sign in sign up
<<
Home , 2003 ATP Tour, 2010 China Open (tennis), 2010 Serbia Open, 2011 China Open (tennis), 2011 Serbia Open, 2012 ATP World Tour

MERCEDESCUP: PREVIEW & DAY 1 MEDIA NOTES Monday, June 6, 2016

TC Weissenhof, , | June 6 – 12, 2016 Draw: S-28, D-16 | Prize Money: €675,645 | Surface: Grass

ATP Info: Tournament Info: ATP PR & Marketing: www.ATPWorldTour.com www.mercedescup.de Martin Dagahs: [email protected] @ATPWorldTour @MercedesCup #MercedesCup Press Room: +49 711 32095705 facebook.com/ATPWorldTour facebook.com/mercedescup

MERCEDESCUP TALKING POINTS

 SPOTLIGHT ON STUTTGART: The first edition of the tournament in Stuttgart was held in 1898, with Mercedes-Benz assuming the role of title sponsor in 1979. It is one of the longest-running title sponsors on the ATP World Tour. The top four seeds are: Federer, who is making his Stuttgart debut, Cilic, a semi-finalist last year, Roland Garros semi-finalist and . The other seeds are: Feliciano Lopez, who won the Roland Garros doubles crown (w/M. Lopez), last year’s runner-up , German No. 1 , and . There are two former champions in the field: wild card Juan Martin del Potro (2008) and (2002). Troicki (2015) and Kohlschreiber (2013) are former finalists.

 DAY 1 PREVIEW: There are two main draw singles, four final round qualifying and two doubles matches on Monday’s schedule. In the opening main draw singles match on Center Court, Germans and meet in a final round qualifying match. In the first main draw match of the tournament, big-serving and square off for the second time. Marchenko won the previous meeting in the 1R in Memphis in February. In the next match on, and wild card battle it out for the first time. Jaziri is a career-high No. 63 this week in the Emirates ATP Rankings while Berrer is a two-time quarter- finalist (2008, ’13) in his hometown tournament.

 ROGER RETURNS, EYES MILESTONE: Federer is making his tournament debut and returns to action for the first time since losing in the 3R at ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Thiem). The 34-year- old Federer withdrew from Roland Garros, breaking his record 65 consecutive tournaments played. This is only Federer’s fifth tournament of the season (11-4). He withdrew from due to a back injury and a left knee injury sidelined him after the Aust. Open. Federer is one match win away from tying on the Open Era career match wins list. Federer has 1,070 wins and Lendl 1,071. Jimmy Connors is the all-time leader with 1,256 wins.

 GERMAN TITLE HOPES: It’s been 25 years since a German lifted the champion’s trophy in Stuttgart ( in 1991). The host country has five players in the main draw (at least one qualifier), led by No. 1 German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who was runner-up in 2013. Other Germans in the main draw are: wild cards Michael Berrer and 19-year-old Jan Choinski along with Jan- Lennard Struff. Choinski is making his ATP World Tour debut.

THIEM BREAKS TOP 10: The newest member in the Top 10 Emirates ATP Rankings will be Austrian Dominic Thiem, who advanced to his first career Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros (l. to Djokovic). The 22-year-old jumped from No. 15 to No. 7 after his impressive run in Paris. Thiem has a 41-11 match record on the season with three ATP World Tour titles. This is his seventh career grass court event (2-6). Last year he lost in the 1R in Stuttgart (l. to M. Zverev).

MercedesCup Day 1 – Monday, June 6, 2016 Page 2 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com

FORMER MERCEDESCUP CHAMPIONS AND FINALISTS (Since 2000): Bold = Those in draw

YEAR WINNER FINALIST SCORE

2015 Viktor Troicki 7-6(3), 6-3 2014 Lukas Rosol 6-3, 4-6, 6-2

2013 Philipp Kohlschreiber 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

2012 Janko Tipsarevic Juan Monaco 6-4, 5-7, 6-3

2011 Pablo Andujar 6-4, 6-0

2010 Albert Montanes Gael Monfils 6-2, 1-2 RET

2009 Jeremy Chardy Victor Hanescu 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

2008 Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 7-5 2007 Rafael Nadal 6-4, 7-5

