WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN: DAY 6 MEDIA NOTES Friday, August 21, 2015 Lindner Family Tennis Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA | August 16 – 23, 2015 Draw: S-56, D-24 | Prize Money: $4,457,065 ($3,826,655 on-site) | Surface: Outdoor Hard ATP Info: Tournament Info: ATP PR & Marketing: www.ATPWorldTour.com www.cincytennis.com Martin Dagahs: [email protected] Twitter: @ATPWorldTour @CincyTennis #CincyTennis Maria Garcia-Planas: [email protected] Facebook: ATP World Tour facebook.com/cincytennis Richard Evans: [email protected] Press Room: +1 5136510303 (x2250) Edward La Cava: [email protected] TOP 5 PLAYERS IN DRAW TO FEATURE IN FRIDAY’S QUARTER-FINALS BEST OF 2015 IN ACTION: Five of the Top 6 seeds will play in the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals on Friday, with the pre-tournament withdrawal of No. 4 seed Kei Nishikori possibly preventing a perfect 6-for-6. The highlight of the star-studded schedule comes at 11 am when World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and No. 5 seed Stan Wawrinka meet for the first time since the Swiss dashed the Serb’s dreams of a career Grand Slam in the Roland Garros final. Also in action are six-time Cincinnati champion Roger Federer, No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych and Andy Murray, who on Thursday saved a match point against Grigor Dimitrov, rallying from 1-4 down in the second set and 2-5 down in the third set of his 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 victory. 2015 MATCH WIN LEADERS Andy Murray 55 Novak Djokovic 54 Kei Nishikori 46 Roger Federer 42 Tomas Berdych 42 Rafael Nadal 42 Stan Wawrinka 36 David Ferrer 36 STAN THE SPOILER: With Djokovic one victory from a career Grand Slam, Wawrinka defeated the World No. 1 in the 2015 Roland Garros final. They meet for the first time since on Friday, and once again Wawrinka has the opportunity to play the role of spoiler. If he wins his first Western & Southern Open title, Djokovic would become the first player to claim the ‘Golden Masters,’ sweeping all nine ATP Masters 1000 championships during his career. Both Djokovic and Wawrinka needed comebacks in the third round on Thursday – the Serb rallying from a 3-0 third-set deficit to defeat David Goffin and the Swiss fighting back from a set down against Ivo Karlovic. CLOSER LOOK AT DJOKOVIC vs. WAWRINKA: Djokovic has a 17-4 record against Wawrinka in their FedEx Head 2 Head, but there’s more to their rivalry than meets the eye. - The World No. 1 Djokovic and World No. 5 Wawrinka have split their last 4 meetings. - Wawrinka beat Djokovic en route to his 2 major titles (2014 Australian Open, 2015 Roland Garros). - Djokovic and Wawrinka have gone 5 sets in 5 of their 7 Grand Slam and Davis Cup matches. - From 2007 to 2013, Djokovic enjoyed a 14-match win streak over Wawrinka. - Djokovic is 8-0 against Wawrinka at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events (first meeting in Cincy). - Djokovic has won 8 of 9 tie-breaks against Wawrinka during their 21-match rivalry. - Wawrinka won his 1st ATP World Tour title by beating Djokovic in the 2006 Umag final (6-6 ret). - 17-year-old Djokovic beat 19-year-old Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3 in their first meeting (2004 Aachen CH). - Djokovic and Wawrinka went 3-1 as doubles partners at 2013 Beijing (w/o in SF) & 2014 Toronto. Western & Southern Open Day 6 – Friday, August 21, 2015 Page 2 of 11 www.ATPWorldTour.com THE BEST IS YET TO COME: When Djokovic and Wawrinka meet at a tournament, the winner has gone on to capture the title in the last six t occasions. YEAR TOURNAMENT RD WINNER CHAMPION 2015 Roland Garros F Wawrinka in 4 Wawrinka 2015 Australian Open SF Djokovic in 5 Djokovic 2014 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals RR Djokovic in 2 Djokovic 2014 Australian Open QF Wawrinka in 5 Wawrinka 2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals SF Djokovic in 2 Djokovic 2013 ATP Masters 1000 Paris QF Djokovic in 2 Djokovic FEDERER’S DREAM DRAW: Seeking a seventh Cincinnati championship, Federer could not have asked for a better draw to begin his title defense. The Swiss has never lost to his first three opponents this week (19-0). Federer improved to 4-0 against Roberto Bautista Agut with a 6-4, 6-4 win on Tuesday, then dominated Kevin Anderson for the fourth time in as many meetings 6-1, 6-1 on Thursday. The No. 2 seed has an 11-0 FedEx Head 2 Head advantage over his quarterfinal opponent Feliciano Lopez. Before turning pro, however, Lopez defeated Federer on the ITF Junior Circuit, posting a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 semi-final win at the 1998 European Closed Junior Championships. ROUND OPPONENT MATCHES W-L SETS W-L GAMES W-L 2R