Strong Fields in St. Petersburg, Metz: There are two European indoor tournaments on the ATP World Tour this week with the St. Petersburg Open and Moselle Open in Metz. These are the first two of 13 tournaments leading into the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. A maximum of 3,750 Emirates ATP Ranking points are on the line over the next seven weeks before the season finale in London, 13-20 November. Four players in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Race To London standings are in action this week, led by No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, No. 4 Milos Raonic and No. 9 Tomas Berdych in St. Petersburg, and No. 7 Dominic Thiem in Metz.

Emirates ATP Race To London: Seven of the Top 16 players in the Emirates ATP Race To London standings are competing this week. There are five remaining spots to the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Wawrinka, No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, has already qualified. Here is a look at the Race standings and players in action this week:

+ Metz # St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg Open (St. Petersburg): The St. Petersburg Open celebrates its 21st edition. The tournament is being held at the world-class Sibur Arena for the second straight year after the event was held from 1995 to 2013 at the St. Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex. The event was not held in 2014.

Leading the way is US Open champion Wawrinka, who is making his tournament debut. The other seeds are No. 2/reigning champion Raonic, No. 3 Berdych, No. 4 Bautista Agut, No. 5 Alexander Zverev, No. 6 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, No. 7 Viktor Troicki and No. 8 Joao Sousa.

There are three former champions in the field: Mikhail Youzhny (2004), Mikhail Kukushkin (2010) and reigning champ Raonic.

Stan Makes Russian Debut: Top seed Wawrinka is playing his first ATP World Tour tournament in Russia. The top Swiss player qualified for his fourth consecutive Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London after winning the US Open title. Wawrinka’s only previous pro tournament in Russia came at the St. Petersburg Challenger in August 2004 when he lost in the final to Jean-Rene Lisnard. Wawrinka was ranked No. 159 at the time.

He has won his last 11 finals he has appeared in since 2014 after compiling a 4-9 finals record from 2005-2013. The Lausanne native is tied for the second most titles on the ATP World Tour this season at four with Murray and Thiem. All of them trail Djokovic, who has seven.

Milos Reigning Champ: Raonic looks to defend an ATP World Tour title for the third time in his career. The 25-year-old Canadian won his first ATP World Tour title in San Jose in 2011, and he defended his title in 2012 and 2013. Five of Raonic’s eight ATP World Tour titles have come indoors. In the opening week of the season he captured his first title Down Under in Brisbane (d. Federer).

He also was runner-up at the BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic), the Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club and at Wimbledon (l. to Murray in both). Raonic is No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Race To London standings.

Berdych is Back: No. 3 seed Berdych returns to action after his withdrawal from the US Open due to appendicitis. His absence snapped a streak of 52 consecutive Grand Slam tournament appearances. This is Berdych’s second straight appearance in St. Petersburg after an opening round loss last year (l. to Bolelli after bye).

Berdych is 31-15 on the season with his best results the semi-finals in Doha, Marseille and Wimbledon. He has also advanced to six quarter-finals, including at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Miami, Madrid and Toronto. Berdych is trying to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London for the seventh straight year. He is No. 9 in the Emirates ATP Race To London standings.

#NextGen Russians: Russian wild cards Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev are two of the Next Generation players. The 20-year-old Khachanov is the No. 3 Russian and at a career-high No. 81. He reached the second round during his Grand Slam tournament debut at the US Open (d. Fabbiano, l. to No. 7 Nishikori in four sets). The 18-year-old Rublev reached a career-high No. 154 in March and is No. 201.

Youzhny Success in St. Pete: No. 2 Russian Mikhail Youzhny is the winningest player in event history with 31 victories in 43 matches. This is Youzhny’s 14th appearance (2002-13, ’15-16). He won the title in 2004 and reached the final in 2002 and 2010. The 34-year-old Youzhny has improved from No. 127 on 4 January in the opening week of the year to a season-best No. 53. Youzhny is one of three Russians to win the title in tournament history along with Marat Safin (2000-01) and Yevgeny Kafelnikov (1995).

Moselle Open (Metz): The 14th edition of the Moselle Open features three players in the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings: No. 10 Thiem, No. 14 Goffin and No. 18 Pouille. The top three seeds are joined by No. 4 Gilles Simon, No. 5 Martin Klizan, No. 6 Gilles Muller, No. 7 Benoit Paire and No. 8 Nicolas Mahut. Six of the past seven champions (except 2014) are Frenchmen. There are three former winners in the field: Goffin (2014), Simon (2010, 2013) and wild card Tommy Robredo (2007).