2006 Jose Acasuso 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4 2005 Rafael Nadal Gaston Gaudio 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

2004 Guillermo Canas Gaston Gaudio 5-7, 6-2, 6-0, 1-6, 6-3 2003 6-2, 6-2, 6-1

2002 Mikhail Youzhny Guillermo Canas 6-3, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 2001 Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

2000 Gaston Gaudio 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2

FORMER MERCEDESCUP DOUBLES CHAMPIONS (Since 2000):

YEAR WINNER YEAR WINNER 2015 & 2007 Frantisek Cermak & Leos Friedl 2014 & 2006 Gaston Gaudio & 2013 & 2005 Jose Acasuso & Sebastian Prieto 2012 Jeremy Chardy & Lukasz Kubot 2004 Jiri Novak & Radek Stepanek 2011 Jurgen Melzer & 2003 Tomas Cibulec & Pavel Vizner 2010 & 2002 & 2009 Frantisek Cermak & Michal Mertinak 2001 Guillermo Canas & Rainer Schuettler 2008 & Philipp Kohlschreiber 2000 Jiri Novak & David Rikl

SEEDS TO WATCH THIS WEEK SINGLES:

SEED PLAYER RECORD BEST FINISH

1. (SUI) 0-0 Debut 2 Marin Cilic (CRO) 3-2 SF- 2015 3 Dominic Thiem (AUT) 0-1 R32-2015 4 Gilles Simon (FRA) 4-5 R16-2005 5 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 8-6 SF-2007,’03 6 Viktor Troicki (SRB) 4-1 F- 2015 7 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 10-9 F-2013 8 Lucas Pouille (FRA) 0-0 Debut MercedesCup Day 1 – Monday, June 6, 2016 Page 3 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com

 WILDCARDS (3):  YOUNGEST: Michael Berrer (GER) (USA) – 18 years, 7 months Jan Choinski (GER) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG)  OLDEST: Michael Berrer (GER) – 35 years, 11 months  QUALIFIERS (4): To be completed Monday  TOP COUNTRY BREAKDOWN: Germany (4), (3), (2), (2), USA (2). Does not include qualifiers

DOUBLES:

SEED PLAYER BEST FINISH 1. & TEAM DEBUT 2. Florin Mergea & Horia Tecau TEAM DEBUT 3. & TEAM DEBUT 4. Lukasz Kubot & TEAM DEBUT

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

EMIRATES ATP RANKING POINTS AND PRIZE MONEY

W F SF QF R16 R32 SINGLES RANKING POINTS 250 150 90 45 20 0 SINGLES PRIZE MONEY (€) 107,900 56,830 30,790 17,540 10,335 6,120 DOUBLES RANKING POINTS 250 150 90 45 0 — DOUBLES PRIZE MONEY (€) 32,800 17,230 9,340 5,340 3,130 —

DAY 1 FEDEX ATP 2 HEADS – In Order of Play Centre Court

Sam Groth (AUS) vs Illya Marchenko (UKR) Marchenko Leads 1-0 16 Memphis (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Illya Marchenko 7-6(4) 7-6(2)

Groth 2016 FastFacts: YTD W-L: 2-10 YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: October 19, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 115 Stuttgart W-L (Best Result): 2-1 (QF - 2015)

• Advanced to 2R at (d. Mannarino, l. to No. 2 Murray) and Miami (d. Estrella Burgos, l. to Thiem) • Fell to Isner in opening rubber of 1R (USA d. AUS 3-1) • Held 3 MPs vs. Rubin in Delray Beach 1R before losing 64 46 76(6) • In doubles, served as partner to Hewitt in countryman’s last match at Australian Open (l. to Pospisil/Sock in 3R) • At Challengers w/Paes, won Busan, KOR title (d. Ratiwatana/Ratiwatana) and reached Leon, MEX final (l. to S. Gonzalez/Pavic) • Retired in Seoul, KOR Challenger QF (right wrist) and , THA Challenger 1R (neck)

