The 2017 edition of the European Open is the second edition after the 2016 debut. The rights to the Valencia Open tournament in Spain were bought out by an entrepreneur who wanted to move the tournament to its new home in Antwerp, Belgium, a city which is globally known as the home of the 1920 Summer Olympics, nearly 100 years earlier. There are a few intriguing names in this field, including a couple of Belgians, who will be among the favorites to win the event. David Goffin hasn’t blossomed into the player many thought he would but he has still been solid. He’ll headline the field along with David Ferrer and the ever-inconsistent Nick Kyrgios. Kyrgios is always worth the price of admission because this is the type of event that he could win outright but it’s also the type of event he could flame out and get into a shouting match with a fan or umpire.
The competition in the 28-player main draw begins on Monday, October 16.
Event Details
Event: European Open
Category: ATP World Tour – 250 Series
Date: October 16-22, 2017
Location: Lotto Arena – Antwerp, Belgium
With a prize money allotment of just over 589,000 Euros, there will be a considerable financial incentive for a tournament with a relatively low profile. The purse grew by 23,000 Euros from last year’s debut edition. The prize money on offer is competitive with other tournaments of similar stature in the ATP lineup.
Points
Champion – 250
Runner-up – 150
Semifinal – 90
Quarterfinal – 45
Former Champions and Results (1 Year)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016 – Richard Gasquet def. Diego Schwartzman – 7-6, 6-1
Player Info:
David Goffin trailed 5-0 to Matthew Ebden in the second round of the Tokyo ATP 500 event. His knee is still not 100 percent. However, Goffin powered through that injury and found enough good tennis to win that match in three sets and move to the quarterfinals. He will be playing in his home nation one month before representing Belgium in the Davis Cup Final against France. Goffin probably doesn’t need to overplay before Davis Cup, so an early loss here might actually not be the worst thing for him. Davis Cup should be his big focus in the remainder of the season.
David Ferrer surprised everyone with his run to the Cincinnati semifinals earlier this year. The man can still play successful hardcourt tennis. He will try to reaffirm that point in Antwerp.
Nick Kyrgios won multiple matches in Beijing and continues to show his soft touch as a player. Kyrgios used a lot of delicate drop volleys and angled shots at the net to frustrate Mischa Zverev in Beijing. Kyrgios can crush his serves but then play delicate points that use all angles of the court. His talent is unmistakable. Can his body allow him to maximize his talent as a tennis player? That is the big question for the Australian right now, and it will continue to be until further notice.
Diego Schwartzman has enjoyed a breakthrough season on tour, making his first major quarterfinal at the U.S. Open in early September. Schwartzman also made the Montreal Masters quarterfinals, another huge result for him. Schwartzman gets so much power out of his groundstrokes despite his small physical stature. He has found a way to achieve a new and higher level of consistency this year. Schwartzman is just 32-24 on the season, going 15-10 on hard courts, 17-12 on clay and 0-2 on grass. Clearly, the hard surface is the one where he performs the best.
Richard Gasquet reached the Tokyo quarterfinals (with a chance to go deeper). This has not been one of his better seasons, but he looks physically fresh as a result of not playing too deep in tournaments over the course of the summer. That could pay off for him in October. He’s had a relatively pedestrian season going 25-16 so far. He was just 9-6 oon the hard courts and 6-3 on grass while going 3-3 on the clay.
Lotto Arena
The 2017 staging of the European Open will occur in this facility. It is commonly used for basketball, since it houses a professional team in Antwerp. Basketball seating capacity is a modest 5,218. It houses 8,000 for concerts. The arena was built in 2007.
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