BARCELONA OPEN BANCSABADELL: DAY 5 MEDIA NOTES Friday, April 22, 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 NADAL vs. FOGNINI REMATCH, JAZIRI CONTINUES SURPRISE RUN QUARTER-FINAL PREVIEW: Rafael Nadal has lost three of 48 matches at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell. There was Alex Corretja, the Spanish veteran who needed three sets to fend off a 16-year-old Nadal in 2003. Eleven years and eight titles later, it took a comeback from countryman Nicolas Almagro to end Nadal’s reign. Then there was Fabio Fognini of Italy, who last year became the first player to beat Nadal in straight sets at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona 1899. Fognini went 3-2 against Nadal in 2015, joining Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Juan Martin del Potro as the only players to defeat the Spaniard three times during a single season. On Friday, Nadal seeks revenge when he meets Fognini for the first time in 2016. Also on Pista Central, two- time defending champion and No. 2 seed Kei Nishikori plays for his 13th straight win in Barcelona against No. 11 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov and No. 10 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber meets No. 16 Andrey Kuznetsov for the third time in Barcelona. Kohlschreiber won both prior match-ups. Malek Jaziri, the only unseeded quarter-finalist, opens play against No. 6 seed Benoit Paire. Jaziri lost eight straight tour-level matches after advancing to the Winston-Salem semi-finals last August. The Tunisian went on to play for 11 hours and 32 minutes during a Davis Cup tie March 4-6 in Bosnia-Herzegovina -- 27 minutes longer than the John Isner vs. Nicolas Mahut match that spanned three days at 2010 Wimbledon. Twice during the tie, Jaziri let a two-set lead slip away. After Bosnia beat Tunisia 3-1, Jaziri crossed the Atlantic Ocean and fell in the first round of an ATP Challenger Tour event in Puebla, Mexico. His luck has turned ever since, highlighted by Challenger titles at Guadalajara, Mexico; and Le Gosier, Guadeloupe. With three wins this week in Barcelona, the 32-year-old Jaziri is projected to pass his career-high of No. 65 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. QUARTER-FINAL FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play [6/WC] Benoit Paire (FRA) vs Malek Jaziri (TUN) First Meeting Paire 2016 FastFacts SF (2): Chennai (l. to Wawrinka); Marseille (l. to Cilic) YTD W-L: 11-11 (4-3 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1 Date of Birth: May 8, 1989 Emirates ATP Ranking: 22 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 7-5 (2016 Quarter-finalist) • Tournament Note: Wild card defeated Gabashvili 62 75 in 2R and [9] Cuevas 62 64 in 3R • Advanced to SFs at Chennai (l. to No. 4 Wawrinka) and Marseille (d. No. 4 Wawrinka, l. to Cilic) • Achieved career-high No. 18 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 11 • Saved 1 MP to beat Cervantes 76 in 3rd of ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo 1R (l. to No. 2 Murray in 3R) • Upset in Australian Open 1R by No. 328 Rubin 76(4) 76(6) 76(5) • Reached Chennai doubles final with 1st-time partner Krajicek (l. to Marach/Martin) Barcelona Open BancSabadell Day 5 – Friday, April 22, 2016 Page 2 of 4 www.ATPWorldTour.com Jaziri 2016 FastFacts YTD W-L: 5-7 (3-0 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: January 20, 1984 Emirates ATP Ranking: 76 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 3-1 (2016 Quarter-finalist) • Tournament Note: Unseeded player beat Chung 63 64 in 1R, [LL] Olivo 61 46 63 in 2R and Zverev 76(5) 64 in 3R • Snapped 8-match losing streak by beating Youzhny in Dubai 1R (l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 2R) • Fell to Robredo 86 in 5th of Australian Open 1R after holding 1 MP • Won Challenger titles at Guadalajara, MEX (d. Pouille, Zeballos, Robert) and Le Gosier, GUD (d. Fritz, Kozlov) • Played 6 tiebreaks, 15 sets and 168 games in Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group II tie vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina • Spent 11h, 32m on court for 5-set win vs. Brkic followed by 5-set losses w/Mansouri vs. Basic/Brkic and vs. Basic • Led doubles match and singles vs. Basic by 2 sets before Bosnians rallied to win both and clinch tie 3-1 • Lost 4th-set tiebreak to Basic 18-16 – tied for 2nd-longest tiebreak in Davis Cup history [11] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) vs [2] Kei Nishikori (JPN) Nishikori Leads 4-0 11 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-3 13 Brisbane (Australia) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 6-4 7-6(3) 15 Acapulco (Mexico) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-4 16 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Kei Nishikori 6-2 6-2 Dolgopolov 2016 FastFacts SF: Acapulco (l. to Tomic); QF (2): Sydney (l. to Dimitrov); Rio de Janeiro (w/o vs Nadal) YTD W-L: 12-6 (4-1 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2 Date of Birth: November 7, 1988 Emirates ATP Ranking: 30 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 2-3 (2016 Quarter-finalist) • Tournament Note: Saved 1 MP to defeat Donskoy 46 76(9) 64 in 2R, then beat [Q] Khachanov 64 75 in 3R • Defeated No. 8 Ferrer en route to Acapulco SF (l. to Tomic in 3 sets) • Began season by reaching Sydney QF (l. to Dimitrov in 3 sets) • Fell in 3R of ATP Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells (l. to No. 10 Gasquet) and Miami (l. to No. 6 Nishikori) • Conceded walkover in Rio de Janeiro QF vs. Nadal due to right shoulder injury Nishikori 2016 FastFacts W: Memphis (d. Fritz); F: ATP Masters 1000 Miami (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: 21-6 (2-0 on clay) YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 11 Date of Birth: December 29, 1989 Emirates ATP Ranking: 6 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 17-3 (2014-15 Champion) • Tournament Note: Beat de Bakker 64 62 in 2R and [13] Chardy 63 75 in 3R to extend Barcelona win streak to 12 • 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 • Advanced to 3rd Australian Open QF of career (d. No. 10 Tsonga, l. to No. 1 Djokovic) • Beat Evans before falling to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets, snapping 12-match Davis Cup win streak (GBR d. JPN 3-1) Barcelona Open BancSabadell Day 5 – Friday, April 22, 2016 Page 3 of 4 www.ATPWorldTour.com [1] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs [12] Fabio Fognini (ITA) Nadal Leads 6-3 13 ATP Masters 1000 Rome (Italy) Clay R32 Rafael Nadal 6-1 6-3 13 Roland Garros (France) Clay R32 Rafael Nadal 7-6(5) 6-4 6-4 13 Beijing (China) Hard QF Rafael Nadal 2-6 6-4 6-1 14 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-2 15 Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) Clay SF Fabio Fognini 1-6 6-2 7-5 15 Barcelona (Spain) Clay R16 Fabio Fognini 6-4 7-6(6) 15 Hamburg (Germany) Clay F Rafael Nadal 7-5 7-5 15 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Fabio Fognini 3-6 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 15 Beijing (China) Hard SF Rafael Nadal 7-5 6-3 Nadal 2016 FastFacts W: ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (d. Monfils); F: Doha (l. to Djokovic); SF (3): Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem); Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic) YTD W-L: 19-6 (11-2 on clay) YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 68 Date of Birth: June 3, 1986 Emirates ATP Ranking: 5 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 45-3 (2005-09, 2011-13 Champion) • Tournament Note: Eight-time champion beat Granollers 63 62 in 2R and [WC] Montañes 62 62 in 3R • Captured record-extending 9th Monte-Carlo title and record-tying 28th ATP Masters 1000 title overall • Beat Bedene, Thiem, No. 4 Wawrinka, No. 2 Murray and Monfils at Monte-Carlo for 68th title in 100th final • Reached 99th career final to start season in Doha (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) • Saved 1 MP to defeat A. Zverev en route to ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells SF (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) • Lost to eventual champs in SFs at Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem after holding 1 MP) and Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas) • Suffered 2nd Grand Slam 1R loss of career at Australian Open vs. Verdasco in 4h41m, 5-set marathon • Retired with illness while trailing Dzumhur 26 64 30 in ATP Masters 1000 Miami 2R Fognini 2016 FastFacts QF: Auckland (l. to Tsonga) YTD W-L: 5-5 (3-3 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3 Date of Birth: May 24, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 31 Barcelona W-L (Best Result): 4-6 (2015-16 Quarter-finalist) • Tournament Note: Lost 6 games in last 4 sets, beating Youzhny 36 60 61 in 2R and [8] Troicki 63 62 in 3R • Saved 2 MPs in 64 26 76(3) win over Sousa in Auckland 1R (l.