Game Week 4 Roundup

 

Here’s a clean, narrative‑driven summary of Game Week 4, shaped exactly in the tone we’ve used before: coherent, story‑first, and ready for you to bolt the fantasy layer onto afterwards.

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GAME WEEK 4 SUMMARY — A WEEK OF WITHDRAWALS, UPSETS, AND BREAKTHROUGHS

WTA 1000 Dubai – A Tournament Held Together With Tape

Dubai was supposed to be a heavyweight WTA showdown, but instead it became a survival test. The withdrawals came thick and fast: Sabalenka citing injury, Swiatek pulling out after her shock Doha loss to Sakkari, and even the Doha finalists Mboko and Muchova stepping away. Suddenly the top seed was Elena Rybakina, but even she didn’t make it past the third round, retiring ill against lucky loser Antonia Ruzic.

Ruzic made the most of her unexpected lifeline, riding the momentum all the way to the quarter‑finals, where she finally ran into Elina Svitolina. The crowds, meanwhile, had their hearts set on rising star Alexandra Eala, who also reached the quarters before being firmly dismissed by Coco Gauff.

The other quarter‑finals delivered drama: Jess Pegula needed three sets to shake off Clara Tauson, while Mirra Andreeva suffered yet another agonisingly tight defeat, this time to Amanda Anisimova.

The semi‑finals were quality affairs. Svitolina repeated her Australian Open win over Gauff, while Pegula clawed back from a set down to beat Anisimova in an all‑American duel. But the final belonged entirely to Pegula, who produced a calm, clinical 6–2, 6–4 performance to lift the trophy and bring order to a chaotic week.

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ATP 500 Doha – Alcaraz Dominates, Sinner Stumbles

Doha promised a blockbuster: Alcaraz and Sinner, the two standout men of 2026, returning to action. Only one of them lived up to the billing.

Alcaraz was sharp from the start, coming from a set down to beat Khachanov in the quarters and then dispatching Rublev in the semis. Sinner, however, was stunned by Jakub Mensik, whose fearless hitting produced one of the upsets of the season so far.

The other big story was the resurgence of Arthur Fils, finally looking like himself again after injury troubles. If Alcaraz was busy clearing out the Russians, Fils was taking care of the Czechs—beating Lehecka and then Mensik to reach the final.

But the tank was empty by Sunday. Alcaraz overwhelmed him 6–2, 6–1, a ruthless reminder of the gap between the very best and the merely excellent. With the win, Alcaraz tightened his grip on the 2026 Race.

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ATP Rio – Etcheverry Survives the Chaos

The South American clay swing rolled into Rio, and the chaos began immediately. The previous week’s Buenos Aires finalists Francisco Cerundolo and Luciano Darderi both crashed out early—Cerundolo retiring against Tirante, and Darderi losing to Francisco's younger brother Juan Manuel Cerundolo. 

Home favourite João Fonseca suffered another disappointing singles exit, falling to Peru’s Ignacio Buse, though he salvaged the week by winning the doubles title with Melo.

Heavy rain forced the tournament into a brutal schedule: both semi‑finals and the final on the same day. Alejandro Tabilo beat Buse, while Tomas Etcheverry had to dig deep to overcome Vit Kopriva from a set down.

Then Etcheverry did it again. In a gripping final, he clawed back from a set down to defeat Tabilo 3–6, 7–6, 6–4, showing remarkable resilience and earning one of the most hard‑fought titles of his career.

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ATP Delray Beach – Korda’s Redemption Arc

Delray Beach delivered a classic American hard‑court week, with five home players reaching the quarter‑finals. Tommy Paul edged out Taylor Fritz, while teenage sensation Learner Tien continued his habit of escaping from the brink—saving match points against Kecmanovic, then toppling Tiafoe.

Flavio Coboli rediscovered some form with a win over Coleman Wong, and Sebastian Korda produced one of the wins of the week, coming from a set down to beat Casper Ruud.

