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Tsonga Saves 2 M.P. To Defeat Nishikori

  • Posted: Nov 04, 2016

Tsonga Saves 2 M.P. To Defeat Nishikori

Berdych to face Simon on Thursday

Local favourite and No. 11 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga trailed fifth seed Kei Nishikori for the majority of their third-round match at the BNP Paribas Masters, but showed remarkable fighting spirit to save two match points and prevail on Thursday in Paris, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6(3).

Next up for the Frenchman is fourth seed Milos Raonic, a three-set winner earlier in the day over No. 16 seed Pablo Cuevas. Their FedEx ATP Head2Head series is tied at 2-2, but the Canadian has won their past two matches.

You May Also Like: Djokovic Fights Through Dimitrov

Nishikori needed just 22 minutes to shut out Tsonga in the opening set, marking the first time the Frenchman lost a set 0-6 since last year’s Masters 1000 event in Shanghai (vs. Nadal). But Tsonga rebounded strongly by grabbing the break of serve in the second set to level the match.

The Japanese star broke Tsonga at 4-3 and held two match points on his serve in the next game, but the Frenchman erased them with gutsy tennis and eventually forced a final-set tie-break. Tsonga went on a four-point run to lead 4/1 and closed out the contest with his second match point in exactly two hours.

Fittingly, Tsonga also prevailed after receiving his last 0-6 set against Nadal in Shanghai.

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Doubles Field Set For London

  • Posted: Nov 04, 2016

Doubles Field Set For London

Huey/Mirnyi last team in

The Emirates ATP Doubles Race To London came to an end on Thursday as the last of eight spots available at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals was claimed by Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi. Huey/Mirnyi lost in the first round of the BNP Paribas Masters earlier this week, but secured their first team qualification when defending London champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau fell in the second round of Paris.

Joining Mirnyi/Huey at the O2 on 13 November will be Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who reclaimed the No. 1 spot from London qualifiers Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Martin Klizan and Joao Sousa in the second round in Paris.

Also present at the year-end showdown will be four-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, Roland Garros doubles champions Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez, 2014 finalists Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, and Henri Kontinen and John Peers. Five of the eight teams are first-time qualifiers.

Rojer/Tecau, who won the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals last year, saw their season come to a close after falling to Nicholas Monroe and Jack Sock 2-6, 6-3, 10-7. Melo, who is playing with Vasek Pospisil in Paris, moved into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Philipp Kohlschreiber and Dominic Thiem.

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Djokovic Fights Through Injury, Dimitrov

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2016

Djokovic Fights Through Injury, Dimitrov

World No. 1 prevails from a set down on Thursday in Paris

Top seed and three-time defending champion BNP Paribas Masters champion Novak Djokovic fought through injury and a tricky opponent on Thursday in Paris, overcoming a mid-match scare to rally from a set down and defeat No. 14 seed Grigor Dimitrov in their third-round clash, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Djokovic extends his win streak in Bercy to 17 consecutive matches. He will maintain his World No. 1 ranking over Andy Murray should he win two more matches and reach the final in Paris.

Both players traded early service holds, but Dimitrov broke Djokovic twice in a row to lead 3-2 and maintained his slight advantage to grab the opening set. Djokovic rebounded by racing to a 3-1 lead, but suffered a right knee injury after slipping while chasing down a forehand. He stopped play to take a medical timeout, but quickly picked where he left off and broke Dimitrov once more to force a deciding set.

The third set was one-way traffic for Djokovic. He immediately broke Dimitrov and race out to a 3-0 lead, controlling the majority of the baseline rallies and putting his opponent under constant pressure. The World No. 1 closed out the match on his first try to move into the quarter-finals.

You May Also Like: Murray, Djokovic Battle For No. 1 In Paris

Next up for Djokovic is ninth seed Marin Cilic, who clinched his spot in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals earlier in the day with a win over ninth seed David Goffin. The Serbian has dominated his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry against Cilic 14-0 and has won the past 12 sets they’ve played. 

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Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic through at Paris Masters

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2016

Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic continue to battle over the world number one ranking after both won in the third round of the Paris Masters.

Murray can overtake the 12-time Grand Slam champion if Djokovic fails to reach the final.

The Scot reached the last eight by winning a low-quality match with Lucas Pouille in straight sets, 6-3 6-0.

