A week before the main tournament at the 24th Vegeta Croatia Open is to begin, the competition is growing fiercer and the list of favourites for the win is expanding. Italian Fabio Fognini and Argentinean Carlos Berlocq are arriving to Umag in top form and highly motivated after winning their first ATP titles on clay courts.

Fognini won his first title by beating German player Philipp Kohlschreiber in three sets (5-7, 6-4, 6-4) in the final of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart. After winning the title Fognini moved up in the ATP rankings and is currently No. 26, just behind his fellow-countryman Andreas Seppi, who is also coming to Umag.

Berlocq won his first ATP title at the SkiStar Swedish Open in Bastad by beating the eight-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who will also be playing Umag next week, in two sets (7-5, 6-1). Winning the Swedish Open allowed the 30-year old Argentinean to jump up in the ATP rankings by 28 positions, to No. 46.

Fognini's and Berlocq's excellent results, as well as those of Verdasco and of the Polish player Jerzy Janowicz recently, are a great introduction to this year's tournament in Umag. Defending champion Marin Čilić and the world No. 9 Richard Gasquet will be facing extremely strong opponents in them. We also must not forget the former winner Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine, or the Frenchman Gaël Monfils, former Top 10 player who is on his way back to the top of the world's tennis. Many other outstanding players will participate in the tournament as well, thus this year from July 18 to 28 Umag will offer a truly exciting tennis event and unpredictable matches.