MercedesCup Day 1 – Monday, June 6, 2016 Page 4 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com

Marchenko 2016 FastFacts: SF: (l Nadal); QF: (l Tomic) YTD W-L: 10-11 YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: September 8, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 73 Stuttgart W-L (Best Result): First Appearance

• Advanced to 3rd ATP World Tour SF – 1st since 2010 – at Doha (d. No. 7 Ferrer in 1R, l. to No. 5 Nadal). Win over Ferrer was 1st of career over a Top 10 player (1-6 overall) • Reached Acapulco QF (d. Paul and Harrison, l. to Tomic) • Has already won 10 tour-level matches this season, most since winning 18 in 2010

Malek Jaziri (TUN) vs [WC] Michael Berrer (GER) First Meeting

Jaziri 2016 FastFacts: QF: (l Paire) YTD W-L: 6-10 YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: January 20, 1984 Emirates ATP Ranking: 63 (Career-high) Stuttgart W-L (Best Result): First Appearance

• Best result of season came in Barcelona where he reached QF (d. Chung, Olivo and A. Zverev; l. to Paire) • Comes in with career-high No. 63 in Emirates ATP Rankings • Snapped 8-match losing streak by beating Youzhny in 1R (l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 2R) • Fell to Robredo 8-6 in 5th of Australian Open 1R after holding 1 MP • Won Challenger titles at Guadalajara, MEX (d. Pouille, Zeballos, Robert) and Le Gosier, GUD (d. Fritz, Kozlov) • Played 6 tie-breaks, 15 sets and 168 games in Davis Cup Group II tie vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina (BIH d. TUN 3-1) • Retired in ATP Masters 1000 Rome qualifying 1R (back) and Furth, GER Challenger 2R (neck)

Berrer 2016 FastFacts: QF: (l Zverev) YTD W-L: 3-4 YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: July 1, 1980 Emirates ATP Ranking: 121 Stuttgart W-L (Best Result): 5-6 (QF - 2008, ’13)

• Tournament Note: A two-time quarter-finalist, in 2008 (l. to Calleri) and 2013 (ret. vs. Bautista Agut) • Best result of season came in February with QF in Montpellier (d. Coric and De Schepper, l. to A. Zverev 75 in 3rd) • Qualified at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells and won 1R match over Monaco (l. to Sock in 2R) • Captured 11th Challenger title of career at Leon, MEX (d. Souza)

MercedesCup Day 1 – Monday, June 6, 2016 Page 5 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com

OTHER FIRST ROUND FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Draw Order (not including qualifiers)

Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs Feliciano Lopez (ESP) Lopez Leads 5-2 02 Tashkent () Hard R32 Mikhail Youzhny 7-6(5) 6-4 03 Wimbledon (England) Grass R64 Feliciano Lopez 7-6(5) 6-3 6-2 03 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R64 Feliciano Lopez 7-6(4) 6-3 04 Dubai (U.A.E.) Hard SF Feliciano Lopez 6-4 4-6 6-4 11 () Hard R16 Mikhail Youzhny 6-7(5) 6-2 7-5 14 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid () Clay R32 Feliciano Lopez 3-6 6-3 6-4 14 ATP Masters 1000 (China)Hard QF Feliciano Lopez 5-7 6-4 6-4 Other meeting: 09 Sunrise CH (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Feliciano Lopez 6-2 6-3

Lucas Pouille (FRA) vs (AUS) First Meeting

Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) vs (BUL) del Potro Leads 2-0 13 () Hard SF Juan Martin del Potro 6-4 6-4 13 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R16 Juan Martin del Potro 3-6 6-3 6-4

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) vs (CYP) First Meeting

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) vs Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) Kohlschreiber Leads 1-0 14 Halle (Germany) Grass R16 Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2 6-4

Dusan Lajovic (SRB) vs (USA) Lajovic Leads 1-0 16 Roland Garros (France) Clay R128 Dusan Lajovic 6-4 6-3 6-3