PLAVA LAGUNA CROATIA OPEN: DAY 4 MEDIA NOTES Thursday, July 20, 2017

ATP Stadion, Umag, Croatia | July 17 – 23, 2017 Draw: S-28, D-16 | Prize Money: €482,060 | Surface: Clay

ATP World Tour Info Tournament Info: ATP PR & Marketing: www.ATPWorldTour.com www.croatiaopen.hr Stephanie Natal: [email protected] Twitter: @ATPWorldTour @CroatiaOpenUmag Press Room: +385 528 85 218 Facebook: @ATPWorldTour @ATPCroatiaOpenUmag

FOGNINI, MONFILS SEEK QUARTER-FINAL BERTHS IN UMAG

 Four second round matches highlight Thursday’s Umag schedule as defending champion and No. 3 seed Fabio Fognini and No. 2 seed Gael Monfils headline play on Stadium Goran Ivanisevic.

 Fognini, who received a first round bye, opens defense of his title against Argentina's Nicolas Kicker in a first-time meeting. Ranked No. 27 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Fognini is making his 10th straight appearance at Umag, reaching the 2013 final (l. Robredo) before capturing the title last year (d. Martin). The 30-year-old Italian is seeking his third ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season and second on clay (Sao Paulo SF) while Kicker, ranked No. 95 in the world, is also looking for his third QF of 2017, all on clay (Rio de Janeiro, Lyon).

 In the second match on, Monfils takes on Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva in their first encounter since the Frenchman prevailed, 6-2, 6-4 in the R32 at the Rio Olympic Games last year on hard court. Monfils is seeking his first ATP World Tour title of the season. He fell to 6-20 in finals with a loss to Novak Djokovic at Eastbourne on July 1. Only one of Monfils' titles -- his first at 2005 Sopot -- came on clay. He reached the Umag semi-finals in 2013 (l. Fognini) and 2015 (l. Thiem). Dutra Silva is currently ranked at a career-high No. 64 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, with his best success coming on the clay at three Challenger events, winning his 9th and 10th Challenger titles respectively at Santiago, CHI (d. Jarry) and Panama City, PAN (d. Krstin), and reaching the Bordeaux, FRA Challenger final (l. to Darcis). He is seeking his first ATP World Tour QF of 2017.

 There are two second round matches on Next Gen Arena with 2016 Umag finalist Andrej Martin of Slovakia meeting lucky loser Andrey Rublev of Russia in a first-time meeting on the ATP World Tour, and French qualifier Kenny De Schepper facing Italy's Alessandro Giannessi in another first-time ATP World Tour matchup.

FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS: DAY 4 SECOND-ROUND MATCHES Stadium Goran Ivanisevic

[3] Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs Nicolas Kicker (ARG) First Meeting

Fognini FastFacts: 2017 Highlights: SF: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l Nadal); QF: Sao Paulo (l Carreno Busta) YTD W-L: 19-14 YTD Titles: 0 Career Titles: 4 Date of Birth: May 24, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 27 Umag W-L (Best Result-Year): 19-8 (2016 Champion) Plava Laguna Croatia Open Day 4 – Thursday, July 20, 2017 Page 2 of 3 www.ATPWorldTour.com

• Making his 10th straight appearance at Umag, reaching the 2013 final (l. Robredo) before capturing the title last year (d. Martin) • Seeking his third ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season and second on clay (Sao Paulo SF) • Earned biggest win of career over No. 1 Murray in ATP Masters 1000 Rome 2R (l. to A. Zverev in 3R) • Advanced to 2nd ATP Masters 1000 SF at Miami (d. Nishikori, l. to Nadal) • In 1st match as a father, beat Tiafoe 60 in 5th at Roland Garros (l. to Wawrinka in 3R) • Defeated countrymen Cecchinato and Giannessi to reach Sao Paulo QF (l. to Carreno Busta) • Snapped 8-match losing streak vs Top 10 by beating Tsonga in Indian Wells 2R (l. to Cuevas in 3R) • Rallied from 2 sets down vs Pella to clinch Italy’s 3-2 Davis Cup 1R win over Argentina in 4 hours, 15 minutes • Earlier in tie, squandered 1 MP w/Bolelli and fell to Berlocq/L. Mayer 76 in 5th after 4 hours, 8 minutes

