South African Kevin Anderson stepped up his bid on Thursday for one of the four remaining places at the Nitto ATP Finals when he knocked out #NextGenATP South Korean Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-2 for a place in the Intrum Stockholm Open quarter-finals. The second seed struck 18 aces and won 28 of his 32 first-service points to improve to a 32-18 mark on the season.

“In the beginning I felt I was hitting the ball great and I was creating opportunities,” said Anderson. “He was hanging in there and it took me quite a few attempts to break serve. He defends so well and is a great athlete, so for me to come off the court with that scoreline feels good.” He will next face Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.

Anderson, this year’s US Open and Citi Open finalist, is at No. 12 in the Emirates ATP Race To London with 2,450 points — 155 points behind ninth-placed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain, who sits in the final qualification berth for the season finale, to be held at The O2 in London from 12-19 November. Chung is No. 8 in Emirates ATP Race To Milan for a spot at next month’s inaugural 21-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals with 760 points, having been overtaken by Russian Daniil Medvedev (772 points) who won today at the VTB Kremlin Cup. Medvedev knocked out Carreno Busta in Moscow.

Fifth-seeded German wild card Mischa Zverev will take on top seed and 2013 champion Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria or Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz after he moved past Viktor Troicki 6-2, 6-3.

Elsewhere, seventh-seeded Japanese Yuichi Sugita recorded his 22nd match win of a career-best season by knocking out 2009 champion Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in one hour and 49 minutes. The Antalya Open titlist will now face fourth seed and defending champion Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina or Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff on Friday.

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The 2017 BNP Paribas Open, the largest ATP World Tour and WTA combined two-week event in the world, held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this past March, generated an estimated total gross economic impact on the Coachella Valley regional economy of $406,602,107.

This represents an increase of more than $32 million since 2014, when the last BNP Paribas Open economic impact study was conducted and the estimated total gross economic impact was $373 million. Since a 2006 study, there has been an increase of more than $187 million in economic impact.

“The positive impact of the BNP Paribas Open on the city of Indian Wells and the entire region continues to grow each year, bringing not only economic but also cultural and social benefits to our residents, visitors and guests,” said Richard Balocco, the mayor of the City of Indian Wells. “We look forward to working together with the tournament for years to come to continue showcasing all that Indian Wells has to offer and providing a top-notch experience for all tournament patrons.”

Total gross economic impact is derived by calculating the direct ($262,323,940) and indirect and induced ($144,278,167) economic impacts and then adding them together to show the incremental spending above and beyond what would have been expected had the BNP Paribas Open not been held in the area. Direct spending includes money spent by out-of-town visitors, vendors, sponsors, and the tournament organization to a business in the region. Indirect and induced impact is the re-spending of this money by the regional businesses in the regional economy.

The tournament also studied the impact that the renovations to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden had on the 2017 tournament, and when this is factored into the equation, the gross economic impact rose to $466,943,364. Based on the total direct economic impact, the full-time equivalents of those employed by the event is estimated at 5,015 and 5,759 when considering the facility construction as well.

A total of 439,261 fans attended the tournament over the two-week period earlier this year. On average each person attended the tournament 3.09 days. An impressive 87 percent of all unique spectators traveled from outside the region equating to 123,675 out-of-town visitors from which the economic impact is calculated.

The total fiscal impact of the BNP Paribas Open on the Coachella Valley was estimated at just over $19,000,000, generated through tax revenues for city and county governments in the form of sales tax, Transient Occupancy Tax and property tax.

“The BNP Paribas Open consistently attracts record-breaking numbers of visitors from all over the country and the world who come to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden to experience the best in not only tennis, but also dining and entertainment,” said Piero Pierattoni, the owner of Piero’s PizzaVino and Mamma Gina. “We’re thrilled to deliver on those expectations year-after-year, and look forward to the continued mutual growth and success.”

The study, conducted by The George Washington University, uses estimates for direct and indirect impact that are based on industry standard methodology, visitor survey results, and the data provided by the organizers and sponsors.

Daniil Medvedev ensured that it will be a close finish in the battle to qualify for next month’s inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan when the #NextGenATP Russian caused an upset at the VTB Kremlin Cup on Thursday.

The 21-year-old Medvedev played with great poise to overcome top-seeded Spaniard and defending champion Pablo Carreno Busta, vying for a place at the Nitto ATP Finals in London, 6-3, 6-3 in 81 minutes.

“I’m very happy to have beaten Pablo, someone who is attempting to qualify for the [Nitto] ATP Finals,” said Medvedev. “I’m happy with the way I’m feeling on the court. I was serving well and I was only disappointed that I couldn’t hold the first break in the second set.”

The result moves Medvedev up one spot to No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan — and into a qualification berth — on 772 points, after Hyeon Chung (760 points) lost to Kevin Anderson at the Intrum Stockholm Open today. Carreno Busta remains at No. 9 in the Emirates ATP Race To London.