Serb Djokvoic came from a set down against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov before winning 4-6 6-2 6-3.

Djokovic will meet Canadian fourth seed Milos Raonic in the quarter-finals, while Murray awaits the winner of the tie between Tomas Berdych and Gilles Simon.

To become world number one for the first time, Murray must win the title if Djokovic fails to reach the final, although if the Serb should lose before the semis then Murray would only need to make the final.

Murray makes short work of Pouille

Murray needed two hours and 29 minutes to get past Fernando Verdasco in the second round on Tuesday and at times looked fatigued against Pouille.

Still, the Frenchman put up little resistance, with Murray winning eight successive games after the world number 17 had broken the Briton’s serve midway through the first set.

Even with Murray below his best, Pouille’s regular errors ensured this was no great spectacle, with the second set little more than a procession.

The victory is Murray’s 71st in 2016, equalling his previous best calendar year of 2015.

A more straightforward route to the number one spot for Murray appeared possible when Dimitrov took the opening set against a low-key Djokovic, but the four-time champion fought back impressively.

Despite needing a medical time-out after twisting his knee in the second set, Djokovic dominated the closing stages to win in two hours and 24 minutes.

Cilic takes seventh place in London

Croatia’s Marin Cilic won a tense encounter with Belgian David Goffin to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals, which get under way in London on 14 November.

Cilic, 28, needed six match points before finally seeing off Goffin 6-3 7-6 (11-9) to reach the last eight in Paris.

The 2014 US Open champion joins Djokovic, Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Gael Monfils in the line-up for London.

Dominic Thiem, Berdych or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will complete the field at the O2 Arena.

“It’s definitely something special, so it’s great for me that I achieved it, especially in this kind of way in these last few weeks,” said Cilic.

“I earned it, and that’s, for me, an even bigger plus.”

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Ironman Sock Continues Winning Ways

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2016

Ironman Sock Continues Winning Ways

Raonic advances on Thursday in Paris

Jack Sock continued his outstanding finish to 2016 by reaching the quarter-finals of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris on Thursday, ousting No. 12 seed and local favourite Richard Gasquet in a thrilling match, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

Sock dropped just two points on serve in storming through the opening set, but Gasquet rebounded by grabbing the lone break of serve in the second set to level the match.

The final set saw returns feature a far more prominent role, with five breaks of serve in total. Gasquet saved two match points to hold serve at 4-5, but the American kept the pressure on his opponent and finally broke the Frenchman once more at 5-6 to wrap up the match in two hours and two minutes. He improves his FedEx ATP Head2Head record over Gasquet to 3-0.

The American’s winning ways have led to a heavy schedule over the past month.  Competing in his fifth straight tournament this week, Sock has played 31 matches over the past 32 days, including doubles, and has only had six days off during this stretch. In addition to finishing runner-up two weeks ago in Stockholm (l. del Potro), he’s also racked up doubles titles in Basel (w/Granollers) and Shanghai (w/Isner), as well as finished runner-up in Beijing (w/Tomic).

Next up for Sock is the winner of the match between John Isner and qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff. He trails his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Isner 3-4, but has won their past two matches in straight sets.

You May Also Like: Cilic Qualifies For 2016 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

Fourth seed Milos Raonic rebounded strongly after a slow start to dismiss No. 16 seed Pablo Cuevas, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.  The Uruguayan clinched the lone break of serve in the opening set, but Raonic provided no opportunities to get into the match afterwards. He fired 11 aces in the final two sets and continued to keep pressure on Cuevas’ serve, accumulating seven break points in total.

Awaiting Raonic in the quarter-finals is the winner of the match between fifth seed Kei Nishikori and No. 11 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Raonic is even in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Tsonga at 2-2, but has won their past two matches. He trails Nishikori 2-5 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry, but they haven’t played in more than a year.

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Cilic Qualifies For 2016 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2016

Cilic Qualifies For 2016 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

Cilic is seventh player to qualify

Just one spot remains in the singles field at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals as Marin Cilic became the seventh player to qualify for the prestigious season-ending tournament, to be held from 13-20 November at The O2 in London.

The Croatian secured his spot with a third-round win over David Goffin on Thursday at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. He joins Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Milos Raonic and Gael Monfils in the elite eight-man field.

