DELRAY BEACH OPEN: DAY 2 MEDIA NOTES Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center, Florida, USA | February 15 – 21, 2016 Draw: S-32, D-16 | Prize Money: $576,900 | Surface: Hard ATP Info: Tournament Info: ATP PR & Marketing: www.ATPWorldTour.com www.yellowtennisball.com Joshua Rey: [email protected] @ATPWorldTour @DelrayBeachOpen Press Room: +1 561-330-6037 facebook.com/ATPWorldTour facebook.com/DelrayBeachOpenbyTheVenetian ANDERSON, FRITZ AND DEL POTRO HEADLINE DAY 2 AT DELRAY BEACH DAY 2 PREVIEW: Two former champions top the billing on Day 2, with six Americans also set to appear on Stadium Court. Top seed Kevin Anderson returns to Delray Beach for his seventh straight Delray Beach appearance (14-5 record). The 2012 winner (d. Matosevic) has advanced to the quarter-finals or better in four of the past five years: 2011 (QF), 2012 (W), 2013 (QF), 2014 (F) and 2015 (2R). The 29- year-old South African, who lives in nearby Gulf Stream, has been bothered by a left knee injury and is playing for the first time since retiring in the 1R at the Australian Open vs. Ram. The World No. 14 faces Austin Krajicek in 1R, having faced the American at the same stage en route to the title in 2012. Wild card entry Juan Martin del Potro makes his return to Delray Beach for the first time since 2011, and to the ATP World Tour for the first time since March 2015. Last year the former World No. 4 played in two tournaments – Sydney (QF) and Miami (1R) before undergoing left wrist surgery on Jan. 20 and on June 18. This is the 27-year-old Argentine’s second appearance in Delray Beach. Five years ago he came in ranked No. 166 and won the title without dropping a set (d. Tipsarevic). It was his fifth tournament that year after returning from right wrist surgery, which he underwent on May 4, 2010. The 2009 US Open champion defends his unbeaten record (5-0) in Delray Beach against American Denis Kudla, who reached a career-high No. 59 in the Emirates ATP Rankings last week. Special exempt entry 18-year-old Taylor Fritz, who reached first career ATP World Tour final on Sunday at Memphis (l. to Nishikori), is the youngest player in the draw. The Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. native is playing in only his fourth career ATP World Tour level tournament. In his young career he has already won three Challenger titles. He finished as the No. 1 junior in the world last year, winning the US Open and reaching Roland Garros final. He faces fellow American Tim Smyczek having beaten the World No. 129 on their only previous meeting, on the Challenger Tour in Fairfield, Calif. last year. Fritz isn’t the only American teenager in action on Day 2: 19-year-old wild card Noah Rubin makes his Delray Beach debut against Australia’s Sam Groth in the same month he reached the world’s top 250 for the first time. In the day’s other American-Australian showdown, Rajeev Ram faces Bernard Tomic, looking for his ninth win of the season after reaching the QF or better at three of his four tournaments so far in 2016. DAY 2 FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play by Court STADIUM COURT [WC] Noah Rubin (USA) vs Sam Groth (AUS) First Meeting Rubin FastFacts: 2016 Highlights: YTD W-L: 1-1 (1-1 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: February 21, 1996 Emirates ATP Ranking: 245 Delray Beach W-L (Best Result-Year): Debut The 19-year-old is making his tournament debut Reached ATP World Tour top 250 for first time after reaching 2R on Australian Open debut (d. No. 18 Paire, l. to Herbert), his first tour-level win Delray Beach Open Day 2 – Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Page 2 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com In 2015, claimed first Challenger title as a qualifier at Charlottesville (d. Paul) and made one ATP World Tour main draw appearance (Newport, l. 1R to Ito) Former junior Wimbledon champion (2014, d. Kozlov) Groth FastFacts: 2016 Highlights: YTD W-L: 1-4 (1-4 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: October 19, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 76 Delray Beach W-L (Best Result-Year): 0-2 (1R 2014, ’15) The 28-year-old is looking for his first win at Delray Beach after 1R losses in 2014 (as qualifier, l. to Karlovic) and 2015 (l. to Lu) Only win of the season to date came at Australian Open (d. Mannarino, l. 2R to No. 2 Murray) Fell in 1R in Brisbane (l. to Chung), Sydney (l. to Delbonis) and Memphis (l. to Marchenko) In 2015, Aussie