Barcelona Open Bancsabadell Preview & Day
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BARCELONA OPEN BANCSABADELL PREVIEW & DAY 1 MEDIA NOTES Monday, April 18, 2016 Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899, Barcelona, Spain | April 18-24, 2016 Draw: S-48, D-16 | Prize Money: €2,152,690 | Surface: Clay ATP Info: Tournament Info: ATP PR & Marketing: www.ATPWorldTour.com www.barcelonaopenbancsabadell.com Maria Garcia-Planas: [email protected] @ATPWorldTour @bcnopenbs Nanette Duxin: [email protected] facebook.com/ATPWorldTour facebook.com/barcelonaopenbancsabadell Press Room: +34 93 2052365 BARCELONA OPEN BANCSABADELL TALKING POINTS TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Four of the Top 10 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings -- Rafael Nadal, Kei Nishikori, David Ferrer and Richard Gasquet -- are the top seeds in the 48-player field at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899, the oldest tennis club in Spain. This is the 64th edition of the tournament. Overall, 11 of the Top 30 are in the field. In 2014, Nishikori broke an 11- year streak of Spaniards winning the title. There are two former champions in Barcelona: two-time reigning champ Nishikori and eight-time winner Nadal. Ferrer finished as runner-up in 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012, losing to Nadal in all four finals. There have been 11 all-Spanish finals in the Open Era, including seven of the last 11 years (all involving Nadal). DAY 1 PREVIEW: Four first-round singles matches comprise Monday’s lineup on Pista Central, beginning with two-time Quito champion Victor Estrella Burgos against Mikhail Kukushkin. Following that match, Croatian qualifier Franko Skugor challenges Spain’s Iñigo Cervantes, whose comeback from elbow and hip injuries led him to his first ATP World Tour semi-final at São Paulo earlier this season. In the third match on Pista Central, 2013 finalist Nicolas Almagro brings a 25-12 tournament record into his meeting with Teymuraz Gabashvili. The final match of the day pits a pair of Germans as qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff faces 18-year-old Alexander Zverev. RAFA ON CLOUD NINE: Nine-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal added a ninth ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo title on April 17. He returns to his native Spain this week and is bidding for his ninth Barcelona title. Nadal is 43-3 lifetime at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell, highlighted by a 41-match win streak from 2005 to 2014. His countryman, Nicolas Almagro, ended Nadal’s unbeaten run in the 2014 quarter-finals. Nadal avenged that loss in his opening match last year before falling to Fabio Fognini in the third round. NISHIKORI SEEKS THREE-PEAT: World No. 6 and two-time reigning champion Kei Nishikori makes his sixth straight appearance in Barcelona and owns a 15-3 tournament record. In 2014, Nishikori entered the Barcelona Open BancSabadell ranked No. 17. He dropped only one set en route to his first clay-court title, then lost just one set again in 2015 to repeat as champion. Nishikori is 19-6 this season, highlighted by his fourth straight Memphis title. In his last tournament, the 26- year-old finished as runner-up to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at ATP Masters 1000 Miami. NEXT GENERATION: There are four Next Generation players in the main draw -- rising stars who were born after December 31, 1994 and are ranked in the Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings: Next Generation Ranking Age Alexander Zverev No. 51 (Career-High) 18 (19th birthday is April 20) Hyeon Chung No. 71 19 Elias Ymer No. 123 (Career-High) 20 Karen Khachanov No. 138 19 SPANISH ARMADA: There are 13 Spaniards in the draw, including four seeds: No. 1 Rafael Nadal, No. 3 David Ferrer, No. 5 Roberto Bautista Agut and No. 7 Feliciano Lopez. Ferrer, a four-time finalist, is making his 14th straight appearance. Bautista Agut reached the quarter-finals last year and Lopez, who made his debut in 1998, is playing the tournament for the 16th time. Barcelona Open BancSabadell Day 1 – Monday, April 18, 2016 Page 2 of 6 www.ATPWorldTour.com BARCELONA SINGLES CHAMPIONS AND FINALISTS (since 2005) YEAR WINNER FINALIST SCORE Bold = Denotes those in this year’s draw 2015 Kei Nishikori Pablo Andujar 6-4, 6-4 2014 Kei Nishikori Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-2 2013 Rafael Nadal Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 6-3 2012 Rafael Nadal David Ferrer 7-6(1), 7-5 2011 Rafael Nadal David Ferrer 6-2, 6-4 2010 Fernando Verdasco Robin Soderling 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 2009 Rafael Nadal David Ferrer 6-2, 7-5 2008 Rafael Nadal David Ferrer 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 2007 Rafael Nadal Guillermo Cañas 6-3, 6-4 2006 Rafael Nadal Tommy Robredo 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 2005 Rafael Nadal Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-3 BARCELONA DOUBLES CHAMPIONS (since 2006) YEAR WINNER YEAR WINNER 2015 Marin Draganja & Henri