Thiem Top Seed: Top seed Thiem is making his tournament debut in Metz. The 23-year-old Austrian is looking to qualify for his first Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. He is No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Race To London standings with four titles in five finals. He has compiled a 52-17 match record (20-8 on hard).

Flying The French Flag: While three-time champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is sidelined with a knee injury, two-time winner and No. 4 seed Gilles Simon leads a strong contingent of Frenchmen battling for the Moselle Open title. Frenchmen have won six of the past seven Metz titles. Simon reached the final last year and won the title in 2010 and 2013. He began his career with an 0-4 record in Metz before winning 12 of his past 13 matches. Other Frenchmen in the singles draw (not including possible qualifiers) are wild card Quentin Halys, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Mahut, Paul-Henri Mathieu, No. 7 seed Paire and No. 3 seed Pouille.

Pouille In Top 20: One of the most improved players on the ATP World Tour this season is the 22-year-old Pouille, who broke into the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 18 after his quarter-final result at the US Open (d. No. 5 Nadal in 4R, l. to Monfils). Pouille also advanced to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon (l. to Berdych). He is making his main draw debut in Metz.

Robredo Returns: Former World No. 5 Robredo returns to the ATP World Tour for the first time since late February in Dubai. The 34-year-old Spaniard has been sidelined with a right elbow injury. He returned to the Genova, Italy Challenger two weeks ago and lost in the first round. The 12-time ATP World Tour winner won his lone indoor title in Metz in 2007 (d. Murray). He is 9-2 in Metz with quarter-final results in 2003 and 2010, his last appearance.

Newlyweds In Action: Former Metz finalists Mathieu and Andreas Seppi are playing their first tournament since both getting married on 10 September. Mathieu, who reached the final in 2008, married Quiterie Camus in France. Seppi, who was runner-up in 2012, married Michela Bernardi in Italy.

French Duo Top Seeds in Doubles: World No. 10 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings, Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin are the top seeds. They enter Metz with a 13-9 match record on the season, highlighted by a runner-up at Wimbledon (l. to Herbert/Mahut). Benneteau won the doubles title in 2003 with Mahut. Roger-Vasselin won titles in 2012, with Mahut, and last year, with Lukasz Kubot.

ICYMI

The 2016 Davis Cup Final Is Set: Argentina vs. Croatia. Read

Rafael Nadal Helps Power Spain To World Group Return. Read

Russia To Return To World Group After Four-Year Absence. Read

Isner, Roddick Among Attendees At Dirk Nowitzki Charity Tennis Event. Read

Irish Eyes Are Smiling: McGee Wins First Challenger Title. Read

Birthdays

20 September – Feliciano Lopez (35)

23 September – Marcelo Melo (33)

24 September – Jack Sock (24)

27 September – Yoshihito Nishioka (21)

28 September – Marin Cilic (28)

Ranking Movers

+26 Adam Pavlasek (80) career high

+15 Malek Jaziri (55)

+14 Dustin Brown (68) career high

+11 Hyeon Chung (134)

+6 Teymuraz Gabashvili (111)

+6 Frances Tiafoe (122) career high

+3 Aljaz Bedene (85)

+1 Kyle Edmund (54) career high

+1 Grigor Dimitrov (21)

Last week, James McGee was not in the draw at the Atlantic Tire Championships in Cary, U.S.A. Now, Irish eyes are smiling on the Dublin native after claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title. The 29 year old rallied past Ernesto Escobedo 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 in Sunday’s final.

The circumstances surrounding McGee’s win make it even more remarkable. Initially scheduled to play at the tournament in Nanchang, China, he was denied a visa by the Chinese government due to the G20 Summit in nearby Hangzhou. With visas being rejected for foreigners, McGee was forced to reassess his options and would choose to enter qualifying in Cary. He battled all week for the crown, reeling off eight wins in eight days.

“It’s a dream for me to finally get a Challenger title,” McGee told ATPWorldTour.com. “Last year, I was in the final in two events, in San Luis Potosi and Savannah, and it didn’t quite happen there. In the middle of the year I had a surgery on my knee and it was a blow to my confidence. I wasn’t feeling as good as I knew I could be. But in the last few months I’ve been feeling better and playing better.

