him win his first title in Umag Croatia back in July. 2017 has been a career changing year for Rublev with a move from 156 to 37 in the ATP rankings.
Sitting just below Rublev in the overall ATP rankings at 32, Khachanov, 21, is another young Russian very likely to qualify for the Novermber tournament in Milan. The 6’6” right hander has also had an impressive summer making the round of 16 in the French Open, where he fell to Andy Murray, and in the Gerry Webber Open where he beat compatriot Rublev to lose to Federer in the Semi-Finals.
Still waiting on Milan to ask to use our ball collectors! :p
After his internet-breaking accident in which he hit an umpire in a Canadian Davis Cup match by smacking a ball in anger and after his heroics in the Roger’s Cup and US Open, Shapovalov doesn’t need much of an introduction. The Canadian has stormed onto the scene in the last couple of months amassing some big heads on his way. With his big serve and huge lefty forehand; he will be a hard to beat, especially in the shortened set format.
The 20 year old Croatian seems to have been around for a long time, which makes it hard to believe he is only 20 years old! Coric had an impressive win over Zverev in the 2nd round of the US Open but lost to Kevin Anderson in the third. He now sits at 56 in the world and is 5th in the race to Milan.
20 Year Old Donaldsen is the leader of the growing contingent of talented young Americans. He made the QF’s of Cinnicinati losing to Isner, 6-7 5-7 and has an overall win/loss ratio this year of 18-17.
The Russians are taking over the youngest generation of ATP professionals and Medvedev is another in a long list of talent. He sits at 62 in the world and 7 in the race for Milan.
Potential Wild Card Spots:
Finally, Hyeon Chung, the South Korean who sits at 46 in the world, Americans Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Ernesto Escobado all have good chances of the final position in the tournament which will be offered as a wild card.