OPEN DE NICE CÔTE D’AZUR: DAY 2 MEDIA NOTES Monday, May 16, 2016 Nice Lawn Tennis Club, Nice, France | May 15-21, 2016 Draw: S-28, D-16 | Prize Money: €463,520 | Surface: Clay ATP World Tour Info Tournament Info ATP PR & Marketing www.ATPWorldTour.com www.opennicecotedazur.com Nanette Duxin: [email protected] Twitter: @ATPWorldTour Twitter: @OpenNCA Press Room: TBD Facebook: ATP World Tour Facebook: Open de Nice Côte d’Azur FOUR NEXT GENERATION STARS, SOUSA, FOGNINI HEADLINE DAY TWO DAY 2 PREVIEW: There are six singles matches on Monday’s schedule at the Open de Nice Côte d’Azur, with four Next Generation young stars leading the way. In the first match on, No. 5 seed Joao Sousa of Portugal plays 19-year-old Next Generation star Quentin Halys, who won his first Challenger title last month at Tallahassee, Fla., USA. Both players are at career-bests this week in the Emirates ATP Rankings with Sousa at No. 28 and Halys at No. 154. In the next match on, two ATP World Tour winners this season square off for the first time as Argentine qualifier Diego Schwartzman takes on Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. Schwartzman captured his maiden ATP World Tour title in Istanbul and Verdasco earned his seventh career title in Bucharest. In the third match on, American qualifier Donald Young looks for his second win in as many meetings against No. 6 seed/wild card Fabio Fognini. Young won the previous meeting in 2012 Vienna. In the final match on, two Next Generation stars meet for the first time, No. 8 seed Alexander Zverev against British qualifier Kyle Edmund. The 19-year-old Zverev is the youngest player in the Top 50 Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 48 and he’s reached two semi-finals. The 21-year-old Edmund is one of four British players in the Top 100 at No. 84. On Court 1, another Next Gen player is in action, 18-year-old American Taylor Fritz against Illya Marchenko of Ukraine. Fritz, who is ranked No. 72 and the youngest player in the Top 100, is playing his first main draw clay court match of his career. In February, Fritz advanced to his maiden ATP World Tour final in Memphis (l. to Nishikori). MONDAY FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS: In Order of Play by Court CENTRE COURT [5] Joao Sousa (POR) vs [WC] Quentin Halys (FRA) First Meeting Sousa 2016 FastFacts: QF: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid (l Nadal) YTD W-L: 9-15 (5-6 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2 Date of Birth: March 30, 1989 Emirates ATP Ranking: 28 (Career-high) Nice W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut • Tournament Note: Portuguese No. 1 is making his tournament debut and comes in a career-high No. 28 in Emirates ATP Rankings • Reached 1st ATP Masters 1000 QF at Madrid (d. Mahut, Granollers and Sock; l. to No. 5 Nadal) • Loss to Nadal was his 20th straight defeat vs. Top 10 opponents (1-22 overall) • Advanced to Australian Open 3R for 2nd straight season (l. to eventual finalist Murray in 4 sets) • Contributed Portugal’s lone win in 4-1 Davis Cup Group I loss to Austria (d. G. Melzer) • Lost to Fognini in Auckland 1R after holding 2 MPs Open de Nice Côte d’Azur Day 2 – Monday, May 16, 2016 Page 2 of 4 www.ATPWorldTour.com Halys 2016 FastFacts: YTD W-L: 2-3 (0-0 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: October 26, 1996 Emirates ATP Ranking: 154 (Career-high) Nice W-L (Best Result): 0-1 (2015 1R) • Tournament Note: The 19-year-old Frenchman is making second straight appearance and last year as lucky loser, lost in opening round match to James Duckworth in two tie-breaks (after bye) • Earned 1st tour-level win of career at Australian Open as WC (d. Dodig, l. to eventual champion Djokovic) • Secured 2nd win at Marseille as WC (d. Guez, l. to Kuznetsov) • Captured 1st ATP Challenger Tour title at Tallahassee, USA (d. Tiafoe in 3 sets) • Advanced to Challenger QFs at Noumea, CAL (d. l. to Brands); Canberra, AUS (l. to Granollers) and Sarasota, USA (d. Tiafoe, l. to G. Melzer) • Achieved career-high No. 157 in Emirates ATP Rankings on May 9 [Q] Diego Schwartzman (ARG) vs Fernando Verdasco (ESP) First Meeting Schwartzman 2016FastFacts: W: Istanbul (d Dimitrov) YTD W-L: 8-8 (8-5 on clay) YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 1 Date of Birth: August 16, 1992 Emirates ATP Ranking: 65 Nice W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut • Tournament Note:The 23-year-old Argentine qualified into