2018 US OPEN Flushing, New York, USA | 27 August-9 September 2018 S-128, D-64 | $53 million | Outdoor Hard www.usopen.org DAY THREE MEDIA NOTES | Wednesday, 29 August 2018 FEATURED MEN’S SINGLES 2R MATCHES ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM [PR] Andy Murray (GBR) vs [31] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) Murray Leads 13-1 [1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs Vasek Pospisil (CAN) Nadal Leads 1-0 LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM [3] Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) vs Denis Kudla (USA) Del Potro Leads 1-0 [18] Jack Sock (USA) vs Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) First Meeting GRANDSTAND [Q] Ugo Humbert (FRA) vs [WC] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) First Meeting [11] John Isner (USA) vs Nicolas Jarry (CHI) First Meeting COURT 17 [9] Dominic Thiem (AUT) vs Steve Johnson (USA) Thiem Leads 2-1 Jeremy Chardy (FRA) vs [5] Kevin Anderson (RSA) Anderson Leads 2-1 DAY THREE HIGHLIGHTS • The 2018 US Open is a tournament of anniversaries, marking 50 years since opening to professionals, 40 years since moving to Flushing and 15 years since an American won a Grand Slam men’s singles title. Andy Roddick, the 2003 US Open champ, is also the last American man to reach a Grand Slam final at 2009 Wimbledon and a US Open semi-final in 2006. All three droughts are the longest for American men in Grand Slam history (since 1877). Achievement Last American Last Time Drought Grand Slam Title Roddick 2003 US Open 59 Grand Slams Grand Slam Final Roddick 2009 Wimbledon 36 Grand Slams US Open SF Roddick 2006 US Open 11 US Opens • Five Americans are in action on Wednesday led by No. 11 seed John Isner, the nation’s No. 1 player for a seventh straight US Open. Much has changed in Isner’s life of late. After getting married last December, Isner and his wife Madison are expecting their first child next month. On the court, Isner won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at Miami and reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon. The 6-foot-11 Isner takes on 6-foot-6 Nicolas Jarry. • It has also been a year of change for American No. 2 Jack Sock. Last fall, Sock won the ATP Masters 1000 Paris title, advanced to the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals and reached a career-high No. 8 in the year-end ATP Rankings. Sock is 6-15 in 2018 and seeking two straight wins for the first time this season. He bids for his biggest win of the year when he plays World No. 37 Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia under the lights on Louis Armstrong Stadium. • After rallying from two sets down for his first five-set win on Monday, #NextGenATP American Taylor Fritz faces Australian wild card Jason Kubler. Both Fritz and Kubler are former World No. 1 juniors trying to reach the third round of a Grand Slam event for the first time. Kubler broke into the Top 100 on 20 August despite being unranked as recently as April 2017 following a string of knee surgeries. The Brisbane native, who played exclusively on clay from March 2012 through May 2015, is 35-14 on the ATP Challenger Tour this season with two hard-court titles. • Americans Denis Kudla and Steve Johnson will be underdogs in their second-round matches against No. 3 seed Juan Martin del Potro and No. 9 seed Dominic Thiem respectively. Following an 11-month absence and a fourth wrist surgery, Del Potro made his return to the ATP World Tour against Kudla. Ranked 1,042nd at the time, Del Potro did not face a break point in his 6-1, 6-4 win over Kudla in the 2016 Delray Beach first round. Though Thiem is 2-1 against Johnson, the American earned the biggest win of his career over the Austrian at Tokyo last October. • Del Potro, who won the 2009 US Open title, is one of four former champions on the order of play Wednesday. Three-time champion Rafael Nadal continues his title defense against Vasek Pospisil of Canada on Arthur Ashe Stadium, 2016 champion Stan Wawrinka faces 20-year-old French qualifier Ugo Humbert on Grandstand and 2012 champion Andy Murray is 13-1 against No. 31 seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain, whom he meets on Ashe. 2018 US OPEN – Day 3 Media Notes Wednesday, 29 August 2018 Page 2 of 22 MEN’S SINGLES 2R MATCHES (SHOW COURTS) ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM [PR] Andy Murray (GBR) vs [31] Fernando Verdasco (ESP) Murray Leads 13-1 07 Australian Open (Australia) Hard R64 Andy Murray 7-6(4) 7-5 6-4 07 St. Petersburg (Russia) Carpet F Andy Murray 6-2 6-3 08 Dubai (U.A.E.) Hard R16 Andy Murray 6-3 3-6 7-6(5) 08 St. Petersburg (Russia) Hard SF Andy Murray 6-0 6-3 08 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R16 Andy Murray 6-3 7-6(6) 09 Australian Open (Australia) Hard R16 Fernando Verdasco 2-6 6-1 1-6 6-3 6-4 09 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard QF Andy Murray 6-1 6-2 09 Valencia (Spain) Hard SF Andy Murray 6-3 2-6 6-3 09 ATP Finals (Great Britain) Hard RR Andy Murray 6-4 6-7(4) 7-6(3) 13 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass QF Andy Murray 4-6 3-6 6-1 6-4 7-5 14 Roland Garros (France) Clay R16 Andy Murray 6-4 7-5 7-6(3) 15 London/Queen's Club (Great Britain) Grass R16 Andy Murray 7-5 6-4 16 ATP Masters 1000 Paris (France) Hard R32 Andy Murray 6-3 6-7(5) 7-5 17 Dubai (U.A.E.) Hard F Andy Murray 6-3 6-2 Other Meeting 03 Segovia CH (Spain) Hard R32 Fernando Verdasco 6-1 6-3 ANDY MURRAY vs FERNANDO VERDASCO 31 (5/15/87) Age (Birthdate) 34 (11/15/83) No. 382 (No. 1 on 11/7/16) ATP Ranking (Career-High) No. 32 (No. 7 on 4/20/09) Glasgow, Scotland Birthplace Madrid, Spain London, England Residence Doha, Qatar 5-3 (4-1) 2018 Record (on hard) 23-22 (8-8) 660-187 (438-117) Career Record (on hard) 510-383 (233-202) 0 / 45 2018 Titles / Career Titles 0 / 7 189-43 Career Grand Slam Record 103-61 45-11 (2012 Champion) US Open Record (Best Result) 28-15 (2009-10 Quarter-finals) 23-11 (0-0) Career 5th-Set Record (YTD) 24-21 (1-1) 9 Comebacks from 0-2 Down 5 194-115 (2-3) Career Tiebreak Record (YTD) 201-205 (6-11) $60,931,985 Career Prize Money $15,712,063 Jamie Delgado Coach Nacho Truyol ANDY MURRAY 2018 Highlights QF (1): Washington (w/o vs de Minaur) 2018 in Review • After missing 4 straight Grand Slam events, defeated [PR] Duckworth in his return 6-7(5) 6-3 7-5 6-3 on Monday. • Earned 3-set wins over McDonald, Edmund and Copil to reach Washington QF (w/o vs. de Minaur) • Defeated fellow 3-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka at Eastbourne as WC (l. to Edmund in 2R). • Returned following 11-month hiatus and lost 3-setter to Kyrgios in London/Queen’s Club 1R. • Fell to No. 839 in ATP Rankings on 16 July -- lowest since ATP Rankings debut at No. 774T on 21 July 2003. • Passed by Edmund in ATP Rankings on 5 March, ending reign as No. 1 Brit since 10 July 2006. • Underwent right hip surgery by Dr. John O’Donnell on 8 January in Melbourne, AUS. • Withdrew from Wimbledon, where he is 2-time champion, due to hip injury. • Conceded walkover to de Minaur in Washington QF and turned down ATP Masters 1000 Toronto WC due to fatigue. For the latest stats, facts and figures throughout the US Open, follow @ATPMediaInfo on Twitter. 2018 US OPEN – Day 3 Media Notes Wednesday, 29 August 2018 Page 3 of 22 Career Highlights > First British World No. 1 in ATP Rankings history. Rose to top on 7 November 2016 and spent 41 straight weeks at No. 1. At age 29, became 2nd-oldest player to debut at No. 1 behind only 30-year-old Newcombe on 3 June 1974. Debuted at No. 2 on 17 August 2009 and owns record for most time between becoming No. 2 and No. 1 (7 years, 82 days). > Defeated Djokovic at 2016 Nitto ATP Finals to clinch year-end No. 1 and ATP-best 9th title of season. Went 5-0 at event and set a record by reaching 1st final in 8th appearance. > Owns 45 singles titles, including 1+ each year from 2006-17, trailing only Federer’s 98, Nadal’s 80 and Djokovic’s 70 among active players. Won 14 ATP Masters 1000 titles, including 7 of 9 events (all but Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo). Boasts tournament-record 5 titles at London/Queen's Club. Earned 25+ wins in 12 straight seasons (2006-17), beating Anderson for 500th win in 2015 ATP Masters 1000 Miami 4R and 600th win in 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati 3R. > Captured titles at US Open in 2012 and Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 to become 1st British Grand Slam champion since Perry at 1936 US Championships. One of 10 men in Open Era to play in all 4 Grand Slam finals. > First player to win 2 Olympic gold medals in singles (2012 London, 2016 Rio). Also earned mixed doubles silver medal w/Robson in 2012. Led Great Britain to 2015 Davis Cup title by becoming 1st player since introduction of World Group in 1981 to go 8-0 in singles.