You May Also Like: Cilic Reaches Paris QFs; Secures London Qualification

Cilic is set to make his second appearance at The O2. After winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2014, Cilic went on to qualify for the season finale.

“It’s been a huge last 10 days for me,” said Cilic. “I played very well today. I had the pressure and David had beaten me the past few times. I want to keep going now and can’t wait to return to The O2. It means a lot to qualify again.”

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The 28-year-old Cilic’s 2016 season highlight came by winning his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where he defeated Andy Murray in the final. It sparked a strong end to the season for the right-hander, as he won his second title of the year at the Swiss Indoors Basel (d. Nishikori) and reached the semi-finals of the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo (l. to Goffin). Earlier in the year, Cilic had finished runner-up at the Open 13 in Marseille (l. to Kyrgios) and the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open (l. to Wawrinka), as well as reaching the Wimbledon quarter-finals (l. to Federer).

Dominic Thiem, Tomas Berdych and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are all in contention for the eighth and final spot at The O2. Thiem is currently in line to qualify, but after losing his Paris opener to Jack Sock, the Austrian’s fate is dependent on the results of Berdych and Tsonga at the final ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament of the year. A semi-final showing would be good enough for Berdych, unless Tsonga wins the title.

One spot also remains up for grabs in the doubles field. Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi will complete the field, unless defending London champions, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, can reach the semi-finals in Paris to overtake them.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has welcomed more than 1.8 million fans to The O2 arena over the past seven years, establishing itself as the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world since moving to London in 2009. A record 102 million broadcast viewers also tuned in across the eight days of competition in 2015. The ATP announced last year that the event would remain at The O2 through to 2018. Tickets can be purchased at: www.BarclaysATPWorldTourFinals.com.  

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Djokovic, Murray Resume No. 1 Race; Cilic Eyes London Spot

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2016

Djokovic, Murray Resume No. 1 Race; Cilic Eyes London Spot

Quest for Barclays ATP World Tour Finals spots ongoing

There are 12 of the Top 16 seeds in the third round at the BNP Paribas Masters on Thursday, with the top two players in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, leading the way. Four Frenchmen are also remaining among the final 16, including 2008 champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

In the opening match on Court Central, Marin Cilic could clinch one of the remaining two spots for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London if he defeats David Goffin, who has won the previous three meetings. The top Belgian won in four sets on clay in a 1R Davis Cup tie in March, then followed with straight-set wins at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (QF) and Tokyo (SF). Goffin trails Cilic by 400 points in the Emirates ATP Race to London.

In the next match on, No. 12 seed Richard Gasquet takes on top American Jack Sock, who won both previous meetings last year in Washington and Stockholm. Sock is coming off his fourth Top 10 win of the season over No. 8 Dominic Thiem on Wednesday.

Djokovic follows against No. 14 seed Grigor Dimitrov, who is 1-5 lifetime against the World No. 1. Dimitrov’s lone win over a World No. 1 (1-6) came over Djokovic at 2013 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid. Djokovic is on a 16-match winning streak in Bercy and on Wednesday he notched his 60th match win of the season, which also extended his streak to 10 consecutive years with 60 (or more) match wins.

Murray is next up against No. 13 seed Lucas Pouille, who lost both previous meetings this season at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments in Rome and Shanghai. Murray beat Fernando Verdasco 63 67 75 in his opening match Wednesday to earn his ATP World Tour-leading 70th match win of the year. Last year he won a career-best 71 matches. The 29-year-old Briton needs to reach the final with Djokovic losing before the semi-finals or Murray can also pass Djokovic by winning the Paris title over any opponent other than the Serb. Murray tries to continue his dominance against Frenchmen. He has won 22 consecutive matches against Frenchmen since his last loss to Gilles Simon in the quarter-finals of Rotterdam in February 2015. Pouille is 5-5 this season against Top 10 opponents with his best career win coming over No. 5 Nadal in the 4R at the US Open.

In the evening session, Nishikori brings a 5-2 head-to-head record against Tsonga. This is their third meeting in  Bercy in the past four years and Nishikori won both in three sets in 2013 (2R) and 2014 (3R). Nishikori has won a personal-best 57 matches this season. Tsonga must win the title to keep his Barclays ATP World Tour Finals hopes alive. Tsonga’s last win over a Top 5 opponent came at ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo in April when he beat No. 3 Federer in the quarter-finals.