Roberto Bautista Agut 4-0 10-0 60-30 (.667) 3R Kevin Anderson 4-0 8-0 50-24 (.676) QF Feliciano Lopez 11-0 25-4 (.862) 174-119 (.594) Western & Southern Open Day 6 – Friday, August 21, 2015 Page 3 of 11 www.ATPWorldTour.com THE CANADA/CINCINNATI DOUBLE: Coming off his third ATP Masters 1000 Canada title, Andy Murray seeks his third Cincinnati championship and faces No. 12 seed Richard Gasquet on Friday. Murray has never won the Canada and Cincinnati titles in the same season, a feat that only six men have accomplished during the Open Era (since 1968). More often than not, sweeping the summer ATP Masters 1000 events is a good sign for US Open success. YEAR CANADA/CINCINNATI CHAMPION US OPEN RESULT 2013 Rafael Nadal Champion 2003 Andy Roddick Champion 1998 Patrick Rafter Champion 1995 Andre Agassi Runner-Up 1978 Eddie Dibbs 3rd Round 1969 Cliff Richey 3rd Round LUCK OF THE DOG: Alexandr Dolgopolov was 0-4 lifetime at the Western & Southern Open entering this year’s tournament, but his luck has changed. After winning two qualifying matches, Dolgopolov was randomly selected among the seven qualifiers and one lucky loser to take the main draw spot vacated by injured No. 4 seed Kei Nishikori. The World No. 66 enjoyed a first-round bye, then beat unseeded Bernard Tomic and Jerzy Janowicz, making him the second qualifier to reach the Cincinnati quarter-finals since 2004 (Tursunov in 2013). Should he upset No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych on Friday, Dolgopolov would be the first qualifier since David Wheaton in 1994 to advance to the Cincy semis. Berdych, however, has a 4-0 FedEx Head 2 Head against Dolgopolov. FIRST-TIME QUARTERFINALISTS: Dolgopolov (5th appearance), Gasquet (9th) and Lopez (13th) have advanced to the Cincinnati quarter-finals for the first time in their respective careers. DAY 6 FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play by Court CENTER COURT [1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [5] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) FedEx Head 2 Head: Djokovic leads 17-4 2006 Umag Clay F Stan Wawrinka 6-6(1) ret 2006 Davis Cup SUI vs. SRB Hard RR Novak Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 2006 Vienna Hard R16 Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 6-3 2007 Vienna Hard F Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-0 2008 Indian Wells Hard QF Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 6-2 2008 Rome Clay F Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 2009 Indian Wells Hard R16 Novak Djokovic 7-6(7), 7-6(6) 2009 Monte-Carlo Clay SF Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 Western & Southern Open Day 6 – Friday, August 21, 2015 Page 4 of 11 www.ATPWorldTour.com 2009 Basel Hard QF Novak Djokovic 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-2 2010 Monte-Carlo Clay R16 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 2011 Rome Clay R16 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-1 2012 Madrid Clay R16 Novak Djokovic 7-6(5), 6-4 2012 US Open Hard R16 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-1, 3-1 ret 2013 Australian Open Hard R16 Novak Djokovic 1-6, 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(5), 12-10 2013 US Open Hard SF Novak Djokovic 2-6, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 2013 Paris Hard QF Novak Djokovic 6-1, 6-4 2013 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Hard SF Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-3 2014 Australian Open Hard QF Stan Wawrinka 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 2014 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Hard RR Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-0 2015 Australian Open Hard SF Novak Djokovic 7-6(1), 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 2015 Roland Garros Clay F Stan Wawrinka 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 Other Meeting: Djokovic leads 1-0 2004 Aachen CH (Germany) Carpet R32 Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-3 Novak Djokovic Stan Wawrinka Sets Won: 42 20 Tiebreak Sets Won: 8 1 Match Wins by Surface: Clay: 5 2 Hard: 12 2 Grass: 0 0 2015 Highlights 2015 Highlights W (6): Australian Open (d. Murray) W (3): Chennai (d. Bedene) Indian Wells (d. Federer) Rotterdam (d. Berdych) Miami (d. Murray) Roland Garros (d. Djokovic) Monte-Carlo (d. Berdych) SF (2): Australian Open (l. to Djokovic) Rome (d. Federer) Rome (l. to Federer) Wimbledon (d. Federer) QF (3): Marseille (l. to Stakhovsky) F (3): Dubai (l. to Federer) Geneva (l. to Delbonis) Roland Garros (l. to Wawrinka) Wimbledon (l. to Gasquet) Montréal (l. to Murray) QF: Doha (l. to Karlovic) Djokovic VsWawrinka 28 (May 22, 1987) Age (DOB) 30 (Mar. 28, 1985) 1 (1 - July 4, 2011) Emirates ATP Rankings (high) 5 (3 - Jan.