Tien even took the first set off Paul in the semis before the older American steadied himself. Korda, meanwhile, handled Coboli in straight sets to reach a much‑needed final.

The championship match was all Korda. Confident, clean, and finally healthy, he swept past Paul 6–4, 6–3, a reminder of the level he can reach when his body cooperates.

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Here is the global league table for the game week.

Congratulations to Tony and his team TonyTonic who dominated the game week with a winning margin of 54 points.

Here is Tony's team for the game week. 

Captain Alcaraz delivered as expected but Tony has another winner in the shape of Rio champ Tomas Martin Etcheverry.  He also had Dubai runner up Svitolina and the runner up from Delray Beach - Tommy Paul.  Semi finalists Coco Gauff and Jakub Mensik also delivered important points. So despite the no shows from Mboko and Sakkari, Tony was a level above the rest.  

Lets have a look at the level 2 standings so see who takes the game week prize.

It was the closest of battles between Stanimal Rights Activists (Preston) and Between the Lines (David) with only 1.515 points separating them at the end of the game week.

Here is the head to head

Not much to choose between these two teams but if we are going to look at a defining moment, perhaps Preston can look to the ER performance of Learner Tien who stepped into the shoes of Victoria Mboko after her withdrawal and delivery a healthy 33 points.  Preston also boasted two winners in Captain Alcaraz and KP Pegula.

Congrats to both on a great week.

FTL Cup - Group Stage fixtures - Game Week 6

 

The FTL Cup returns during the next game week and we have the 2nd set of group stage fixtures.

The two winners in your group will face off against each other and of course the two losers.

So if you won your first match, this is your chance to claim top spot in the group and if you lost your first match, its time to get your campaign up and running!

The current standings and next set of fixtures can all be viewed on this link

FTL Cup   

Game Week 3 Roundup

 

🎾 WTA 1000 Doha – Muchova Returns, Mboko Arrives, and Iga Wobbles

Doha delivered the most intriguing storyline of the week: a final that nobody predicted but everyone enjoyed. Karolína Muchová, finally healthy enough to string matches together, reminded the tour what she looks like at full flow. Her path wasn’t soft either — wins over Anisimova and Kalinskaya set the tone, but the real statement came in the semifinal where she clawed back from a set down to beat Maria Sakkari, who had just produced the shock of the week by knocking out top seed Iga Świątek. That result alone will have fantasy managers wondering whether Iga’s aura of inevitability is flickering a little in early 2026.

On the other side of the draw, Victoria Mboko continued her astonishing rise. The Canadian teenager survived a match point against Mirra Andreeva, then outlasted Elena Rybakina in a bruising quarterfinal before dispatching the eternal chaos merchant Jelena Ostapenko in the semis. Mboko’s run was a showcase of grit, nerve, and a refusal to be intimidated by bigger names. But the final belonged to Muchová, whose variety and poise were simply too much. If she stays healthy — a perennial “if” — she’s a genuine threat at every major event this season.

🎾 ATP 500 Rotterdam – De Minaur’s Steel, Felix’s Revival, and Botic’s Almost

Rotterdam was a week for the purists: clean indoor tennis, crisp ball‑striking, and a final that pitted the top two seeds against each other. Alex de Minaur, the No. 1 seed, dropped just one set all week — and that came in a near‑disaster against home favourite Botic van de Zandschulp, who pushed him to the brink in front of a raucous Dutch crowd. Survive that, though, and the rest of the week looked almost serene. De Minaur handled Ugo Humbert in the semis with trademark efficiency and then produced a confident, composed performance to beat Felix Auger‑Aliassime in the final.

Felix, for his part, looked more like the player who once threatened to break into the very top tier. His run to the final was a welcome reminder of his ceiling, and fantasy managers who gambled on him were rewarded handsomely. But Rotterdam ultimately belonged to De Minaur — a player who seems to be entering the “I win the matches I’m supposed to win” phase of his career, which is exactly what top seeds are meant to do.