main draw and making tournament debut • Snapped 5-match losing streak with 5 str aight wins at Istanbul en route to 1st ATP World Tour title • Saved 1 MP to beat Dzumhur in QF, then rallied from a set and 52 down to beat Dimitrov in final 67(5) 76(4) 60 • Also reached Istanbul doubles final w/Molteni (l. to Cipolla/Sela 10-7 in Match TB) • Lost to Baghdatis 60 60 in Houston 1R -- 1st double-bagel of season • Retired while leading Millman 63 75 67(2) 05 in Australian Open 1R due to cramping Verdasco 2016 FastFacts: W: Bucharest (d Pouille) YTD W-L: 14-9 (8-5 on clay) YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 7 Date of Birth: November 15, 1983 Emirates ATP Ranking: 56 Nice W-L (Best Result): 3-1 (2010 Finalist) • Tournament Note: The 32-year-old Spaniard is making his first appearance in Nice since his debut in 2010 when he reached final (l. to Gasquet in third set TB) • Captured 7th ATP World Tour singles title in a Monday final at Bucharest (d. Pouille) • Upset No. 5 Nadal in 4h41m, 5-set Australian Open 1R match (l. to Sela in 2R) • Played in 51 consecutive Grand Slam main draws, 3rd-longest active streak (Federer 65, Lopez 56) • Lost to No. 5 Nadal 60 76(9) in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R after holding 5 set points in 2nd-set TB • Held 1 MP vs. Zeballos in Miami 3R and 1 MP vs. Goffin in Monte-Carlo 2R -- lost both 76 in 3rd • Fell to 0-11 lifetime against World No. 1 with 62 62 loss to Djokovic in Doha 2R • Withdrew from Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro due to neck injury Open de Nice Côte d’Azur Day 2 – Monday, May 16, 2016 Page 3 of 4 www.ATPWorldTour.com [Q] Donald Young (USA) vs [6-WC] Fabio Fognini (ITA) Young Leads 1-0 12 Vienna (Austria) Hard R32 Donald Young 7-6(8) 6-3 Young 2016 FastFacts: QF: Memphis (l Berankis) YTD W-L: 5-8 (1-1 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: July 23, 1989 Emirates ATP Ranking: 82 Nice W-L (Best Result): 0-1 (2012 1R) • Tournament Note: The 26-year-old American qualified and making first main draw appearance in Nice since 2012 (l. to Bellucci in 1R). Two years ago, lost in final round qualifying (l. to Pouille) • Won one match at Auckland, Memphis (QF), Delray Beach, Acapulco and Houston • Fell in 4 sets to Giraldo in Australian Open 1R • Reached Challenger SF at Savannah, USA (l. to Donaldson) and QF at Tallahassee, USA (l. to Tiafoe) • Held 2 MPs w/Kudla before falling to eventual doubles champions Bryan/Bryan in Houston 1R Fognini 2016 FastFacts: SF: Munich (l Kohlschreiber); QF(2): Auckland (l Tsonga); Barcelona (l Nadal) YTD W-L: 9-9 (7-7 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3 Date of Birth: May 24, 1987 Emirates ATP Ranking: 34 Nice W-L (Best Result): 1-4 (2013 2R) • Tournament Note: The No. 1 Italian returns to Nice for first time since 2013 when he reached 2R, only time he's won a match. Went 0-3 from 2010-12, losing in 1R each time • Lost to eventual champions in Munich SF (l. to Kohlschreiber) and Barcelona QF (l. to No. 5 Nadal) • Saved 2 MPs in 64 26 76(3) win over Sousa in Auckland 1R (l. to No. 10 Tsonga in QF) • Served for match against No. 6 Nishikori in ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 2R before losing 75 in 3rd • In defense of Australian Open doubles title w/Bolelli, lost to Mannarino/Pouille in 2R • Retired vs. Gimeno-Traver in Rio de Janeiro 2R and withdrew from 3 events due to abdominal muscle strain [8] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs [Q] Kyle Edmund (GBR) First Meeting Zverev 2016 FastFacts: SF(2): Montpellier (l Mathieu); Munich (l Thiem); QF: Rotterdam (l Monfils) YTD W-L: 17-12 (7-4 on clay) YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0 Date of Birth: April 20, 1997 Emirates ATP Ranking: 48 Nice W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut • Tournament Note: The No. 2 German (behind No. 26 Kohlschreiber) is making his main draw debut this week • Reached SFs at Montpellier (d. Vanni in 1R after saving 1 MP, l. to Mathieu) and Munich (l. to Thiem) • Set career-highs this season in wins (17) and ranking (No. 43 on May 2) • Beat Dimitrov and Simon en route to ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 4R (l. to No. 5 Nadal after holding 1 MP) • Advanced to Rotterdam QF (d. Simon 76 in 3rd, l. to Monfils) and Barcelona 3R (d. Bellucci, l. to Jaziri) • Appeared in 2nd ATP doubles final with older brother Mischa at Montpellier (l. to Pavic/Venus) • In Davis Cup debut, fell to No.