“Coming into this event, I thought I was playing well but I never thought I’d win the whole thing. To win eight matches in a row is amazing.”

The sixth qualifier to prevail in 2016 – one more than last year – McGee is just the third player from Ireland to lift an ATP Challenger Tour trophy, joining Conor Niland and Louk Sorensen. He soars to a Top 200 return at No. 194 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

“It’s nice to be part of the club (with Niland and Sorensen), to now have said that I won a title. It’s not my biggest goal in tennis, but it’s a step in the right direction and I’m looking forward to what’s next. The win puts me in the Top 200 range and it’s a step forward to get in the Top 100 and play in the biggest tournaments in the world.”

Pekao Szczecin Open (Szczecin, Poland): Alessandro Giannessi never wants September to end. The 26 year old is playing inspired tennis this month after qualifying for his first Grand Slam and reaching the second round at the US Open, followed by a maiden ATP Challenger Tour title on the clay of Szczecin, Poland.

Giannessi did not drop a set all week, upsetting third seed Dustin Brown 6-2, 6-3 in Sunday’s final. The Italian, who entered the US Open at World No. 243 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, has risen nearly 100 spots to a career-high No. 145. Fourth time was the charm for Giannessi after falling in his first three Challenger finals, all on home soil.

“It was just a perfect match in my performance,” said Giannessi. “The last few weeks were very good for me and I feel that I finally found my form… This is my first title, so no wonder I’m so happy. Throughout the week everything went my way. I feel that I played very well and I feel that I deserve this trophy, and it’s really a wonderful feeling.”

Banjaluka 2016 (Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina): Appearing in his sixth ATP Challenger Tour final of the year, Adam Pavlasek claimed his third career title. The Czech defeated Serbia’s Miljan Zekic 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, rallying for the win in one hour and 54 minutes. Pavlasek, who cracked the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time earlier this year, ascends to a career-high World No. 81.

Amex-Istanbul Challenger (Istanbul, Turkey): The 29th edition of the ATP Challenger Tour event in Istanbul featured No. 1 vs. No. 2 in Sunday’s final. After a wild 72 minutes, Malek Jaziri stormed back for a 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over Dudi Sela. It was the Tunisian’s fourth straight win a Challenger final and third victory of the year, following title runs Guadalajara and Le Gosier.

On Sunday, 2004 St. Petersburg Open champion Mikhail Youzhny held a master class in the TRK “Galereya” shopping mall. All the mall guests were welcome to take part in the tournament. The guests then challenged themselves as they tried to return Youznhy’s serve.

Many kids did their best and thoroughly enjoyed the contest held in downtown St. Petersburg. After the event, Youzhny, who was born and lives in Moscow, took time to talk about the mall event, his own children and the St. Petersburg Open, which starts on Monday.

Mikhail, could you share your impressions, please. Did you enjoy the event?
I’d like to thank the organizers of the St. Petersburg Open for such a great event. They laid a court in the shopping center where we could play for five hours. I hope everyone will remember this day and maybe it will become a good tradition in the coming years and such events will be held annually.

Were you surprised to see such a big number of tennis fans here? It was really crowded today.
There are always a lot of people in shopping malls, it doesn’t depend on whether there is a tennis court or not…(smiling). But I’d like to believe this event helped tennis to win over more fans among St. Pete’s citizens.

Did you participate in such events during your childhood?
Absolutely not. In my childhood, tennis was only taking off. We did organize some on-court master classes, but we never brought them beyond the stadiums nor did we have such a vast program for kids and all tennis fans.

Youngsters often visit shopping centers these days. Maybe when they participate in such events they could get inspired to take up tennis?
I hope so. I hope it could influence the kid’s choice and help them make the right decision or just encourage them to go for sports. That’s why I think it was a great idea to build an improvised court here. I believe it will develop and improve year on year.

Mikhail, you have two kids, two boys. Are they in tennis already?
The elder son, Maxim, who is 6 years old, played tennis in a kids group, and my younger son Igor, aged 4, is trying to pick up a racquet and hit the ball.

You come to St. Petersburg Open every year. You like the people here so much or it’s all about the atmosphere?
I do need to charge my batteries and enjoy the atmosphere here and feel really relaxed. I like it here. I do feel this city loves me and so do its dwellers. I really enjoy St. Petersburg on and off court.