Medvedev now plays Bosnia and Herzegovinan qualifier Mirza Basic, who was solid on serve to breeze into his first ATP World Tour quarter-final with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Laslo Djere of Serbia in 46 minutes.

Carreno Busta was not the only favourite to lose Thursday, as #NextGenATP Alexander Bublik continued his tremendous Moscow run by eliminating second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.

“It feels amazing, one of the best feelings in my life,” Bublik said. “Now I feel like maybe I could be there [in Milan].”

The lucky loser maintained his faint hopes in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, saving a break point while down 4-6, 3-3 before capturing 10 of the final 14 games to earn the third Top 25 victory of his career. He advances to his second ATP World Tour quarter-final (2016 Moscow). Bublik now has 504 points in the Race and has moved up to the No. 11 spot.  

The Kazakh will next face Ricardas Berankis, who overcame Serbian Filip Krajinovic, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in one hour, 55 minutes.

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Second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is bidding to capture his 16th ATP World Tour title this week, moved into his eighth quarter-final (or better) this year by beating fellow Frenchman and qualifier Kenny De Schepper 6-4, 6-3 in 88 minutes at the European Open.

Tsonga, who is 30-13 on the season, will next face another compatriot, 35-year-old Julien Benneteau. Tsonga has already lifted silverware in 2017 at the ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Goffin), the Open 13 in Marseille (d. Pouille) and the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon in Lyon (d. Berdych).

David Goffin maintained his good form, also advancing to the quarter-finals with a 7-6(1), 6-2 win against #NextGenATP Frances Tiafoe. The Belgian, who won back-to-back titles at the Shenzhen Open and the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2017, is in the No. 8 slot in the Emirates ATP Race To London with 2,750 points. He seeks his second appearance at The O2 in London after appearing last year as an alternate, playing Novak Djokovic.

Goffin was broken in just his second service game of the match, but managed to retrieve it immediately. He then staved off four Tiafoe break opportunities later in the set before surging to a 6/0 lead in the tie-break, an advantage he did not relinquish. The 26 year old lost just three points on serve in the second set, winning double the number of points.

The Belgian stalled Tiafoe’s bid in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan. The American is No. 9 in the race with 662 points, currently 110 points behind Daniil Medvedev, who won on Thursday in Moscow to jump into seventh, the final automatic qualifying spot.

One player who also bolstered his chances in the same Race in Antwerp was Goffin’s next opponent, #NextGenATP and Greek qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas, who booked a spot in his first ATP World Tour quarter-final on Thursday when leading Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6(4), 5-6. Karlovic retired after injuring his left ankle while serving. 

Fourth seed and last year’s finalist Diego Schwartzman needed one hour and 41 minutes to beat #NextGenATP American Ernesto Escobedo 6-3, 7-6(5) for a place in the quarter-finals against fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer, who beat Steve Darcis, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

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Phil Cello has been running tennis tournaments, including ATP Challenger Tour events, for the past 35 years. But Cello and his army of workers and volunteers have never had an experience like last week’s NorthBay Healthcare Men’s Pro Championship, where the on-court action at the $100,000 ATP Challenger tournament was secondary to fans, players and officials.

The host site, Solano Community College, was just miles from wildfires that were ravaging Northern California, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes and devastating communities across the region. Signs of the ongoing destruction were omnipresent at the tournament.

Every day, on their way to the courts, players walked by the college’s cafeteria, which had been turned into an evacuation center for affected families. Instead of 18 and 19 year olds exhausting their meal plans, the cafeteria featured rows of cots and tables of food for individuals who had been forced from their homes.

Outside, organisers handed out gas masks throughout the week as air quality worsened because of nearby billowing smoke. Officials stopped play altogether on Wednesday, after only three of 10 scheduled matches had been contested, because of deteroriating air quality, said Keith Crossland, the tournament’s ATP Challenger Tour supervisor.

Some players watching Wednesday’s early matches donned gas masks but none of the on-court competitors did, Crossland said. Felix Auger-Aliassime played in one of those matches, falling to Serbia’s Nikola Milojevic 6-2, 6-4. That same day, the 17-year-old Canadian withdrew from doubles, citing “respiratory illness”, Crossland said.

A handful of players had to evacuate the homes they were living in and, with help from tournament officials, find new temporary homes while they played in the tournament.

The tournament, itself, almost had to be relocated as well. On Wednesday, the fires were within a valley of reaching the college, Cello said. A powerful gust of wind would have forced an evacuation of the campus, which had already been shut down, save for the skeleton crew running the evacuation center.

“Had we had a little more wind and just at the wrong moment, we might have had to abandon the tournament,” said Cello, who had made contingency plans for the tournament to be moved to the University of California, Davis, about 30 miles from Fairfield. “We dodged a very big bullet.”

Ultimately, the tournament stayed at the community college, and players and officials attempted to provide a distraction for the families whose lives had been interrupted by the flames. Players were also reminded of what really matters during such dire weeks.