🎾 ATP 250 Dallas – Shelton’s Boom, Fritz’s Consistency, and a Pair of Comebacks

Dallas served up an all‑American final between Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz, with the No. 2 seed Shelton powering his way to the title. His lefty serve was its usual menace, but what stood out this week was his composure in tight moments — especially in the semifinal against Denis Shapovalov, a three‑set thriller where Shapo showed flashes of his old brilliance before Shelton slammed the door shut.

The other semifinal featured a welcome sight: Marin Čilić, the veteran and former major champion, pushing Fritz hard in two tight sets. Fritz, the top seed, did everything expected of him — steady, disciplined, and clinical — but Shelton’s explosiveness in the final proved decisive. For fantasy managers, Dallas was a straightforward week: pick the seeds, reap the points, and enjoy the fireworks.

🎾 ATP 250 Buenos Aires – Cerúndolo’s Homecoming, Darderi’s Breakthrough, and a Bucket‑List Moment

Buenos Aires was the most emotional stop of the week, headlined by Francisco Cerúndolo fulfilling a dream he had openly spoken about. In a video chat with Casper Ruud, he’d said that winning his home tournament was on his bucket list for 2026 — and whether Ruud was a lucky charm or simply a good listener, Cerúndolo made it happen. The No. 1 seed played with purpose all week and capped it off by beating No. 2 seed Luciano Darderi in the final.

Darderi’s run was a breakout moment in its own right, confirming that his surge up the rankings is no fluke. But this tournament belonged to Cerúndolo, who fed off the Buenos Aires crowd and delivered the kind of clay‑court tennis that makes him so dangerous in South America. For fantasy managers, this was the most predictable event of the week — the top two seeds marched to the final without much fuss — but it was also the most satisfying, a homegrown champion lifting a trophy he’s long coveted.

Here is the global league table for the game week. 

Congrats to Anuar Zhumabay and his team State of Serve who finished top of the standings for this game week. 

Anuar had Dallas winner Ben Shelton and Rotterdam runner up FAA as KPs.  He had both Doha finalists in Muchova and Mboko as well as an excellent DH choice in the shape of Jelena Ostapenko.  Altogether an outstanding week.

Sitting at 2nd and 3rd in the standings are Sindre (Team Le Tourneau) and Shane (CooCoo 4 Coco Gauffs) and it was these two teams who battled it out for Level 2 honours.

Congrats to Sindre who edged out the game week by 10 points.  Here is the head to head between the two sides.

Remarkably Shane had all 4 Champions in his team but if he's looking for scapegoat that stopped him getting top spot - look no further than Daniil Medvedev!

GAMEWEEK 4 DRAWS AND DARK HORSE BREAKDOWN

 

I have attached the Draws (FTL Version) and Dark Horse Breakdown for The Dubai Masters (Womens Event).  Please note that there was a long list of withdrawals both before and after the Main Draw came out.  The Qualifying in Dubai was completed earlier today, so as a result, the Qualifiers and Lucky Losers have been placed.

 
I've also provided the Draws for the 3 Mens events - Doha, Rio and Delray Beach.  Please note that the final round of Qualifying (at all of these events) won't be completed until well after the lockout.

 

Do not forget to select your Dark Horse for the Womens event in Dubai.

 

If you want a copy, click on the link, GameWeek 4 Draws Once you do so, click on FILE, and scroll to MAKE A COPY, and call it whatever you want

Good Luck :)

Game Week 2 Round up

 

Fantasy Tennis Weekly Report — Breakthroughs, Home Crowds, and Indoor Redemption

Four tournaments delivered a mix of breakout runs, emotional homecomings, and the kind of Fantasy‑shifting results that make early‑season roster management a minefield.