The tournament keeps changing and improving year on year. The organizers try to keep up the level and even improve everything. Do you agree?
Absolutely. It has improved a lot over the last couple of years. I think it’s the best in its [ATP World Tour] 250 category and boasts one of the strongest lineups, including three Top 10 players, and all the seeded players are Top 30. It’s a high-level tournament with a superb organization.

Finally, what would you wish to all the tennis fans for this week?
I’d like local people to come to “SIBUR ARENA” after work and kids [to come] after school. And I’d like to see a packed stadium.

A cast of ATP World Tour stars were on hand for The Dirk Nowitzki Pro Celebrity Tennis Classic on Sunday. Former singles No. 1 Andy Roddick, former doubles No. 1 Mark Knowles and American John Isner joined fellow players Benjamin Becker and Mitchell Krueger in support of NBA star Nowitzki’s foundation.

“I have so much respect for Dirk,” Roddick said. “Obviously, he’s one of the greatest NBA players of all time, but to see how he’s given back to the community that’s supported him for so long and changed the trajectory of kids’ lives, I have nothing but respect.

“A lot of times you come to these events and there’s a lot of amateurs, but everyone here is saying they’ve played in college. It’s great. You’re playing competitively with this format and everyone is trying to have a good time. Dirk serves at 121 mph. It’s a legit pro-level serve.”

Held on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, the event raised money to help provide services for education, health and well-being for children around the world. Also in attendance were actors Ben Stiller and Boris Kodjoe, as well as former ATP pro David Martin and coach Philip Farmer.

“It was a surreal experience for me since I’ve never done one of these before,” Stiller told ATPWorldTour. “It was really fun, even though I’m the worst player here. To be on the other end of a Roddick and Isner serve was intense. You always think to yourself that you can do it, but to actually experience it is something else.” 

“It’s very important to be here,” said Isner. “Everyone respects Dirk so much and that’s why he’s gotten so many pretty cool people to come out and support his foundation. The event is going very well today and we’re all having a good time. The competition is great.”

“It was a blast,” said Nowitzki. “We raised a lot of money. It was an incredible experience for everybody. It’s an honour for me to have these guys come out. Tennis is something I’ve loved since I was a child.”

A big tennis fan, Nowitzki is a familiar face on the ATP World Tour and has visited his local ATP Challenger Tour events in Irving and Dallas in recent years, often supporting countryman Benjamin Becker.

“He can hit the ball for sure and has a very big serve,” Becker added. “It’s a fun event for a great cause. I’m glad I can contribute a bit. It’s nice to see guys like Andy and John taking time out of their schedule too.”

Germany, Switzerland and Russia all secured Davis Cup World Group status in 2017 with wins on Sunday.

Jan-Lennard Struff led the Germans and stopped Poland from erasing a 0-2 deficit. The 26-year-old Struff won the decisive rubber – his second win of the weekend – 7-6(4), 6-4, 6-1 against Hubert Hurkacz to give Germany a 3-2 victory. Poland had won the doubles match and tied the contest when Kamil Majchrzak upset veteran Florian Mayer 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to start Sunday’s play. “To give Germany a 3-2 victory, it means a lot to me,” Struff said. “It’s definitely one of the biggest matches for me so far.”

The Swiss, without Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, still defeated Uzbekistan 3-2 in Tashkent. Former World No. 33 Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan beat Henri Laaksonen 6-7(3), 7-6(6), 7-6(6), 7-5 to force a fifth rubber. In the deciding match, 20 year old Antoine Bellier, playing in his second tie, stepped up with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 victory against Jurabeck Karimov. “It’s close to a dream,” said Bellier, No. 507 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. “I’m glad and I’m proud.”

Konstantin Kravchuk, Andrey Rublev and Andrey Kuznetsov made sure Russia didn’t need a fifth and deciding rubber with wins on Sunday against Kazakhstan. Kravchuk/Rublev won the rain-delayed doubles 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5, and Kuznetsov, No. 47 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, dismissed Mikhail Kukushkin 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Kukushkin was playing in his second singles match of the day after playing the fifth set of his 6-7(7), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win against Evgeny Donskoy on Sunday as well.

The Kukushkin vs. Donskoy rubber was suspended due to darkness after four sets on Saturday. The Russians will return to the World Group for the first time since 2012.

“It’s a very good day today. The guys won doubles, which was very good. That helped me a lot, physically and mentally,” Kuznetsov said. “The whole team is really happy about it, and we’re looking forward to playing in the World Group next year.”

Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan and Spain advanced to World Group play on Saturday.