Internazionali Bnl D'italia Talking Points
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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA: PREVIEW & DAY 1 MEDIA NOTES Sunday, May 8, 2016 Foro Italico, Rome, Italy | May 8-15, 2016 Draw: S-56, D-24 | Prize Money: €3,748,925 | Surface: Clay ATP World Tour Info Tournament Info ATP PR & Marketing www.ATPWorldTour.com www.internazionalibnlditalia.com Edward La Cava: [email protected] Twitter: @ATPWorldTour Twitter: @InteBNLdItalia / #IBI16 Fabienne Benoit: [email protected] Facebook: ATP World Tour Facebook: Internazionali BNL d’Italia Press Room: TBD INTERNAZIONALI BNL D’ITALIA TALKING POINTS TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are on the same half of a draw for the first time ever this week at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Two of the three have met in five straight ATP Masters 1000 Rome finals and 62 finals overall on tour. But only one of the three can reach the 2016 Rome championship match, with Djokovic and Nadal projected to meet in the quarter-finals on Friday. Federer could await the winner in the semi-finals on Saturday. Djokovic and Nadal have swept the past 11 Internazionali BNL d’Italia titles. Ten different players triumphed in Rome from 1994 through 2004, underlying more than a decade of dominance by the Serbian and Spanish superstars ever since. Djokovic is a two-time defending champion and four- time winner overall at Foro Italico, beating Nadal for the title in 2011 and 2014. Nadal has won Rome seven times, earning victories over Djokovic in the 2009 and 2012 finals. Djokovic defeated Federer for the 2015 Rome title, while Nadal saved two championship points against the Swiss in 2006 and beat him 61 63 in the 2013 final. Before the emergence of Nadal and Djokovic, Federer fell to Felix Mantilla in the 2003 Rome final. The Internazionali BNL d’Italia is one of two ATP Masters 1000 titles that Federer has never won (also Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters). Not to be overlooked in the top half of the draw are several of the hottest players on the ATP World Tour. Among those capable of spoiling a Djokovic vs. Nadal quarter-final are Brisbane champion Milos Raonic, Marseille champion Nick Kyrgios, Munich champion Philipp Kohlschreiber, and Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo champion Pablo Cuevas. No. 14 seed Gael Monfils, who reached the ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo final, is also in the same quarter as Djokovic and Nadal. Federer’s road to the Rome semi-finals could include his first-ever meeting with Next Generation star Alexander Zverev, a third-round match against Buenos Aires and Acapulco champion Dominic Thiem, and a quarter-final versus Memphis champion Kei Nishikori. Should the third- seeded Federer win three matches this week, he will move into second place in career victories during the Open Era, passing Ivan Lendl (1,071 wins) and trailing Jimmy Connors (1,256 wins). Former finalists Stan Wawrinka and David Ferrer highlight the bottom-half of the draw along with No. 2 seed Andy Murray, No. 7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 8 seed Tomas Berdych. DAY 1 PREVIEW: Six main draw matches will take place Sunday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. No. 16 seed Kevin Anderson opens play on Center Court against Feliciano Lopez, followed by Benoit Paire versus Bernard Tomic. Anderson (No. 19) and Lopez (No. 23) are separated by four spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings, with both Paire (No. 20) and Tomic (No. 22) in between. The final match on Center Court features ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells and Miami semi-finalist David Goffin against unseeded Argentine Leonardo Mayer. Houston champion Juan Monaco, Delray Beach champion Sam Querrey and Sydney champion Viktor Troicki are in action on Grandstand. Internazionali BNL d’Italia Day 1 – Sunday, May 8, 2016 Page 2 of 8 www.ATPWorldTour.com EMIRATES ATP RANKING POINTS AND PRIZE MONEY ATP Masters 1000 Rome W F SF QF R16 R32 R64 Singles Ranking Points 1,000 600 360 180 90 45* 10 Singles Prize Money (€) 717,315 351,715 177,015 90,010 46,740 24,640 13,305 Doubles Ranking Points 1,000 600 360 180 90** 0 ---- Doubles Prize Money (€) 222,150 108,750 54,550 28,000 14,470 7,640 ---- * Singles players who receive first-round byes and lose in the second round earn 10 points. ** Doubles teams that receive first-round byes and lose in the second round earn 0 points. WHO TO WATCH THIS WEEK SINGLES SEED PLAYER RECORD BEST FINISH 1 Novak Djokovic (SRB) 34-5 2008, 2011, 2014-15 Champion 2 Andy Murray (GBR) 9-9 2011 Semi-finalist 3 Roger Federer (SUI) 31-15 2003, 2006, 2013, 2015 Runner-up 4 Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 20-10 2008 Runner-up 5 Rafael Nadal (ESP) 47-4 2005-07, 2009-10, 2012-13 Champion 6 Kei Nishikori (JPN) 3-2 2015 Quarter-finalist 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) 8-8 2010, 2012 Quarter-finalist 8 Tomas Berdych (CZE) 16-10 