All of which makes it easy to overlook No. 8 seed Felix Auger Aliassime, who is the two-time defending champion at this event. He’ll start against Sebastian Baez, and could face Ruud in the third round.
Also here: Marin Cilic, who won this tournament eight years ago. The 36-year-old will open against Alejandro Tabilo.
Toray Pan Pacific Open (WTA)
The Pan Pacific Open has been a WTA institution since the tour’s earliest days; Billie Jean King won the inaugural edition in 1973, around the same time that she was winning the Battle of the Sexes.
Fifty years later, the tournament still has its prestige. It’s a 500, with a million dollar purse, and boasts gold medalist Zheng Qinwen as its top seed. But it took a hit last week when Japan’s Naomi Osaka, a three-time finalist and one-time champion here, pulled out with a back injury.
The WTA’s race to Riyadh has already been run, and its year-end field set. So Tokyo will be tennis for its own sake. Beatriz Haddad Maia, Ningbo winner Daria Kasatkina, Anna Kalinskaya and Paula Badosa are among the other seeds.