California wildfires put things into perspective for @SamGrothTennis: https://t.co/lhIROZ1SnO #MyTennisLife pic.twitter.com/EXHve5QBiu

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 16, 2017

Aussie Sam Groth on his #MyTennisLife Tennis Channel blog wrote: “The week in Fairfield was not really as much about the tennis as it was with the bushfires that have been wreaking havoc in the Nap area (sic). Several players had to be evacuated from their housing and the evacuation center was right next to the tennis courts. It really puts in to perspective what playing tennis means, when you have people who have fled their homes, not knowing if they will be there when they return.”

Cello was impressed by Groth and the other players. Not once did he hear an athlete groan about having to change homes or about playing in such conditions.

“That was a real positive thing to come from this,” said Cello, who had to evacuate his own home at 2 a.m. Tuesday and didn’t return until Saturday evening. “I never really heard a player say, ‘This is crazy. We shouldn’t be playing’. They were all really nice.”

The players were aware that thousands were having it much worse in California. To date, the fires have killed at least 41 people and destroyed more than 5,700 structures and 200,000 acres. “It’s the biggest and most deadliest wildfire in California history,” Cello said.

On Sunday, the tournament finished on time and under blue skies. It was a fitting final for “The Golden State”, as California natives Mackenzie McDonald and Bradley Klahn played for the crown. McDonald prevailed 6-4, 6-2 for his first ATP Challenger Tour title. After the final, they made time to help fire victims.

Both McDonald and Klahn were dunked in water. The players will now promote their “Splash for Sports” videos on their social media channels to help raise money for a wildfire relief fund.

“I just really appreciated the fact that both of those guys were willing to help,” Cello said.

Watch Their “Splash For Sports” Videos and Donate To The Wildfire Relief Fund

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VTB Kremlin Cup — Moscow, Russia

Top seed Pablo Carreno Busta enjoyed a guided tour of the Kremlin Territory and Cathedral Square, which features five famous Moscow cathedrals and the Tsar Bell, the world’s largest bell.

Local star and #NextGenATP’s Andrey Rublev assisted with the draw ceremony, held at Moscow’s TASS News Agency on Saturday.

ATP World Tour Uncovered spent the day with the rising star, visiting Rublev’s family’s restaurant, Moscow’s Red Square and his childhood tennis club.

All main draw players were treated to a special night during the Official Kremlin Cup Opening Party at Duran Bar, featuring live music, speeches and a sit-down dinner to kick-off the event.

#NextGenATP Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Bublik, Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Andrey Kuznetsov all took part in autograph sessions.

European Open — Antwerp, Belgium 

Belgium’s David Goffin and Steve Darcis took on Benoit Paire and Sebastien Grosjean of France in the European Open Pedalo Cup, a friendly paddle boat competition in the port of Antwerp. The Belgians were first to cross the finish line, with Nick Kyrgios waving the black and white checkered flag. Afterwards, the group participated in a press conference in the port house and office building.

.@David__Goffin and @stevedarcishark are the @EuroTennisOpen Pedalo Cup champions beating @benoitpaire and @sebboca29! #EuropeanOpen #pedalo pic.twitter.com/RBut2BB99j

— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 16, 2017

Goffin also enjoyed a walk around Antwerp before taking in the view from high up in the Antwerp Cathedral, where Maui Jim presented their new collection to the top Belgian. 

Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe were just a few of the players who enjoyed a laid-back night Monday, as the tournament hosted a player’s cocktail to kick off the week.

Intrum Stockholm Open — Stockholm, Sweden

Brothers Elias Ymer and Mikael Ymer took part in the opening ceremony on Sunday at their home country tournament.

Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina and Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov interacted with fans at autograph sessions.

The 21-year-old right-hander hit 16 aces and saved eight of 11 break points to outlast countryman Andrey Kuznetsov 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(6). “It’s always tough to play a friend and you always feel sorry to beat him,” Medvedev said.

The Moscow native is in eighth place in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan. The top seven qualify for the inaugural event, with the eighth spot reserved for the winner of an Italian 21-and-under tournament.

Medvedev has 747 Race points, only 13 behind seventh-placed Hyeon Chung of South Korea, who plays second seed Kevin Anderson on Thursday at the Intrum Stockholm Open. Medvedev will next face top seed and Nitto ATP Finals hopeful Pablo Carreno Busta.

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Third-seeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, who recently contested his second ATP World Tour final of the year at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2017 (l. to Goffin), knocked out qualifier Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-6(4) for a place in the quarter-finals. Mannarino will next challenge Dudi Sela, a 7-5, 6-1 victor over Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Damir Dzumhur, the sixth seed, recovered from a 0-3 deficit in the deciding set to knock out Indian qualifier Yuki Bhambri 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 27 minutes.

This year’s St. Petersburg Open titlist will next meet 2012 champion Andreas Seppi of Italy, who saved three match points to beat fourth-seeded German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3. Seppi was serving at 5-6 in the second set when he erased the trio of match points, including two in a row from 15/40.