2013 Semi-finalist 9 David Ferrer (ESP) 21-12 2010 Runner-up 10 Milos Raonic (CAN) 3-4 2014 Semi-finalist 11 Richard Gasquet (FRA) 14-8 2011 Semi-finalist 12 David Goffin (BEL) 2-1 2015 Quarter-finalist 13 Dominic Thiem (AUT) 2-1 2015 Round of 16 14 Gael Monfils (FRA) 5-3 2006 Semi-finalist 15 Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) 1-2 2015 Round of 32 16 Kevin Anderson (RSA) 5-5 2013, 2015 Round of 16 QUALIFIERS (7) OLDEST PLAYER YOUNGEST PLAYER TBD on Sunday Ivo Karlovic (CRO) Alexander Zverev (GER) 37 years, 2 months 19 years, 1 month WILD CARDS (4) Salvatore Caruso (ITA) TOP COUNTRY BREAKDOWN WITHOUT QUALIFIERS Marco Cecchinato (ITA) France (7), Italy (6), Spain (6), Argentina (3), United States (3) Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) DOUBLES SEED TEAM RECORD BEST FINISH 1 Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut 0-0 2016 Debut 2 Ivan Dodig/Marcelo Melo 2-2 2014-15 Quarter-finalist 3 Jean-Julien Rojer/Horia Tecau 1-2 2015 Quarter-finalist 4 Jamie Murray/Bruno Soares 0-0 2016 Debut 5 Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan 29-12 2008, 2010, 2013 Champion 6 Rohan Bopanna/Florin Mergea 1-1 2015 Round of 16 7 Alexander Peya/Nenad Zimonjic 0-0 2016 Debut 8 Vasek Pospisil/Jack Sock 0-0 2016 Debut Internazionali BNL d’Italia Day 1 – Sunday, May 8, 2016 Page 3 of 8 www.ATPWorldTour.com PAST FINALISTS SINGLES (since 2003) YEAR CHAMPION RUNNER-UP SCORE 2015 Novak Djokovic Roger Federer 6-4, 6-3 2014 Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 2013 Rafael Nadal Roger Federer 6-1, 6-3 2012 Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-3 2011 Novak Djokovic Rafael Nadal 6-4, 6-4 2010 Rafael Nadal David Ferrer 7-5, 6-2 2009 Rafael Nadal Novak Djokovic 7-6(2), 6-2 2008 Novak Djokovic Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 2007 Rafael Nadal Fernando Gonzalez 6-2, 6-2 2006 Rafael Nadal Roger Federer 6-7(0), 7-6(5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5) 2005 Rafael Nadal Guillermo Coria 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6) 2004 Carlos Moya David Nalbandian 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 2003 Felix Mantilla Roger Federer 7-5, 6-2, 7-6(8) BOLD: Players in 2016 Rome singles draw DOUBLES (since 1997) YEAR CHAMPION RUNNER-UP SCORE 2015 Pablo Cuevas/David Marrero Marcel Granollers/Marc Lopez 6-4, 7-5 2014 Daniel Nestor/Nenad Zimonjic Robin Haase/Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 7-6(2) 2013 Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan Mahesh Bhupathi/Rohan Bopanna 6-2, 6-3 2012 Marcel Granollers/Marc Lopez Lukasz Kubot/Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-2 2011 John Isner/Sam Querrey Mardy Fish/Andy Roddick Walkover 2010 Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan John Isner/Sam Querrey 6-2, 6-3 2009 Daniel Nestor/Nenad Zimonjic Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan 7-6(5), 6-3 2008 Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan Daniel Nestor/Nenad Zimonjic 3-6, 6-4, [10-8] 2007 Fabrice Santoro/Nenad Zimonjic Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan 6-4, 6-7(4), [10-7] 2006 Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor Jonathan Erlich/Andy Ram 6-4, 5-7, [13-11] 2005 Michael Llodra/Fabrice Santoro Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan 6-4, 6-2 2004 Mahesh Bhupathi/Max Mirnyi Wayne Arthurs/Paul Hanley 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 2003 Wayne Arthurs/Paul Hanley Michael Llodra/Fabrice Santoro 6-1, 6-3 2002 Martin Damm/Cyril Suk Wayne Black/Kevin Ullyett 7-5, 7-5 2001 Wayne Ferreira/Yevgeny Kafelnikov Daniel Nestor/Sandon Stolle 6-4, 7-6(6) 2000 Martin Damm/Dominik Hrbaty Wayne Ferreira/Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 1999 Ellis Ferreira/Rick Leach David Adams/John-Laffnie de Jager 6-7, 6-1, 6-2 1998 Mahesh Bhupathi/Leander Paes Ellis Ferreira/Rick Leach 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 1997 Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor Byron Black/Alex O’Brien 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 BOLD: Players in 2016 Rome doubles draw Internazionali BNL d’Italia Day 1 – Sunday, May 8, 2016 Page 4 of 8 www.ATPWorldTour.com FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS: DAY 1 MAIN DRAW FIRST-ROUND MATCHES CENTER COURT [16] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs Feliciano Lopez (ESP) Anderson Leads 3-0 11 Brisbane (Australia) Hard R16 Kevin Anderson 6-3 6-1 12 London/Queen's Club (Great Britain) Grass R16 Kevin Anderson 7-6(10) 7-6(7) 13 Sydney (Australia) Hard R16 Kevin Anderson 6-3 6-4 Anderson 2016 FastFacts QF: Auckland (l. to Sock) YTD W-L: 1-4 (0-1 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3 Date of Birth: May 18, 1986 Emirates ATP Ranking: 19 Rome W-L (Best Result): 5-5 (2013, 2015 Round of 16) • Tournament Note: Playing 2nd event in comeback from injuries, falling to Monfils in ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 1R • Retired down 76(4) 67(4) 63 30 in Australian Open 1R vs.