The 2017 Open de Moselle, held in Metz, France, makes sense as an event for French players to play some tennis in a relaxed setting, playing a few matches before the European indoor season later in October. Many of the big names are not at this event, which leaves guys like Pablo Carreno Busta and David Goffin as the lead favorites for this week.
The competition in the 28-player main draw begins on Monday, September 18.
Event Details
Event: Open de Moselle
Category: ATP 250 Series
Date: September 18-24, 2017
Location: Arenes de Metz (Palais Omnisport) – Metz, France
The 2017 Open de Moselle carries a standard purse for an ATP 250 event, at roughly 482,000 Euros. This is not a high-prestige event, but an intimate event which relies on French charm as a low-key experience for players who want to enjoy their week of tennis instead of having a stressful, high-publicity week in the public eye. The tournament won’t gain global traction because the next important events on tour are in Asia, not Europe. Top players sit out this event and take a break before preparing to go to Japan and especially China later in September.
Points
Champion – 250
Runner-up – 150
Semifinal – 90
Quarterfinal – 45
Former Champions and Results
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016 – Lucas Pouille def. Dominic Thiem – 7-6, 6-2
2015 – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Gilles Simon – 7-6, 1-6, 6-2
2014 – David Goffin def. Joao Sousa – 6-4, 6-3
2013 – Gilles Simon def. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga – 6-4, 6-3
2012 – Jo-Wilfred Tsonga def. Andreas Seppi – 6-1, 6-2
Player Info:
Pablo Carreno Busta made his first Grand Slam semifinal at the U.S. Open. He received a kind draw, but he still made the most of it. Carreno Busta plays a solid, relentless game. He forces opponents to hit the ball past him, and most can’t. This wasn’t a fluke – Carreno Busta made the semifinals at Indian Wells and the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. He has been strong for most of the year. It has been a fantastic season for him.
David Goffin was doing extremely well. Then came an injury suffered at the French Open. Goffin is playing – he started after Wimbledon – but he still doesn’t look fully fit. He is slowly trying to build back form and get into match shape. He is playing for Belgium in the Davis Cup semifinals against Australia the weekend before this tournament. Will he be tired or in rhythm?
Lucas Pouille is also playing in the Davis Cup semis for France against Serbia. He lost his match on Friday and will try to get back on track at this tournament. Pouille has had an up and down year. He made the semifinals of Monte Carlo but has not been able to go deep in many tournaments. He is searching for an extra degree of consistency.
Gilles Muller made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the first time in his career. He seemed set for a big hardcourt season, but he never got going. Paolo Lorenzi upset him at the U.S. Open. Maybe Muller can reboot his season in France.
Mischa Zverev has had a great year – quarterfinals at the Australian Open, third round at Wimbledon, fourth round at the U.S. Open, all way better than he had a right to expect. He is enjoying life on tour with younger brother Alexander, who is slowly developing into a tennis star.
Benoit Paire will try to make a home in France at this tournament. He has not done well since Wimbledon, when he made the round of 16, a career-best result. He was also decent though not spectacular on clay. Hardcourts have not been kind to him. He will try to develop momentum. We’ll see if he can make a move in this event where the field is pretty wide open. If he’s focused and feeds off the crowd, he might be able to make a deep run.
Arenes de Metz
The small arena with the low ceiling holds 4,500 spectators. The court owns a dark gray color bordered by a light gray perimeter, one of the more unusual color combinations for any ATP Tour court. It’s going to be a cozy week of action; this is one of the smaller venues on the ATP Tour.
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