Idiots' guide to the week ahead...

We preview the next seven days on the WTA and ATP Tours with events in Basel, Lyon, St Petersburg, Linz and Luxembourg.


ATP Davidoff Swiss Indoors

Where? Basel, Switzerland
Surface? Indoor carpet
Prizemoney? €891,000
Draw size? 32 singles, 16 doubles pairs
Big names? Roger Federer, David Nalbandian, Juan Martin Del Potro, James Blake, Stanislas Wawrinka
2007 champion? Roger Federer
Sub-plot? Up until late last week, it was all about whether the great Mr Federer would be back at his favourite tournament where he was a ballboy as a kid. Despite his defeat to Andy Murray in Madrid, he says he’s fresh enough to play and is top seed and defending champ. Much of the news coming out of Basel will be about the men chasing the last three places at the Tennis Masters Cup – all eyes will be on Nalbandian, Del Potro, Blake and Wawrinka.
Web? www.davidoffswissindoors.ch

ATP Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon

Where? Lyon, France
Surface? Indoor carpet
Prizemoney? €713,000
Draw size? 32 singles, 16 doubles pairs
Big names? Andy Roddick, Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Tommy Robredo, Ivo Karlovic
2007 champion? Sebastien Grosjean
Sub-plot? Fans and organisers at this French-heavy event will be hoping man of the moment Gilles Simon turns up in Lyon after his amazing run to the final in Madrid last week. The 23-year-old won’t want to miss out, but says he’s exhausted after some draining matches in the Spanish capital. All will be revealed… Should he decide to play he will join Roddick and Tsonga in their push for a place in Shanghai.
Web? www.gptennislyon.com

ATP St Petersburg Open

Where? St. Petersburg, Russia
Surface? Indoor hard
Prizemoney? $1,049,000
Draw size? 32 singles, 16 doubles pairs
Big names? Andy Murray, Nikolay Davydenko, Fernando Verdasco, Mikhail Youzhny, Marin Cilic, Marat Safin
2007 champion? Andy Murray
Sub-plot? As Andy Murray is the first to admit, being one of the world’s best tennis players is all about consistency – winning titles week in week out. If the Scot backs up his Madrid title by defending the St Petersburg trophy he won this time last year it’ll be the first time he’s won back-to-back ATP singles titles. Don’t bet against it, the Scot is on fire right now. He opens up against Serb Viktor Troiki and plays doubles with fellow-Brit Jamie Delgado – once he’s been back home in London for a spot of laundry, so says his Twitter page!
Web? www.spbopen.ru

WTA Generali Ladies Linz

Where? Linz, Austria
Surface? Indoor hard
Prizemoney? $600,000 (tier II)
Draw size? 32 singles, 16 doubles pairs
Big names? Ana Ivanovic, Vera Zvonareva, Agnieszka Radwanska, Patty Schnyder, Nadia Petrova, Marion Bartoli, Flavia Pennetta, Alize Cornet
2007 champion? Daniela Hantuchova
Sub-plot? With none of the other true superstars of women’s tennis in attendance, can Ana Ivanovic win her first title since lifting the French Open trophy back in early June? The world No.4 looked like she may be on the road back to some sort of form in Zurich last week where she pushed eventual champ Venus Williams to three sets in the semis.
Web? www.generali-ladies.at

WTA Fortis Championships

Where? Luxembourg
Surface? Indoor hard
Prizemoney? $225,000 (tier III)
Draw size? 32 singles, 16 doubles pairs
Big names? Elena Dementieva, Anna Chakvetadze, Daniela Hantuchova, Caroline Wozniacki, Na Li, Amelie Mauresmo
2007 champion? Ana Ivanovic
Sub-plot? Two words – Laura Robson. If you haven’t heard of her yet, you’ll soon be familiar with the name. The 14-year-old Junior Wimbledon champion makes her WTA Tour debut against Czech Iveta Benesova in Luxumbourg. She also plays doubles with Argentine Gisela Dulko. Expect lots of ‘too much too soon?’ debate over the coming days – depending on how she does of course. Tennishead blogger Sarah Borwell also lines up in the doubles main draw.
Web? www.fortis-championships.lu