Former Champs Anderson, Rosol Headline 2R Play
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WINSTON-SALEM OPEN: DAY 3 MEDIA NOTES Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA | August 21-27, 2016 Draw: S-48, D-16 | Prize Money: $639,255 | Surface: Outdoor Hard ATP World Tour Info Tournament Info ATP PR & Marketing www.ATPWorldTour.com www.WinstonSalemOpen.com Greg Sharko: [email protected] Twitter: @ATPWorldTour Twitter: @WSOpen #WSOpen Press Room: +1-336-706-1470 Facebook: @ATPWorldTour Facebook: @WinstonSalemOpen FORMER CHAMPS ANDERSON, ROSOL HEADLINE 2R PLAY DAY 3 PREVIEW: As second-round action continues at the Winston-Salem Open on Tuesday, two former champions and a three-time semi-finalist highlight the action on Center Court at Wake Forest University. Beginning the day's matches are wild card and No. 2 seed Roberto Bautista Agut, who takes on Britain's Aljaz Bedene. The No. 77 Bedene leads their head-to-head 2-1, but the last contest this season in Miami went to the World No. 17 Bautista Agut. Both men are looking to match their best result here at Winston-Salem. Following on Center Court is No. 6 seed Sam Querrey, who has reached the semi-finals here in three out of four attempts. He takes on Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who has also had success here in the past, reaching the quarter-finals in 2014. The two have met on the courts of Wake Forest twice in their career history, in the second round in 2013 and in the quarter-finals in 2014. Both matches fell in Querrey's favor, though Garcia-Lopez pushed the American to three sets in his quarter-final loss. The night session matches begin with No. 5 seed and defending champion Kevin Anderson taking on Jiri Vesely. The 6-foot-8 Anderson holds a 2-1 lead over the 23-year-old, and has had previous success this summer with a quarter-final appearance at ATP Masters 1000 Toronto. No. 4 seed and top-ranked American Steve Johnson also takes the court against 2014 champion Lukas Rosol. Though Rosol won the title two years ago, the American has had a strong season thus far and reached the semi-finals here last year. Rosol did not advance past the second round when he tried to defend his title. This is the first meeting on the ATP World Tour for these two players. Rounding out play on Courts 2-4 are six players who’ve won titles this season: No. 3 seed Pablo Cuevas (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo), No. 8 seed Albert Ramos-Viñolas (Båstad), No. 9 seed Viktor Troicki (Sydney), No. 11 seed Paolo Lorenzi (Kitzbühel), No. 15 seed Fernando Verdasco (Bucharest) and Diego Schwartzman (Istanbul). In all, there are 12 ATP World Tour champions from the 2016 season among the 48-player Winston-Salem field (25%), also including Bautista Agut (Auckland and Sofia), Johnson (Nottingham), Querrey (Delray Beach), No. 1 seed Richard Gasquet (Montpellier) and a pair of players who lost on Monday: No. 13 seed Federico Delbonis (Marrakech) and Victor Estrella Burgos (Quito). Winston-Salem Open Day 3 – Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Page 2 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS: DAY 3 SINGLES MATCHES CENTER COURT Aljaz Bedene (GBR) vs [2/WC] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) Bedene Leads 2-1 15 Chennai (India) Hard SF Aljaz Bedene 3-6 6-3 7-6(8) 15 Hamburg (Germany) Clay R16 Aljaz Bedene 7-6(2) 7-6(7) 16 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R64 Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5 2-2 ret Bedene 2016 FastFacts SF: Chennai (l. to Coric) YTD W-L: 12-17 (6-6 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: July 18, 1989 Emirates ATP Ranking: 77 Winston-Salem W-L (Best Result): 3-1 (2015 Round of 16) • Tournament Note: Bedene is hoping to match his career-best result at Winston-Salem, where he reached R16 last year, defeating No. 11 Simon before falling to Herbert. This week, defeated James McGee 36 76(5) 62 to reach 2R • Advanced to Grand Slam 3R for 1st time at Roland Garros (d. Carreño Busta in 5 sets, l. to No. 1 Djokovic) • Reached QF-or-better for 4th straight year at Chennai, falling in SF (l. to Coric) • Won 1R matches at Acapulco, Miami, Monte-Carlo, ’s-Hertogenbosch, London/Queen’s Club and Båstad • Fell to 11-2 in Challenger finals with loss to Granollers in Irving, USA championship match • Held 5 MPs vs. Querrey in Auckland 1R before retiring in 3rd set due to leg injury • Also held 1 MP vs. Khachanov in Barcelona 1R before falling 76 in 3rd • Retired in ATP Masters 1000 Miami 2R vs. Bautista Agut and withdrew from Marrakech due to right wrist injury Bautista Agut 2016 