Kontinen 2010 Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic 2014 Jesse Huta Galung & Stephane Robert 2009 Daniel Nestor & Nenad Zimonjic 2013 Alexander Peya & Bruno Soares 2008 Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan 2012 Mariusz Fyrstenberg & Marcin Matkowski 2007 Andrei Pavel & Alexander Waske 2011 Santiago Gonzalez & Scott Lipsky 2006 Mark Knowles & Daniel Nestor WHO TO WATCH IN SINGLES SEED PLAYER RECORD BEST FINISH 1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) 43-3 2005-09, 2011-13 Champion 2 Kei Nishikori (JPN) 15-3 2014-15 Champion 3 David Ferrer (ESP) 28-13 2008-09, 2011-12 Runner-up 4 Richard Gasquet (FRA) 4-3 2011 Round of 16 5 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 3-2 2015 Quarter-finalist 6 Benoit Paire (FRA) 5-5 2013, 2015 Round of 16 7 Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 18-15 2011-12 Quarter-finalist 8 Viktor Troicki (SRB) 0-2 2008-09 Round of 64 9 Pablo Cuevas (URU) 3-4 2015 Round of 16 10 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 7-5 2013 Semi-finalist 11 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 0-3 2014 Round of 32 12 Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2-6 2015 Quarter-finalist 13 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 2-2 2013 Round of 16 14 Joao Sousa (POR) 2-3 2012, 2015 Round of 32 15 Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-4 2010, 2013 Quarter-finalist 16 Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 3-4 2013-15 Round of 32 Barcelona Open BancSabadell Day 1 – Monday, April 18, 2016 Page 3 of 6 www.ATPWorldTour.com QUALIFIERS (6): WILD CARDS (4): OLDEST: Pedro Cachin (ARG) Albert Montañes (ESP) Radek Stepanek (CZE) Marton Fucsovics (HUN) Jaume Munar (ESP) 37 years, 5 months Karen Khachanov (RUS) Benoit Paire (FRA) Franco Skugor (CRO) Elias Ymer (SWE) YOUNGEST: Radek Stepanek (CZE) Jaume Munar (ESP) Jan-Lennard Struff 18 years, 11 months (GER) TOP COUNTRY BREAKDOWN: Spain (13), Russia (5), France (3), Germany (3), Argentina (2), Croatia (2) WHO TO WATCH IN DOUBLES SEED PLAYER BEST FINISH 1 Ivan Dodig & Marcelo Melo 2014 Semi-finalists 2 Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan 2003, 2008 Champions Murray: 2015 Runner-up 3 Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares Soares: 2013 Champion Bopanna: 2014 Quarter-finalist 4 Rohan Bopanna & Jean-Julien Rojer Rojer: 2012 Quarter-finalist EMIRATES ATP RANKING POINTS AND PRIZE MONEY W F SF QF R16 R32 R64 SINGLES RANKING POINTS 500 300 180 90 45 20 0 SINGLES PRIZE MONEY (€) 460,000 218,750 104,150 52,075 26,060 13,935 7,950 DOUBLES RANKING POINTS 500 300 180 90 0 — — DOUBLES PRIZE MONEY (€) 143,000 68,000 33,520 17,200 8,960 — — DAY 1 FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS -- In Order of Play PISTA CENTRAL Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) vs Victor Estrella Burgos (DOM) First ATP Meeting Other meetings: 09 Roland Garros Q (France) Clay 1R Mikhail Kukushkin 7-5 6-4 12 Prostejov CH (Czech Republic) Clay R32 Victor Estrella Burgos 2-6 6-4 7-5 Kukushkin 2016 FastFacts QF: Memphis (l. to Nishikori) YTD W-L: 8-9 (0-0 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1 Date of Birth: December 26, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 89 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 5-7 (2008 Round of 16) • Advanced to QF at Memphis (d. Vanni and Kudla, l. to No. 7 Nishikori) • Defeated Troicki and led No. 1 Djokovic 2 sets to 1 before falling in 5 sets during Davis Cup 1R (SRB d. KAZ 3-2) • Fell to No. 6 Nishikori in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 2R – 9th straight loss vs. Top 10 opponents (2-26 overall) • Qualified at ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Dzumhur in 3R) and Sydney (l. to Chardy in 1R) • Suffered 4th straight Australian Open 1R loss (l. to Sousa) • Retired vs. Young in Delray Beach 1R due to left leg injury Barcelona Open BancSabadell Day 1 – Monday, April 18, 2016 Page 4 of 6 www.ATPWorldTour.com Estrella Burgos 2016 FastFacts W: Quito (d. Bellucci) YTD W-L: 6-6 (5-1 on clay) YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 2 Date of Birth: August 2, 1980 Emirates ATP Ranking: 78 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 2-1 (2015 Round of 16) • Captured 2nd ATP World Tour championship at Quito, defending 2015 title with 46 76(5) 62 win over Bellucci • Improved to 10-0 in Quito during career (20-36 at other tour-level events excluding Davis Cup) • Only other singles win of season came in Acapulco 1R (d. L. Gomez, l. to Fritz) • Reached 2nd ATP doubles final at Houston w/S. Gonzalez (l. to Bryan/Bryan 10-8 in Match TB) [Q] Franko Skugor (CRO) vs Iñigo Cervantes (ESP) First ATP Meeting Other meetings: 10 Rome Q (Italy) Clay 2R Franko Skugor 6-4 6-1 15 Trnava CH (Slovakia) Clay R16 Franko Skugor 7-6(5) 7-5 Skugor 2016 FastFacts YTD W-L: 1-2 (0-1 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: September 20, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 146 (Career-High) Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 0-0 (2016 Debut) • Qualified at Dubai (l.