Magnificent Monfils Joins Top 3 Seeds in Semi-Finals
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ROGERS CUP presented by National Bank: DAY 6 MEDIA NOTES Saturday, July 30, 2016 Aviva Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | July 25-31, 2016 Draw: S-56, D-24 | Prize Money: $4,089,740 | Surface: Outdoor Hard ATP Info: Tournament Info: ATP PR & Marketing: www.ATPWorldTour.com www.RogersCup.com Maria Garcia-Planas: [email protected] Twitter: @ATPWorldTour Twitter: @RogersCup / #RogersCup Edward La Cava: [email protected] Facebook: @ATPWorldTour Facebook: @RogersCup Kate Flory: [email protected] Instagram: @ATPWorldTour Instagram: @RogersCupTO Press Room: +1-416-650-7873 MAGNIFICENT MONFILS JOINS TOP 3 SEEDS IN SEMI-FINALS Ten days ago, Gael Monfils started his summer hard-court season on a three-match losing streak. He managed a total of three games in the fourth and fifth sets of a first-round loss to Jeremy Chardy at Wimbledon. He missed his home Grand Slam at Roland Garros due to a virus. And he hadn’t won a title in more than 29 months. Ten days later, Monfils is on a career-long nine-match win streak and set for a semi-final showdown with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Toronto. Monfils won five matches in as many days July 20-24 to capture the biggest title of his career at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington. The Frenchman flew to Toronto about five hours after saving a championship point against Ivo Karlovic, enjoying only one off-day before beginning his Rogers Cup campaign on Tuesday. If Monfils is to earn his 10th straight victory, he will need to beat Djokovic for the first time on tour. Monfils has an 0-11 FedEx ATP Head 2 Head record versus Djokovic, though in 2004, he defeated a 16-year-old Djokovic in ITF Juniors and Futures matches. Djokovic could extend a streak of 17 straight ATP Masters 1000 tournaments won by a member of the ‘Big 4,’ which also includes Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Should the Serbian superstar overcome Monfils on Saturday, he will ensure that a ‘Big 4’ player appears in the final for the 33rd straight ATP Masters 1000 event. With each win this week, Djokovic is distancing himself from Murray in the Emirates ATP Race to London as the 29-year-olds battle to finish the season as World No. 1. Djokovic entered Toronto with an 815-point lead in the race over Murray. In the other semi-final, opportunity awaits No. 2 seed Stan Wawrinka and No. 3 seed Kei Nishikori, who have one ATP Masters 1000 title between them. That went to Wawrinka at 2014 Monte-Carlo, but the Swiss has not returned to an ATP Masters 1000 final since. Following Wawrinka’s breakthrough, Nishikori reached the next ATP Masters 1000 final at 2014 Madrid. He was also runner-up at 2016 Miami, saving five match points to beat Monfils en route to the final. Fifth-seeded Romanians Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau meet No. 3 seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo in the doubles semi-finals. Born one week apart, Mergea and Tecau won Wimbledon junior doubles titles in 2002 and 2003. They captured their first ATP World Tour title as a team earlier this season at Bucharest. In a potential preview of the Rio Olympics August 6-14, Mergea and Tecau swept No. 1 seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in straight sets on Friday. The other doubles semi-final pits Australian Open champions Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares against the Olympic duo of Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil. Canadians Nestor and Pospisil are teaming on the ATP World Tour for the first time since 2013 Basel. Soares and Melo, on the other hand, opted to play this week with their regular partners. The Brazilians will carry the host nation’s medal hopes in Rio de Janeiro along with their countrymen Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa. Rogers Cup presented by National Bank Day 6 – Saturday, July 30, 2016 Page 2 of 4 www.ATPWorldTour.com FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – Singles Semi-finals [3] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs [2] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) Wawrinka Leads 3-1 12 Buenos Aires (Argentina) Clay QF Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-2 12 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Stan Wawrinka 6-3 6-3 14 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 3-6 7-5 7-6(7) 6-7(5) 6-4 15 Australian Open (Australia) Hard QF Stan Wawrinka 6-3 6-4 7-6(6) Nishikori 2016 FastFacts W: Memphis (d. Fritz); F (2): ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Djokovic); Barcelona (l. to Nadal); SF (2): ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Djokovic); QF (3): Brisbane (l. to Tomic); Australian Open (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Nadal) YTD W-L: 39-11 (22-6 on hard) YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 11 Date of Birth: December 29, 1989 Emirates ATP Ranking: 6 Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 8-3 (2015-16 Semi-finalist) • Tournament Note: Advanced to SF or better in 4 of 5 ATP Masters 1000 appearances this year (Indian Wells QF) • Captured 4th straight Memphis title and extended win streak at event to 17 matches (d. Fritz) • Saved 5 MPs to beat Monfils en route to 2nd ATP Masters 1000 final of career at Miami (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) • Also saved 1 MP to defeat Isner 76 in 3rd before falling to No. 5 Nadal in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells QF • Reached ATP Masters 1000 SFs at Madrid (l. to Djokovic 76 in 2nd) and Rome (l. to Djokovic 76 in 3rd) • Appeared in 3rd consecutive Barcelona final (d. Paire, l. to No. 5 Nadal) • Advanced to Aus. Open QF (d. Tsonga, l. to Djokovic) and Roland Garros 4R (d. Verdasco in 5 sets, l. to Gasquet) • Conceded walkover in Halle 2R vs. F. Mayer and retired in Wimbledon 4R vs. Cilic due to rib injury • Beat Evans before falling to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets, snapping 12-match Davis Cup win streak (GBR d. JPN 3-1) Wawrinka 2016 FastFacts W (3): Chennai (d. Coric); Dubai (d. Baghdatis); Geneva (d. Cilic); SF: Roland Garros (l. to Murray); QF (2): Marseille (l. to Paire); ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (l. to Nadal) YTD W-L: 31-10 (18-4 on hard) YTD Titles: 3 / Career Titles: 14 Date of Birth: March 28, 1985 Emirates ATP Ranking: 5 Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 13-9 (2016 Semi-finalist) • Tournament Note: First-time semifinalist seeks 1st ATP Masters 1000 final since winning 2014 Monte-Carlo title • On a 10-match win streak in finals after beating Cilic 64 76(11) for 1st Swiss title at Geneva • Also beat Baghdatis 64 76(13) to win ATP World Tour 500 event in Dubai • Captured 3rd straight Chennai title (d. Coric), increasing win streaks at event to 12 matches and 24 sets • Enjoyed 400th career win in Australian Open 3R on Jan. 23 (d. Rosol) before falling in 4R (l. to Raonic in 5 sets) • In defense of Roland Garros title, won 5-setter over Rosol in 1R and reached SF (l. to No. 2 Murray) • Appeared in 46 consecutive Grand Slam main draws since making major debut at 2005 Roland Garros • Advanced to ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo QF (d. Kohlschreiber and Simon, l. to No. 5 Nadal) • Saved 2 MPs to beat Stakhovsky 64 46 76(8) in Marseille 2R and came within 2 points of losing to Stakhovsky in Dubai 1R before earning 57 63 75 win Rogers Cup presented by National Bank Day 6 – Saturday, July 30, 2016 Page 3 of 4 www.ATPWorldTour.com [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [10] Gael Monfils (FRA) Djokovic Leads 11-0 05 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R128 Novak Djokovic 7-5 4-6 7-6(5) 0-6 7-5 06 Roland Garros (France) Clay R16 Novak Djokovic 7-6(5) 7-6(5) 6-3 08 Beijing Olympics (China) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-1 6-4 09 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-2 5-7 7-6(3) 10 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 7-6(2) 6-1 6-2 10 Davis Cup Final (Serbia) Hard RR Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-2 6-4 11 ATP Masters 1000 Montréal (Canada) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-1 11 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 3-6 6-4 6-3 13 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard QF Novak Djokovic 6-7(4) 6-2 6-4 14 ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (Canada) Hard R32 Novak Djokovic 6-2 6-7(4) 7-6(2) 14 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R16 Novak Djokovic 6-3 7-6(2) Other Meeting: 04 Italy F4 (Italy) Clay QF Gael Monfils 6-4 6-7(5) 6-2 Djokovic 2016 FastFacts W (6): Doha (d. Nadal); Australian Open (d. Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d. Raonic); ATP Masters 1000 Miami (d. Nishikori); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (d. Murray); Roland Garros (d. Murray); F: ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Murray); QF: Dubai (l. to Lopez) YTD W-L: 49-4 (31-1 on hard) YTD Titles: 6 / Career Titles: 65 Date of Birth: May 22, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 1 (Career-High) Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 33-6 (2007, 2011-12 Champion) • Tournament Note: Advanced to final in 13 of last 14 ATP Masters 1000 appearances, winning 10 titles • Won Roland Garros title to become 8th man with career Grand Slam and 3rd with all 4 majors at once (d.