ATP Sunday was held under the closed roof of the Ariake Colosseum with intense rain pounding overhead. This event was an opportunity for the centre court crowd to watch the main draw players prepare for next week’s important matches.

First out on court were Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur who are well matched in both rank and age, Zverev being 26 years old and ranked 10 and de Minaur being 24 years old and number 11. They have met in 7 matches in total in their career and de Minaur brought home the title against Zverev only one time, with a home ground advantage in the ATP Cup Australia.

Zverev is practicing to face Jordan Thompson in the first round of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships wherease de Minaur will take on a qualifier. At a press conference earlier Zverev says he feels more than ready to play the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships having recovered from an ankle injury last year and has been steadily improving since Roland Garros. He is hoping to consolidate his 7th place position in Turin. De Minaur has everything to play for in Tokyo because a good result in Tokyo and the Master 1000 in Bercy could potentially raise his 12th place position in Turin.

Both players displayed distinctively different play styles today with de Minaur standing inside the baseline in an aggressive stance, taking Zverev’s strong serve early and approaching the net frequently while Zverev kept low on the baseline and profited from his strong serve.

Cameron Norrie and Casper Ruud were out next. They have played against each other only 3 times on the professional circuit and Ruud won all three. Ruud will face Watanuki in the first round and while he says his Japanese opponent has improved a lot, making it into the top 100 and also performed well in Shanghai, he himself is keen to make it past the first round this year. Ruud displayed a well controlled match style today with precise, emotionless play. Ruud has won no fewer than 10 titles, twice the number of Norrie.

Norrie took a very aggressive stance against Ruud taking more risks, standing inside the baseline anxious to go to the net while Ruud keeps calm and waits on the baseline with steady ground strokes. Norrie is facing defending champion Taylor Fritz in his first round match and with 6 wins each, Norrie will be putting his best foot forward to tip the balance in his favor.