Scouting Report
Scouting Report: Rublev, Auger-Aliassime headline action in Montpellier
An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week
January 26, 2025
Corinne Dubreuil/Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Richard Gasquet will all compete in Montpellier this week.
By ATP Staff
The ATP Tour heads to Europe this week for the first indoor hard-court action of 2025 at the Open Occitanie in Montpellier.
Top 10 star Andrey Rublev leads the field in the south of France, where Felix Auger-Aliassime and defending champion Alexander Bublik will also compete. Former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka plays as a wild card, while home favourite Richard Gasquet, who has triumphed in Montpellier a joint-record three times, is set to make his farewell appearance at the ATP 250.
ATPTour.com looks at five things to watch this week.
FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN MONTPELLIER
1) Top Seed Rublev: The hard-hitting Rublev heads to Montpellier chasing his first match win of the 2025 season following early exits in Hong Kong and at the Australian Open. The 27-year-old will be confident of finding his best form under the roof in Montpellier: he has won six of his 16 ATP Tour titles indoors. Rublev, who will open against Christopher Eubanks or a qualifier, reached the quarter-finals on his only previous event appearance in 2018.
2) Can Felix Fire In France?: In contrast to Rublev, Auger-Aliassime has already notched six tour-level wins this year, including four en route to the title at the Adelaide International. The Canadian, who is currently No. 23 in the PIF ATP Rankings, will aim to improve on his 2024 semi-final run in Montpellier when he chases his sixth indoor hard-court ATP Tour crown. The 24-year-old, who is the second seed, will begin his tournament against Wawrinka or Frenchman Arthur Cazaux.
3) Bublik Chases Montpellier Hat-trick: The man Auger-Aliassime fell to in the last four a year ago was Bublik, who went on to clinch his second Montpellier title in three years. The Kazakhstani is 10-2 at the ATP 250 event. The fourth seed, who also has a bye, will play German Dominik Koepfer or French wild card Gregoire Barrere in the second round.
4) Gasquet, Wawrinka In Action: Home fans will have their final chance in Montpellier to cheer on three-time titlist Gasquet, who last year announced he plans to retire after 2025 Roland Garros. The Frenchman is 28-9 in Montpellier, where he triumphed in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Another former Top 10 star, Wawrinka, will make his event debut, while 2018 titlist Lucas Pouille and 2021 winner David Goffin join Gasquet and Bublik as former champions in the draw.
5) Doumbia/Reboul Defend Crown: In 2024, Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul lifted their maiden ATP Tour title on home soil (and second overall) by triumphing in Montpellier. They will hope to channel local support to great effect once again. The top-seeded pair’s rivals in this year’s draw include second seeds Jamie Murray/Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hong Kong champions Sander Arends/Luke Johnson. Wawrinka is playing doubles with Cazaux, his first-round singles opponent.
Andrey Rublev and Felix Auger-Aliassime headline the exciting field at the upcoming Montpellier tournament on the ATP Tour. As two of the rising stars in men’s tennis, fans can expect some thrilling matches as they battle it out on the court.
Rublev, currently ranked No. 8 in the world, has been in top form recently, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and clinching the title in Rotterdam last year. Known for his powerful baseline game and aggressive style of play, the Russian will be a formidable opponent for anyone in the draw.
Meanwhile, Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 12, has also been making waves on the tour with his dynamic playing style and impressive results. The Canadian reached the final in Marseille last year and will be looking to make a strong showing in Montpellier.
With other talented players like David Goffin and Jannik Sinner also set to compete, tennis fans can look forward to a week of high-quality matches and intense competition. Stay tuned for all the action at the Montpellier tournament as Rublev, Auger-Aliassime, and the rest of the field battle it out for the title.
Tags:
Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Montpellier, ATP Tour, tennis, players, tournament, rankings, match, schedule, results, competition, sports, event, France, professional, athletes
#Andrey #Rublev #Felix #AugerAliassime #lead #Montpellier #field #ATP #Tour
Leave a Reply