Rublev looks to bury injury nightmare in ‘Next Gen’ ATP Finals

MILAN: Paris Masters champion Karen Khachanov was one of the emerging players who competed in last year’s inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan which returns on Tuesday with another batch of eight rising stars of the men’s game.

K h a c h a n ov c a p p e d a n impressive year with the “biggest achievement” of his career as he stunned Novak Djokovic 7- 5, 6- 4 in Sunday’s Paris Masters final.

But for fellow Russian Andrey Rublev — who finished runner-up to South Korean Chung Hyeon in Milan last year — the 12 months since have been mixed.

The 21-year- old has been slowly returning after three months out with a back injury, dropping from a career- high ranking of 31 in February to 78 now.

Rublev is trying to go one better than last year in an eight-player field where Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas is the highest ranked player at 16.

“I didn’t watch tennis at all for these three months,” said Rublev.

“I didn’t want to know anything at all about it... I was not surprised, but I didn’t know than many NextGen players like Tsitsipas ... were so high in the ATP Rankings.”

“Now, I am feeling great,” added Rublev, the only Russian in this year’s field compared to three last year. “Physically, I am feeling stronger than before the injury.”

The line-up also includes 19-yearold Australian Alex de Minaur, ranked 31; Americans Taylor Fritz ( 40) and Frances Tiafoe (44), Spaniard Jaume Munar (80), Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz (79), and Italian wildcard Liam Caruana.

Rublev has been drawn in Group B in the round robin tournament alongside Fritz, de Minaur and Caruana with Tsitsipas in Group A with Munar, Hurkacz and Tiafoe

The tournament showcases new innovations and this year for the first time a towel rack being placed at the back of court, meaning ballkids will no longer have to run to players with their towels.

Warm-up will only be for four minutes and not five like last year, starting from the time the second player walks on to the court. — AFP