Kicker FastFacts: 2017 Highlights: QF: Rio de Janeiro (l Ramos-Vinolas); Lyon (l Basilashvili) YTD W-L: 8-7 YTD Titles: 0 Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: August 16, 1992 Emirates ATP Ranking: 95 Umag W-L (Best Result-Year): Debut

• Was successful in his Umag debut by defeating former top 10 player Mikhail Youzhny, 6-3, 7-5, on Tuesday • Advanced to 1st ATP World Tour QF at Rio de Janeiro as Q (l. to Ramos-Vinolas) and reached the QF at Lyon (l. to Basilashvili), both on clay • Also reached 2R at the French Open (l. to Cuevas), Quito (l. to Ram) and Houston (l. to Verdasco) • Achieved career-high No. 78 in Emirates ATP Rankings on June 12 • Broke into Top 100 of Emirates ATP Rankings on February 27

Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) vs [2] Gael Monfils (FRA) Monfils Leads 1-0 16 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (Brazil) Hard R32 Gael Monfils 6-2, 6-4

Dutra Silva FastFacts: 2017 Highlights: R16 (Chennai, Istanbul, Geneva, Umag) YTD W-L: 7-13 YTD Titles: 0 Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: February 5, 1984 Emirates ATP Ranking: 64 Umag W-L (Best Result-Year): Debut

• Currently ranked at a career-high No. 64 in the Emirates ATP Rankings • Seeking his first ATP World Tour QF of 2017 • Reached 2R at Australian Open (l. to Simon) and Roland Garros (d. Youzhny after saving 2 MPs, l. to Raonic) • Fell in the 1R at Wimbledon (l. to Paire) • Qualified at Buenos Aires (l. to Giannessi in 1R after holding 2 MPs) • Captured 1st ATP doubles title in hometown of Sao Paulo with 1st-time partner Sa (d. Daniell/Demoliner) • Won 9th and 10th Challenger titles respectively at Santiago, CHI (d. Jarry) and Panama City, PAN (d. Krstin) • Also advanced to Bordeaux, FRA Challenger final (l. to Darcis)

Monfils FastFacts: 2017 Highlights: F: Eastbourne (l Djokovic); QF: Marseille (l Gasquet); Dubai (l Verdasco) YTD W-L: 16-10 YTD Titles: 0 Career Titles: 6 Date of Birth: September 1, 1986 Emirates ATP Ranking: 13 Umag W-L (Best Result-Year): 5-2 (SF: 2013, 2015) Plava Laguna Croatia Open Day 4 – Thursday, July 20, 2017 Page 3 of 3 www.ATPWorldTour.com

• Reached the Umag semi-finals in 2013 (l. Fognini) and 2015 (l. Thiem • Advanced to 1st grass-court final of career at Eastbourne as WC (d. Gasquet 76 in 3rd, l. to Djokovic) • Reached the R32 at Wimbledon (l. to Mannarino in 5 sets) • Enjoyed 400th win of career over Brown in Roland Garros 1R on May 30 (l. to Wawrinka in 4R) • Also reached 4R at Australian Open (l. to Nadal) and ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Thiem) • Advanced to back-to-back QFs at Marseille (l. to Gasquet) and Dubai (l. to Verdasco) • Squandered 2 MPs against countryman Simon in ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 1R • Withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 events at Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome (left knee and Achilles tendon)

Next Gen Arena

Andrej Martin (SVK) vs [LL] Andrey Rublev (RUS) First Tour-Level Meeting Other meetings: 16 Como CH (Italy) Clay R32 Andrey Rublev 2-6, 6-3, 6-3

[Q] Kenny De Schepper (FRA) vs Alessandro Giannessi (ITA) First Tour-Level Meeting Other meetings: 15 Cordenons CH (Italy) Clay R16 Kenny De Schepper 6-0, 7-6(2)