WTA Abu Dhabi — Bejlek Breaks Through, Baptiste Surges

Abu Dhabi produced the week’s biggest storyline: the emergence of Sara Bejlek as a genuine hard‑court threat. The 18‑year‑old Czech edged Clara Tauson in a tense semi‑final, then stunned top‑10 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova to claim the title. It was the sort of run that instantly changes her Fantasy valuation.

Hailey Baptiste was nearly the story herself. She knocked out seeds Emma Navarro and Liudmila Samsonova, then held match point against Alexandrova in the semi‑final before narrowly missing the upset. For managers who backed her, it was still a strong scoring week.

Belinda Bencic’s pre‑event withdrawal hit a huge chunk of the Fantasy field, reshaping the scoring landscape before the first ball was struck.

WTA Cluj — Cîrstea’s Farewell Flourish, Raducanu’s Revival, Oliynykova’s Spark

Cluj once again delivered one of the most vibrant atmospheres on the WTA calendar. The Romanian crowd backed every local player—and adopted Emma Raducanu as one of their own—but most home favourites fell early. Tournament regular Jaqueline “Draqueline” Cristian was among the early exits.

Sorana Cîrstea, in her final season, gave the fans a run to savour. She played with clarity and purpose all week, ultimately lifting a hugely popular title.

Oleksandra Oliynykova became the surprise star of the tournament. Sporting stencilled bat tattoos in honour of Transylvania, she backed up the aesthetic with wins over Ana Bondar and Xinyu Wang. Her semi‑final against Raducanu was one of the matches of the week, pushing Emma to the brink.

Raducanu reached her first final since her US Open triumph, a meaningful step forward, though she had little left against Cîrstea’s experience in the championship match.

WTA Ostrava — Boulter Rebounds, Bartůňková Builds, Fruhvirtová Re‑Emerges

Ostrava lacked the usual star‑power of a Czech event, but it still produced several Fantasy‑relevant stories. Rising talent Nikola Bartůňková continued her upward trajectory with two wins before falling to Diane Parry in the quarter‑finals.

Another Czech, Linda Fruhvirtová, delivered her best week in some time. Once tipped as a future star, she finally showed signs of that early promise again before losing to eventual champion Katie Boulter in the quarters.

The draw opened up dramatically, leading to an unseeded final between Boulter and Tamara Korpatsch. Boulter’s title run marked a welcome return to form after a difficult 2025 and pushed her back into the top 100. Korpatsch’s emotional week—and her praise for Boulter’s past kindness during her own struggles—added a heartfelt layer to the event.

ATP Montpellier — Félix Resets, Qualifiers Shock, Hurkacz Falls Early

With most ATP players on Davis Cup duty, Montpellier became the lone men’s event of the week—and it mattered. Félix Auger‑Aliassime, taking a wildcard after his early Australian Open exit, rediscovered his indoor rhythm and beat Adrian Mannarino in the final. Managers who bought low on Félix were rewarded with a clean, confidence‑restoring run.

The qualifiers stole the early headlines. Martin Damm delivered the Fantasy gut‑punch of the week by knocking out popular pick Hubert Hurkacz in the first round. He rode that momentum all the way to the semi‑finals. Fellow qualifier Harold Mayot Droguet matched him, also reaching the semis and offering huge value in a thin ATP week.

Tomáš Macháč, one of the most widely owned players, retired again—this time against Arthur Gea—continuing a frustrating pattern of injury‑interrupted tournaments. Gea had already advanced via Mpetshi Perricard’s retirement, but he backed it up with strong play and pushed Mannarino hard in the quarter‑finals.

Arthur Fils added two solid wins as he continues his comeback, though Félix handled him comfortably in the quarters.

Here is the final table for the game week.

And here is the head to head between the top two teams in level 2.

Massive congrats to Graham who was top of the pile in what was a difficult week.  Its perhaps fitting that the main difference between the top two sides was their choice of captain.  Graham selected Cluj winner Sorana Cirstea while Roger That had runner up Raducanu although they did have Cirstea as a KP. Those additional multiplier points made all the difference for Metty's Marvels.

