Turin, Sept. 22 (LaPresse) – The 2024 Japan Open, an ATP 500 hard-court tournament held in Tokyo from September 24 to 30, with a prize pool of over $2.2 million, will feature two Italians in the main draw: Matteo Berrettini and Luciano Darderi.
Berrettini, currently ranked 57th, is in the top half of the draw, led by world number 1 Carlos Alcaraz. In the first round, he will face Spain’s Jaume Munar (ATP 37), whom he defeated in Marrakech in 2023. This is Berrettini’s second appearance at the tournament—he withdrew in the round of 16 last year after winning his opener. If successful, he could face Casper Ruud (ATP 12) in the round of 16.
Darderi (ATP 30) is in the bottom half and will debut against Japanese player Yoshihito Nishioka (ATP 151), who received a wild card. His path may then lead to a clash with sixth seed Ugo Humbert in the round of 16 and third seed Holger Rune in the quarterfinals.
Three Italians are competing in the qualifiers, including a first-round match between Matteo Arnaldi (ATP 73) and Luca Nardi (ATP 85), facing each other for the first time. The winner will play top seed Marton Fucsovics (ATP 58), who beat Austria’s Filip Misolic.
Mattia Bellucci (ATP 65), second seed in the qualifiers, edged past Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama in a tightly contested match. He will now face Ethan Quinn (ATP 81) for a spot in the main draw—the two have never met before.
The 2024 edition of the Japan Open promises compelling matchups, with a strong Italian presence in both the main draw and qualifying rounds.