'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABgf/2gAIAQEAAAAAhhD/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECEAAAAH//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC/9oACAEDEAAAAD//xAAeEAACAQUAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABAUREgYHUv/aAAgBAQABPwD1zgLLy3NJgpHnTI3kTpZsirysw2w7PxrdSMI5GRwelPJ1X//EABQRAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD/2gAIAQIBAT8Af//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABIf/aAAgBAwEBPwBU/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Claycourt tennis action returns once again next week with the Nordea Open, an ATP 250 tournament, to be held in Bastad, Sweden from July 11 to July 17.
Since it comes right after Wimbledon on the tennis calendar, the sport's biggest stars have given it a miss. Nevertheless, the Nordea Open has still managed to attract a handful of top players who will look to make an impact over the course of the week.
Scandinavian star Casper Ruud of Norway will return to defend his crown, while Russian Andrey Rublev will also be vying for the title. There are plenty of other players, including Denmark's rising star Holger Rune, who are capable of shaking up the draw.
Without further ado, let's take a look at everything you need to know about the tournament:
What is the Nordea Open in Bastad?
The Nordea Open in Bastad, Sweden, is an ATP 250 event conducted on outdoor clay. It has been held every year since 1948 with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A simultaneous women's event was also held from 1948 to 1990. The women's tournament returned to Bastad in 2009 as an international-level event before becoming a WTA 125k tournament in 2019.
A highly popular event on the ATP summer calendar, the men's tournament was voted by players as the ATP 250 Tournament of the Year for 11 consecutive years from 2002 to 2012.
Several legends of the sport, including Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Rafael Nadal, have gone on to lift the trophy in Bastad.
Casper Ruud, runner-up at this year's French Open, is the defending champion.
Venue
The tournament will be held on the outdoor claycourts of the Bastad Tennis Stadium in Bastad, Sweden.
Players
The top four seeds in the 28-player field at the Nordea Open are Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Diego Schwartzman, and Roberto Bautista Agut. All four players have received a bye into the second round.
Defending champion Ruud comes into this tournament on the back of a second-round defeat at Wimbledon. The Roland Garros runner-up will be eager to rediscover his touch on his return to clay.
Rublev was last seen in action at Halle, where he suffered a first-round exit. The 24-year-old Russian was one of the players banned from participating in Wimbledon due to his country's ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Third seed Diego Schwartzman bowed out of Wimbledon in the second round after a five-set battle with home favorite Liam Broady. Fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut's Wimbledon campaign also ended in the second round after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Both players will thus be keen to bounce back in Bastad.
Pablo Carreno Busta, Nikoloz Basilashvili, Holger Rune, and Sebastian Baez round out the top eight seeds.
Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem and Lorenzo Musetti are some of the other players to keep an eye on.
Schedule
The qualifying rounds in Bastad are scheduled for Sunday, July 10 and Monday, July 11. The main draw action kicks off on July 11 at 1 pm local time.
The quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final will be held on July 15, 16 and 17 respectively. While the doubles final is scheduled for 12 noon local time on July 17, the singles final will be held at 2 pm local time on the same day.
Prize Money
The total financial commitment for the upcoming edition of the Nordea Open is €597,900, while the prize money is €534,555. The winner will take home 250 points and a cheque of €81,310.
Where to watch
Viewers from the US can catch all the action at the Nordea Open live on the Tennis Channel, while fans in the UK will be able to see it live on Amazon Prime Video.
Canadians can watch the matches live on TSN. In Australia, one can view the action on beIN Sports.
Live action can also be followed on TennisTV.