In addition to Cirstea, Metty's Marvels had solid scores from Samsonova, Baptiste amd Xinyu Wang while Mikhail was one of the few teams to go with the entertaining Ukrianian Oliynykova.

Congrats to Graham and Mikhail on a great week. Top two in level 2 and top 2 in the global league.

Australian Open Round Up

 

The FTL Season is up and running again and you would have been off to a flier if you had eventual winners Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina in your team as it was these two who held the trophies aloft at the end of an entertaining two weeks of tennis.

Women's singles

The breakout star of the women's singles this year was undoubtedly American teenager Iva Jovic who didn't drop a set in her run to the quarter finals that included an impressive win over the no 7 seed Jasmine Paolini. Ultimately she was to go down 6-3, 6-0 to tournament favourite Aryna Sabalenka but the result was not a fair reflection of her performance and Iva will definitely be one to watch this year.

Iva was a popular DH pick in FTL and delivered a cracking amount of points for her owners.

Coco Gauff's mixed fortunes continued. She managed to negotiate her way through to the Quarter Finals but was humbled by a terrific display from the Ukranian Elina Svitolina who continues to impress after her return to the tour following the birth of her child Skai.

Meanwhile, Iga Swiatek continues to struggle against the very top players. The no 2 seed showed signs of the fragility that affected her last season when she dropped a set 6-1 to Kalinskaya in the 3rd round and even though she made it through to the Quarter Finals with minimal fuss, there wasn't too much surprise when she was beaten fairly convincingly by familiar foe Elina Rybakina.

In an all American Quarter Final, the often unheralded Jess Pegula saw off last seasons breakout star Amanda Anisimova in straight sets. Anisimova made two grand slam finals last year and finished comfortably in the year end top 10 so it will be a big challenge for her to repeat the success she had in 2025. Steady Jess however continues to impress.

The semi finals were both straight sets affairs with Aryna Sabelenka proving far too strong for Elina Svitolina.  The 2nd semi final was tighter but Elena Rybakina is quickly establishing herself as one of the top players in the world right now and flying high after her win at the year end finals last year and she saw off Pegula in straight sets. 

The one thing which had been lacking in the latter stages of the women's event was a thrilling match going the distance but thankfully we got that in the final with Elena Rybakina eventually triumphing in the final against Aryna Sabalenka in three tight sets. A sore one for Aryna who sought to claim her third AO title but a terrific start to the season for Elena Rybakina who will now look to achieve the consistency she needs to compete with Aryna and Iga for the No 1 spot. 

Men's singles

Novak Djokovic arrived at the Australian Open fresh and ready to have another tilt at winning his 25th Grand Slam.  At the grand old age of 38 you do feel that his chances of winning the 7 consecutive matches required to win a slam are becoming increasingly slim especially when the obstacles in his way are likely to include Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.  It would need  him to play incredible tennis but also have a few things fall in his favour.

As the tournament played out, that's exactly what seemed to happen. He came through his opening three rounds without dropping a set against opponents you would expect him to beat but got a bonus in the 4th round when the potentially dangerous Mensik withdrew before the match.

That meant a walkover for Novak before having to face his first tough opponent, Lorenzo Musetti in the Quarter Finals.  And by his own admission Novak was outplayed by Musetti. Two sets down and seemingly on the verge of a resounding defeat, a remarkable and unfortunate twist occurred with Musetti struck down by an injury he could not play through.  Novak was through to the semi finals of the Australian Open without winning a single set in the Fourth Round or Quarter Finals!

His opponent in the semi final would be reigning champion Jannik Sinner who had benefitted from his own large slice of luck in the 3rd Round.  On an incredibly hot day, Sinner struggled badly with the heat (not for the first day) and found himself a set and a break down to the American Eliot Spizzirri. At that moment, he seemed almost on the verge of a retiral but was delivered a timely reprieve when the heat rule kicked in. and the roof was closed.  After a significant break while the roof was closed, Sinner returned a different player and comfortably saw the match out under more favourable conditions. In the Quarter Finals he cruised past Ben Shelton in straight sets.     