FastFacts W (2): Auckland (d. Sock); Sofia (d. Troicki); QF (5): Chennai (l. to Coric), Rotterdam (l. to Klizan), Dubai (l. to Baghdatis) and London/Queen’s Club (l. to Raonic); Rio Olympics (l. to del Potro) YTD W-L: 34-15 (23-8 on hard) YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 4 Date of Birth: April 14, 1988 Emirates ATP Ranking: 17 Winston-Salem W-L (Best Result): 2-1 (2013 Round of 16) • Tournament Note: Bautista Agut enters as both wild card and No. 2 seed, with 1R bye. Previous appearance in Winston-Salem in 2013 saw him reach R16, when he defeated Klizan before falling to Berankis • Captured 3rd and 4th titles respectively at Auckland (d. Sock) and Sofia (d. Troicki) • Saved 1 MP to beat No. 10 Tsonga in Auckland SF, snapping 17-match losing streak to Top 10 opponents • Beat No. 9 Tsonga again 76 in 3rd to reach ATP Masters 1000 Miami 4R (l. to No. 6 Nishikori) • Reached 4R at Aus. Open (d. Cilic, l. to No. 6 Berdych in 5 sets) and Roland Garros (d. Coric, l. to No. 1 Djokovic) • Quarter-finalist at Rio Olympics in singles (l. to del Potro) and doubles w/Ferrer (l. to Johnson/Sock) • Also advanced to QFs at Chennai (l. to Coric 76 in 3rd), Rotterdam (l. to Klizan after 5 MPs), Dubai (l. to Baghdatis) and London/Queen’s Club (l. to No. 9 Raonic) • Led Spain to 4-1 win over Romania in Davis Cup Group I 2R, beating both Ungur and Mergea in straight sets • Withdrew from Munich due to meniscus injury [6] Sam Querrey (USA) vs Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) Querrey Leads 4-1 08 Delray Beach (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Sam Querrey 6-4 5-7 6-4 13 Winston-Salem (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Sam Querrey 4-6 6-3 6-4 14 Winston-Salem (U.S.A.) Hard QF Sam Querrey 6-7(3) 6-2 6-4 14 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R64 Sam Querrey 6-3 6-4 6-4 16 Geneva (Switzerland) Clay R32 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6(5) 6-4 Other Meeting: 06 Dallas CH (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Sam Querrey 6-3 6-4 Winston-Salem Open Day 3 – Tuesday, August 23, 2016 Page 3 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com Querrey 2016 FastFacts W: Delray Beach (d. Ram); SF (3): Memphis (l. to Nishikori); Acapulco (l. to Thiem); ’s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Mahut); QF (3): Houston (l. to Monaco); Wimbledon (l. to Raonic); Washington (l. to Monfils) YTD W-L: 27-19 (15-10 on hard) YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8 Date of Birth: October 7, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 31 Winston-Salem W-L (Best Result): 10-4 (2012-14 Semi-finalist) • Tournament Note: This year's No. 6 seed Querrey is a three-time semi-finalist in Winston-Salem, and he lost in 2R last year to Bolelli. He has defeated Garcia-Lopez twice at Wake Forest University, in 2013 and 2014 • Earned 1st win over World No. 1 en route to 1st Grand Slam QF at Wimbledon (l. to No. 7 Raonic), ending Djokovic’s 30-match major win streak and becoming 1st major quarter-finalist from USA since Isner and Roddick at 2011 US Open • Captured 1st singles title since 2012 and 8th overall at Delray Beach (d. del Potro and Ram) • Also won 5th doubles title and 1st w/Johnson at Geneva (d. Klaasen/Ram) • Reached SFs at Memphis (l. to No. 7 Nishikori), Acapulco (d. No. 6 Nishikori in 2R, l. to Thiem) and ’s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Mahut). Also played in doubles final at Memphis w/Johnson (l. to Fyrstenberg/S. Gonzalez) • Advanced to 2 other QFs, losing to eventual champion in Houston (l. to Monaco) and Washington (l. to Monfils) • Defeated French qualifiers Herbert and Pouille to reach ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 3R (l. to No. 5 Nadal) • Saved 5 MPs to beat Bedene in Auckland 1R and held 2 MPs before losing to Baghdatis in Nottingham 3R • Retired at 2 sets all in Australian Open 1R vs. Lajovic (cramping) and withdrew from Brisbane (right knee) Garcia-Lopez 2016 FastFacts SF: Bucharest (l. to Verdasco); QF (6): Chennai (l. to Wawrinka); Sofia (l. to Muller); Marrakech (l. to Vesely); Estoril (l. to Paire); Geneva (l. to Ferrer); Hamburg (l. to Robert) YTD W-L: 21-23 (8-10 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 5 Date of Birth: June 4, 1983 Emirates ATP Ranking: 50 Winston-Salem W-L (Best Result): 4-3 (2014 Quarter-finalist) • Tournament Note: In 2014, Garcia-Lopez earned his best result in Winston-Salem by reaching the QF, where he lost to Sam Querrey. The Spaniard reached 2R this week after defeating Dzumhur 76(0) 61 • Saved 1 MP to beat Pella in Bucharest QF (l.