There are two ATP 250 tournaments next week for fans to look forward to in Geneva and Lyon. Novak Djokovic accepted a wild card into the Geneva Open, which has generated a lot of attention in the tennis world. But there is also a very strong entry list for the ATP Lyon Open. Frances Tiafoe, Gael Monfils and French stalwart Richard Gasquet are among the players set to compete at the tournament. However, three players have decided to withdraw from the Lyon Open. This article lists those who have withdrawn and then names their three replacements in the draw.
Three Players Withdraw From Lyon Open
Felix Auger-Aliassime was the first player to withdraw from the Lyon Open. The Canadian reached his first Masters 1000 final at the Madrid Open, losing to Andrey Rublev in the final. That was followed by exiting in the Round of 32 at the Italian Open to Alex de Minaur. No official reason has been given for Auger-Aliassime’s decision. It seems like he is simply getting some additional rest before the start of the French Open.
Nuno Borges was the second player to withdraw from the Lyon Open. He progressed to the Round of 16 of a Masters 1000 event for the first time in Rome, before being knocked out in straight sets by Alexander Zverev. There does not seem to be any injury or physical issue behind Borges’ move not to play in France.
Zhizhen Zhang was the third player to withdraw from the Lyon Open. The Chinese No. 1 had a very good tournament at the Italian Open. He made his second appearance in a Masters 1000 quarterfinal, beating Ben Shelton along the way. That was an impressive achievement but it has clearly taken something out of Zhang, leading to his decision not to play in Lyon.
Who Replaces Those Three Players In The Draw?
Dan Evans replaces Auger-Aliassime at the Lyon Open. The Briton has struggled so far this year during the clay-court season. He picked up two wins at a Challenger Tour event in Bordeaux, but lost his previous four matches before that. The Washington Open champion has a chance to change that in France.
Mackenzie McDonald benefits from Borges’ electing to withdraw from the tournament. The American competed for the first time in four months in Rome, having been injured since the Australian Open. Playing in Lyon gives him another chance to get closer to full match sharpness again.
Finally, Brandon Nakashima is set to feature at the Lyon Open due to Zhang withdrawing. He showed his ability on clay by shocking the Madrid Open champion Andrey Rublev last month in Barcelona. Nakashima will be a difficult draw if he can find a similar level to that once again.
Main photo credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
