MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS: DAY 5 MEDIA NOTES Thursday, April 14, 2016 Monte-Carlo Country Club, Monte-Carlo, Monaco | April 10-17, 2016 Draw: S-56, D-24 | Prize Money: €3,748,925 | Surface: Outdoor Clay ATP Info: Tournament Info: ATP PR & Marketing: www.ATPWorldTour.com www.MonteCarloTennisMasters.com Nanette Duxin: [email protected] @ATPWorldTour @MCRolexMasters Florent Girod: [email protected] facebook.com/ATPWorldTour facebook.com/MonteCarloRolexMasters Stephanie Natal: [email protected] instagram.com/ATPWorldTour instagram.com/MonteCarloRolexMastersOfficial Press Room: +33 4 93 41 79 58 MURRAY, FEDERER, WAWRINKA, NADAL HEADLINE THIRD ROUND ACTION DAY 5 PREVIEW: Third round play on Thursday features 12 seeds, led by No. 2 Andy Murray, No. 3 Roger Federer, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka and No. 5 Rafael Nadal. There are also a tournament-high five Frenchmen remaining among the final 16 players. Wawrinka, who won the title two years ago, and eight- time champion Nadal, are the former winners left. In the first match on Court Rainier III, No. 16 seed Benoit Paire takes on Murray for the first time. Paire is trying to reach his second career ATP Masters 1000 QF (SF at 2013 Rome). The 26-year-old Frenchman has a 5-19 career record vs. Top 10 opponents and his last win came over No. 4 Wawrinka in Marseille in February. Murray, who reached the semi-finals here in 2009 and 2011 (l. to Nadal both times), is attempting to reach the QF for the first time since 2012. Murray has won his last 10 matches against Frenchmen since losing to Gilles Simon in Rotterdam QF in February 2015. In the next match on, Nadal and No. 12 seed Dominic Thiem square off for the third time (tied 1-1). In the last meeting, the 22-year-old Austrian beat Nadal 64 46 76, saving one match pt., in the SF of Buenos Aires in February, en route to the title. Nadal’s win came in straight sets at Roland Garros two years ago. The Spaniard has a tournament-best 54-4 career record in Monte-Carlo with a tourney record eight straight titles from 2005 to 2012. Nadal comes in with a 13-6 match record on the season (5-2 on clay). He was a semi-finalist in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Thiem enters with a 26-6 match record on the season (10-1 on clay) and he’s won titles in Buenos Aires and Acapulco. He has a 3-12 career record vs. Top 10 opponents but he is 2-2 this season. He leads the ATP World Tour with a 12-0 mark in decisive-set matches this year. In the third match on, Federer, brings a 4-0 career record (10-0 in sets) against No. 14 seed Roberto Bautista Agut. This is their first meeting on clay. Federer is competing in Monte-Carlo for the 13th time in his career and he’s playing in his first tournament since undergoing left knee surgery on February 3. The 34-year-old Swiss superstar, a four-time Monte-Carlo finalist (2006-08, 2014), has a 29-12 record in Monte-Carlo. The only other tournament he has played more than without winning the title is Rome (15 times). Bautista Agut comes in with a 20-6 match record on the season and he’s one of three players with at least 20 wins (Djokovic-28, Thiem-26). He is 5-25 lifetime vs. Top 10 opponents and he’s looking for his first win on clay (0-6) and vs. a Top 3 foe (0-9). In the final match on, wild card Lucas Pouille faces countryman No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the first time. The 22-year-old Pouille upset French No. 2 Richard Gasquet on Wednesday for his second Top 10 win of the season (d. No. 8 Ferrer in Miami). Tsonga, who reached the SF here in 2013, has never appeared in an ATP World Tour clay court final. On Court Des Princes, Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur attempts to reach his first career ATP Masters 1000 QF as he takes on No. 10 seed Milos Raonic for the second time. Raonic is attempting to win his 20th match of the year (19-3). They met last month in the 4R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami with the Canadian winning 60 63. In the next match on, Wawrinka brings a 3-2 career advantage against No. 15 Gilles Simon. The Swiss has won both previous clay court meetings at Roland Garros in 2012 and last year. In the third match on, Jiri Vesely, who beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for his first career Top 10 win, squares off for the second time with No. 13 Gael Monfils. The 22-year-old Czech won the previous match in five sets at Wimbledon two years ago. In the final match on, No. 11 David Goffin attempts to reach his third straight ATP Masters 1000 QF as he plays Spanish lucky loser Marcel Granollers for the second time. The Belgian won the last meeting 64 64 in the 2R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami last month. Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Day 5 – Thursday, April 14, 2016 Page 2 of 9 www.ATPWorldTour.com DAY 5 FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play by Court COURT RAINIER III [16] Benoit Paire (FRA) vs [2] Andy Murray (GBR) First Meeting Paire 2016 FastFacts: SF (2): Chennai (l Wawrinka), Marseille (l Cilic) YTD W-L: 9-10 (2-2 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1 Date of Birth: May 8, 1989 Emirates ATP Ranking: 22 Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 4-3 (3R-2016) • The 26-year-old Frenchman is making his fourth main draw appearance (4-3 record) and appearing in 3R for first time after wins over Inigo Cervantes 46 62 76(6), saving 1 MP and Joao Sousa 64 63. His previous best was 2R twice: in 2013 (l. to No. 9 Gasquet) and as qualifier last year (l. to Simon) • Trying to reach 2nd career ATP Masters 1000 QF (SF at 2013 Rome) • Advanced to SFs at Chennai (l. to No. 4 Wawrinka) and Marseille (d. No. 4 Wawrinka, l. to Cilic). Coming into Monte-Carlo, had 1-4 record after Marseille with opening match defeats at Sao Paulo, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells and Houston; reached ATP Masters 1000 Miami 2R (1R d. Youzhny, l. to No. 10 Gasquet) • Achieved career-high No. 18 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 11 • Upset in Australian Open 1R by No. 328 Rubin 76(4) 76(6) 76(5) • Reached Chennai doubles final with 1st-time partner Krajicek (l. to Marach/Martin) • Has 5-19 career record vs. Top 10 opponents (1-2 this year, d. No. 4 Wawrinka in Marseille QF). Has 0-3 mark vs. Top 2 foes Murray 2016 FastFacts: F: Australian Open (l Djokovic) YTD W-L: 11-3 (1-0 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 35 Date of Birth: May 15, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 2 Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 12-7 (SF-2009, ’11) • The 28-year-old Briton opened on Tuesday with a 62 46 63 win over French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Trying to advance to QF for first time since 2012 and fourth overall in eighth appearance in Monte-Carlo, where he has twice reached SF (2009 & 2011, l. both times to eventual champion Nadal) • Fell to 0-5 in Australian Open finals with 4th championship match loss to No. 1 Djokovic • With brother Jamie, became 1st brothers in Open Era to reach singles & doubles finals at same major • Improved to 20-7 in 5-setters with wins over Raonic in Aus. Open SF and No. 6 Nishikori in D. Cup 1R • Extended Davis Cup win streak to 14 matches with 3 victories to lead Great Britain past Japan 3-1 • Advanced to ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R (d. Granollers, l. to Delbonis 76 in 3rd) and ATP Masters 1000 Miami 3R (d. Istomin, l. to Dimitrov in 3 sets) [5] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs [12] Dominic Thiem (AUT) Series Tied 1-1 14 Roland Garros (France) Clay R64 Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-2 6-3 16 Buenos Aires (Argentina) Clay SF Dominic Thiem 6-4 4-6 7-6(4) Nadal 2016 FastFacts F: Doha (l. to Djokovic); SF (3): Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem); Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic) YTD W-L: 13-6 (5-2 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 67 Date of Birth: June 3, 1986 Emirates ATP Ranking: 5 Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 54-4 (2005-12 Champion) Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Day 5 – Thursday, April 14, 2016 Page 3 of 9 www.ATPWorldTour.com • The 29-year-old Spaniard is making his 13th appearance at the Monte-Carlo Country Club and opened on Tuesday with a 63 63 win over Aljaz Bedene. Has won a tournament-record eight titles (2005 d. Coria, 2006-08 d. Federer, 2009 d. Djokovic, 2010 d. Verdasco, 2011 d. Ferrer, 2012 d. Djokovic) • Won 46 consecutive matches in Monte-Carlo before defeat in 2013 final (l. to Djokovic). Reached QF in 2014 (l. to No. 6 Ferrer) and SF last year (l. to No. 1/champion Djokovic) • Reached 99th career final to start season in Doha (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) • Lost to eventual champions in three consecutive SFs at Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem after holding 1 MP), Rio de Janeiro (l.