If Iva Jovic was the breakout star of the women's competition then Learner Tien was the breakout star of the men's event.  Like Iva, Learner had an excellent 2025 and increasingly looks like a star of the future. His biggest scalp at the AO was Daniil Medvedev who he had caused plenty of problems for in their matches last year.  The manner of his victory at the AO - a 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 was quite the eye opener.

Learner would face Alexander Zverev in the Quarter Finals.  After reaching the Australian Open final last year, Zverev was once again finding his best tennis in his bid to finally win that elusive first slam.  Tien battled bravely and managed to capture the 2nd set but was ultimately defeated by the German.

In the fourth Quarter Final Carlos Alcaraz saw off home favourite Alex De Minaur in straight sets.  De Minaur continues to impress but must be frustrated at his failure to be more competitive against the very top players.  

The semi finals were both cracking matches.   

Novak may have rode his luck a little in his run to the semi finals but he chose the perfect moment to produce some spectacular tennis in his semi final with Jannik Sinner. It seemed the writing was on the wall when Sinner took the first set and went ahead again in the third set but Novak defied the odds and the age gap to score a stunning comeback win over the Italian. Another final beckoned for the man with the most illustrious records in tennis history.

The other semi final was equally dramatic with Alexander Zverev mounting the most unlikely of comebacks from 2 sets down to Carlos Alcaraz.  He was to serve for the match at 5-4 in the final set but whether it was the ghosts of the past for Zverev or the brilliance of Alcaraz, Zverev could not see it out and Alcaraz managed to turn the match quickly in his favour.

And there we had it - a final between the GOAT Novak Djokovic and the heir to the throne Carlos Alcaraz.  Would it be a classic?  It threatened to be, Novak came out firing and took the first set 6-2, providing that his best tennis was still good enough to take down the very best. But perhaps the toll of 5 sets against Sinner took effect because from then on Alcaraz took firm control of the match and cruised to a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory. 

FTL Results

Here is the final global table for the Australian Open

Massive congratulations to Noah Elio and his team MAOUST who topped the first week of the FTL year and the first slam of the year with an impressive total of 957.617 points!  Superman (Mark) were the best of the rest on 945 points with Smashing Pumpkins (Igor) finishing 3rd in the global league standings. 

As a Level 2 participant, Noah wins the weekly prize.  Below is the head to head between MAOUST and Lucky Losers (Tom Barnes) who were the top two teams in Level 2.

Lucky Losers ended the tournament with both the mens and womens champions while MAOUST only had Rybakina as a KP in their team but it was the strength in depth of the MAOUST team which proved crucial.

Noah had men's runner up Novak Djokovic and semi finalists Sinner and Pegula. He also had quarter finalist Ben Shelton in his team and crucially had Ivo Jovic returning 88 points as a dark horse.

Congrats once again Noah on a great start to the season!

    

    

       

GAMEWEEK 3 DRAWS AND DARK HORSE BREAKDOWN

I have attached the Draws (FTL Version) and Dark Horse Breakdown for The Doha Masters (Womens Event).  Please note that there was a long list of withdrawals both before and after the Main Draw came out.  The Qualifying in Doha was completed earlier today, so as a result, the Qualifiers and Lucky Losers have been placed.

 
I've also provided the Draws for the 3 Mens events - Dallas, Rotterdam and Buenos Aires.  Please note that the final round of Qualifying (at all of these events) won't be completed until well after the lockout.

 

Do not forget to select your Dark Horse for the Womens event in Doha.

 

If you want a copy, click on the link, GW3 DRAWS Once you do so, click on FILE, and scroll to MAKE A COPY, and call it whatever you want

Good Luck :)