Alternative attractions The Praia do Guincho (above), which is just 20 minutes' drive from Estoril, is a renowned surfing beach, while much of the local cuisine is based on the quality of its fresh fish (below). Estoril's casino (bottom) is the biggest of its kind in Europe
T hink of a spring-time tournament staged in a delightful coastal setting and the RolexMonte- CarloMasterswill probably come tomind first. However, the traditional opening event of the European clay-court season is not the only tournament where you can enjoy both top-class tennis and a glorious stretch of coastline.TheMillenniumEstoril Open, which takes placemidway through the European clay campaign, draws spectators fromfar andwide. The Clube de Tenis do Estoril is just a short walk from the Praia de Poca, one of a string of enticing beaches along the Portuguese Riviera. Situated just to thewest of Lisbon, this is a part of theworld long recognised as a luxury destination by the rich and the famous. Top tennis players have also enjoyed the region ever since the Portugal Open was established at nearbyOeiras in 1990.That event was held for the last time in 2014 before a new tournament, the Estoril Open, was rapidly put together at a different venue, the Clube de Tenis do Estoril. This year’s tournament, fromApril 23 toMay 1, takes place in the sameweek as one other ATP 250 event, in Munich.While some of the top players prefer to spend thisweek focusing on preparations for the upcoming back-to-backMasters events inMadrid andRome in the build-up to the FrenchOpen, the Estoril Open still attracts a high-class field. Denis Shapovalovwas top seed last year, whenAlbert Ramos-Vinolaswon the titlewith victory over CameronNorrie in the final. Stefanos Tsitsipaswas the champion in 2019. It is easy to seewhy the tournament is so popular.The airport at Lisbon is less than 20miles away, a train service linking the capital with Estoril, where shuttle buses
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