Defending champion Alcaraz faces tough draw at Queen's Club

pDefending champion a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/carlos-alcaraz/a0e2/overview'Carlos Alcaraz/a faces a tough draw at the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/london/311/overview'Cinch Championships/a, his first tournament since winning the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/roland-garros/520/overview'Roland Garros/a title./p

pThe No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will open his grass-court season against a Top 30 opponent in Argentine a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/francisco-cerundolo/c0au/overview'Francisco Cerundolo/a. They played in 2019 at an ITF World Tennis Tour event in Palmanova, Spain, when Alcaraz was 15, and Cerundolo triumphed 6-2, 6-4./p

pShould Alcaraz advance, his path will not get easier. The Spaniard would face a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jack-draper/d0co/overview'Jack Draper/a, who could claim his first ATP Tour title Sunday in Stuttgart, or 2024 breakthrough star a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/mariano-navone/n0bs/overview'Mariano Navone/a. The first seeded opponent the 21-year-old could play is fifth seed a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/tommy-paul/pl56/overview'Tommy Paul/a, who has won two of their four Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings./p

pAlcaraz is on a 12-match grass-court winning streak following his titles at Queenrsquo;s Club and a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/wimbledon/540/overview'Wimbledon/a last year./p

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pSecond seed a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-de-minaur/dh58/overview'Alex de Minaur/a, who will play in the rsquo;s-Hertogenbosch final on Sunday, faces a tricky opening test against Italian a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/lorenzo-musetti/m0ej/overview'Lorenzo Musetti/a, who reached the Stuttgart semi-finals. The Australian made the final last year at Queenrsquo;s Club./p

pFive-time a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/london/311/overview'Cinch Championships/a winner a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andy-murray/mc10/overview'Andy Murray/a will face a qualifier in the first round. Should he win, the former World No. 1 will play seventh seed a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/holger-rune/r0dg/overview'Holger Rune/a or a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jordan-thompson/tc61/overview'Jordan Thompson/a./p

pThere are several intriguing first-round matches. Korda, a finalist in rsquo;s-Hertogenbosch, plays big-hitting a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/karen-khachanov/ke29/overview'Karen Khachanov/a, a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/cameron-norrie/n771/overview'Cameron Norrie/a opens against a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/milos-raonic/r975/overview'Milos Raonic/a in a battle of former Top 10 stars and 2017 a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/nitto-atp-finals/605/overview'Nitto ATP Finals/a champion a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/grigor-dimitrov/d875/overview'Grigor Dimitrov/a, the third seed, takes on a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/adrian-mannarino/me82/overview'Adrian Mannarino/a, a two-time grass-court titlist.nbsp;/p

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