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British player steps in at Eastbourne to replace two-time ATP champion who withdrew ahead of Wimbledon
Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images

The grass-court swing is in full flow after Queen’s and Halle – and this week brings the return of Eastbourne to the ATP calendar.

Running alongside Mallorca, both the ATP 250 events act as the final tune-ups before Wimbledon qualifying gets underway.

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Bublik recently took titles at Queen’s and Halle, with Bublik quick to jump back into action this week.

The Kazakh was drawn against Francisco Comesana in round one, while top seed Taylor Fritz is hoping to add a fourth Eastbourne crown to his impressive résumé.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard withdraws from Eastbourne and Billy Harris steps in


Photo by Cameron Smith/Getty Images for LTA

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard – a 21-year-old with a rising profile, boasting ATP titles from Lyon and Basel – has decided to withdraw from Eastbourne.

The Frenchman had the seventh seed in the tournament. He was slated to play British number three Cameron Norrie, but will now be replaced by Billy Harris in the draw.

Fellow Brit Billy Harris has stepped in, and the match will now be contested between the third and fourth-ranked British men.

Mpetshi Perricard’s decision on Eastbourne surprised fans, as he was expected to use the grass-court event to build confidence ahead of Wimbledon.

Fritz and Paul lead the Eastbourne field as Brits chase home success

While British hopes are high, the two Americans – Fritz and Tommy Paul – come in as top seeds, with Czech teenager Jakub Mensik also among the favourites.

The top five seeds include Ugo Humbert and Flavio Cobolli, who missed Roland-Garros due to an ankle injury after catching attention for his ATP debut in 2022.

Norrie – already up to four ATP titles at 29 – will be looking to make the most of the late change, having made the quarter-finals at Eastbourne in three of the past four years.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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