improved year-end Emirates ATP Ranking for 4th straight season Achieved career-high rankings in singles and doubles. Reached No. 53 in singles on August 10 after run to Washington QF. Rose to No. 24 in doubles on February 2 after advancing to Australian Open 3R w/Butorac Compiled career-best 19 wins on ATP World Tour and 11 more on ATP Challenger Tour Right foot injury forced premature end to season. Retired in Tokyo 1R (l. to Chardy), then withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai and Vienna [1] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs Austin Krajicek (USA) Anderson Leads 2-0 12 Delray Beach (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Kevin Anderson 6-1 6-4 15 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R64 Kevin Anderson 6-3 6-4 6-2 Other meetings: 08 U.S.A. F4 (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Kevin Anderson 6-4 6-4 Anderson FastFacts: 2016 Highlights: QF: Auckland (l Sock) YTD W-L: 1-2 (1-2 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3 Date of Birth: May 19, 1986 Emirates ATP Ranking: 14 Delray Beach W-L (Best Result-Year): 14-5 (Winner 2012) The 29-year-old former champion (2012, d. Matosevic) returns for the seventh time, having also reached the final in 2014 (l. to Cilic) Best result of the year was QF at Auckland (bye, d. Haase, l. to Sock) before retiring with a left knee injury in Australian Open 1R (vs. Ram), his last tournament In 2015, South African enjoyed year-end best finish at No. 12 in Emirates ATP Rankings Reached career-high No. 10 on October 12 shortly after advancing to 1st Grand Slam QF at US Open (d. No. 3 Murray, l. to No. 5 Wawrinka) Became 1st South African in Top 10 since Ferreira during week of May 5, 1997 Captured 3rd career title and snapped 7-match losing streak in finals by winning Winston-Salem (d. Herbert) Enjoyed career-high 46 wins, his 5th straight season with 30+ victories (previous-best 42 in 2011) Krajicek FastFacts: 2016 Highlights: YTD W-L: 2-4 (2-3 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: June 16, 1990 Emirates ATP Ranking: 103 Delray Beach W-L (Best Result-Year): 0-1 (1R 2012) Delray Beach Open Day 2 – Tuesday, February 16, 2016 Page 3 of 5 www.ATPWorldTour.com The 25-year-old returns after exiting in 1R as a qualifier is his tournament debut in 2012 (l. to eventual champion Anderson) Opened season with 2R appearances at Chennai (l. to Coric) and Australian Open (l. to No. 7 Nishikori) before 1R exits at Quito (l to Carballes Baena) and Memphis (l. to Millman) In 2015, American improved his year-end ranking for 4th straight season, finishing at No. 105 Achieved career-high No. 94 on October 26 after reaching Las Vegas, USA Challenger QF (l. to Novikov 76 in 3rd) Advanced to 1st 2 ATP World Tour QFs as a qualifier at Memphis (d. Karlovic, l. to No. 5 Nishikori in 3 sets) and Tokyo (d. Sousa, l. to No. 4 Wawrinka) Earned 1st Grand Slam win as WC at US Open (d. Giraldo, l. to Anderson) and 1st ATP Masters 1000 win as Q at Miami (d. Istomin, l. to Tomic) Rajeev Ram (USA) vs [2] Bernard Tomic (AUS) First Meeting Ram FastFacts: 2016 Highlights: YTD W-L: 2-4 (1-3 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2 Date of Birth: March 18, 1984 Emirates ATP Ranking: 89 Delray Beach W-L (Best Result-Year): 0-1 (1R 2010) The 31-year-old is playing here for the fifth time and making his second main draw appearance, having lost in 1R in 2010 (l. to Odesnik). Lost in qualifying three other times (2008-09, ’11) Opened season with 1R exit at Chennai (l. to Krajicek) before 2R appearances at Australian Open (l. to Robert) and Quito (l. to Ramos-Vinolas) and a 1R exit in Memphis (l. to Kudla) In 2015, American finished in year-end Top 100 of Emirates ATP Rankings for 1st time since 2009 Captured 2nd career ATP World Tour title in Newport, winning 3 matches 76 in 3rd, edging Isner in 1R (saved 1 MP), Mannarino in QF (saved 2 MPs) and Karlovic in final. Afterwards, climbed from No. 161 to No. 86 in Emirates ATP Rankings One of 3 American winners on ATP World Tour along with Sock (Houston) and Isner (Atlanta) Tomic FastFacts: 2016 Highlights: SF: Brisbane (l Raonic); QF (2): Sydney (l Gabashvili), Quito (l Lorenzi) YTD W-L: 8-4 (7-3 on hard) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3 Date of Birth: October 21, 1992 Emirates ATP Ranking: 20 Delray Beach W-L (Best Result-Year): 5-2 (SF 2015) • The 23-year-old is back in the main draw for the third time after reaching SF last year (l.