So how have the defending champions fared this past week ?
Well in Dubai Andy Murray was unable to compete due to his injury problems and subsequent operations. The 2017 runner up Rafa Nadal also failed to appear, preferring to save himself for Indian Wells.
In Acapulco, the 2017 Men’s champion was Sam Querrey, and he was bounced out this year by unseeded Matt Ebden in the first round.
Better news for the women’s 2017 champ Lesia Tsurenko, who won her second successive Mexican Open with a consistent week in Acapulco
Pablo Cuevas couldn’t repeat his Brasil Open glory of 2017, knocked out by Fabio Fognini in a semi final this year in São Paulo.
So who won the titles ?
In Dubai it was Roberto Bautista Agut (3) who triumphed over Lucas Pouille (2) 6-3 6-4, to deny the Frenchman in his second successive final after losing at the last hurdle in Marseille last week.
He had earlier this year won the tournament in Montpellier.
Bautista Agut has now won two titles in 2018, the other in Auckland in January.
In Acapulco, Juan Martin del Potro (6) defeated Kevin Anderson (5) 6-4 6-4, to claim the Mexican Open, his first title for 2018, having lost the final in Auckland in January.
Lesia Tsurenko (7), as we noted, defended her Mexican crown, and won her fourth career title in the process (1 each year since July 2015)
She defeated Stefanie Voegele 5-7 7-6(2) 6-2
Fabio Fognini (2) defeated Nicolas Jarry to win the Brasil Open in São Paulo 1-6 6-1 6-4.
This was career title number six for Fognini and his first for 2018.
This week, in fact for the next fortnight, the tennis eyes are concentrated on California, specifically Indian Wells.
The BNP Paribas Open is the first Masters 1000 Tournament for 2018 and the big names are assembled once more, as they were for the Aus Open, though the field is not quite as large.
The WTA is holding a Premier category event in conjunction with the ATP tournament, also titled the BNP Paribas Open.
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