China Open 2019: 5 players to watch out for

#2 Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev has been touted as the next big thing in the tennis circuit for quite some time, but the German hasn’t lived up to the expectations after showing a lot of early promise. Many think that the German may need some more time to develop the temperament one needs to excel in pressure situations, especially in the knockout rounds when he tends to get a bit nervous.

The 22-year-old won the Madrid Masters in May last year by beating Dominic Thiem in the final and was the runner-up at the Miami Masters and Rome Masters. He also won the Bavarian International Tennis Championships and the Washington Open in the same year before his crowning glory came at the ATP Finals at the end of the season.

This year he has struggled for a major part of the season and his solitary title so far came on the claycourts of Geneva. After a good show at the Laver Cup, a rejuvenated Zverev will hope to impress at the China Open too.

Zverev's big serves can outclass his rivals while his backhand strokes are considered to be his main strength. It is an area where the German can be a big threat for anybody on the opposite side of the net.

---

#3 Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas is the torchbearer of Greek tennis and is a player who has the talent to achieve superstar status in the sport. The 21-year-old has caught everyone’s eye with some fine performances and can surprise some of the big stars.

Tsitsipas can play long rallies and his deceptive moves can trouble his opponents during the run of play. Tsitsipas made it to the final of the Madrid Masters in May this year where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final. He also made it to the semi-finals of the Italian Open, besides being crowned the champion at the Estoril Open.

Tsitsipas's big achievement was at the 2019 Australian Open, where he made it to the semi-finals by beating Roger Federer in the quarters.

The Greek is known for his precise baseline game and superb forehands. Tsitsipas is equally good at the net but tends to get erratic while playing against top-ranked players.

Though Tsitsipas has shown lots of promise, the rising star needs to learn to handle pressure situations better at crucial stages of important tournaments.