In the final match on, Tomas Berdych meets unseeded Gilles Simon, who owns a 7-5 head-to-head record against his Czech Republic opponent. Berdych won two of the three meetings last year. They played in Bercy in the

On Court 1, No. 4 seed Milos Raonic takes a 2-0 head-to-head record against No. 16 seed Pablo Cuevas. Raonic won both previous meetings on clay. In the next match on, German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff, who posted his biggest career win over No. 3 Wawrinka on Wednesday, plays big-serving John Isner. The No. 2 American is 2-0 against Struff, winning last week 67 63 64 in the 1R of Vienna.

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FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS: THURSDAY 3R SINGLES MATCHES

COURT CENTRAL

[9] Marin Cilic (CRO) vs [8] David Goffin (BEL)                Goffin Leads 3-0
16 BEL vs. CRO WG 1st RD (Belgium)         Clay    RR    David Goffin    6-4    6-4    3-6    7-5
16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (USA) Hard    QF    David Goffin    7-6(4)    6-2
16 Tokyo (Japan)                      Hard    SF    David Goffin    7-5    6-4

Cilic 2016 Summary:
W(2): ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati (d Murray); Basel (d Nishikori); F(2): Marseille (l Kyrgios); Geneva (l Wawrinka); SF(2): London / Queen’s Club (l Murray); Tokyo (l Goffin); QF(4): Brisbane (l Thiem); Rotterdam (l Kohlschreiber); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Goffin); Wimbledon (l Federer)
YTD W-L: 45-20 (34-14 on hard)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 16
Date of Birth: September 28, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 10
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 7-7 (2009 Quarter-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Top Croat opened Wednesday with 76(7) 62 win over countryman Karlovic. He is playing in Bercy for 8th time in 9 years (except 2014). Looking to reach QFs for second time, first since 2009 (l. to Monfils)
• Coming off second ATP World Tour title of season in fourth final in Basel (d. Nishikori) last Sunday
• In August, captured 1st ATP Masters 1000 title at Cincinnati in 71st appearance at that level (d. No. 2 Murray)
• Beat Coric for 1st ATP Masters 1000 QF win (1-8) and Dimitrov in SF that ended at 1:35 am on same day as final
• Advanced to 3rd straight Wimbledon QF, falling to No. 3 Federer after leading by 2 sets and holding 3 MPs
• Reached finals at Marseille (l. to Kyrgios) and Geneva (d. Ferrer, l. to No. 4 Wawrinka)
• Also reached SFs at London/Queen’s Club (l. to No. 2 Murray in 3 sets) and Tokyo (l. to Goffin)
• Ended 11-match losing streak vs Top 10 players with win over No. 10 Gasquet in Indian Wells 4R (l. to Goffin in QF)
• Led Croatia to Davis Cup final with 3-2 wins over Belgium (d. Coppejans, l. to Goffin), USA (l. to Sock after leading by 2 sets, w/Dodig d. Bryan/Bryan, d. Isner) and France (d. Pouille, w/Dodig d. Herbert/Mahut, d. Gasquet)
• Withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 events at Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome due to knee injury

Goffin 2016 Summary     
F: Tokyo (l Kyrgios); SF(4): ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Raonic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l Djokovic); Metz (l Pouille); Antwerp (l Schwartzman); QF(6): Marseille (l Berdych); Munich (l Zverev); ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l Murray); Roland Garros (l Thiem); Halle (l Federer); ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (l Murray)
YTD W-L: 49-23 (32-16 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: December 7, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 12
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 3-2 (2015-16 3rd Round)

• Tournament Note: No. 1 Belgian opened on Wednesday with 76(5) 63 win over Mahut to reach 3R for second straight year. Last year after bye, d. Lajovic, l. to Murray. Lost to Ferrer in 2R in 2014
• Reached Tokyo final (d. Cilic, l. to Kyrgios 75 in 3rd) and still seeking 1st title since 2014 Metz
• Advanced to 1st Grand Slam QF at Roland Garros (l. to Thiem), as well as 4R at Australian Open (d. Thiem, l. to No.
3 Federer) and Wimbledon (l. to No. 7 Raonic after leading by 2 sets)
• Set career-highs this season in wins (49) and ranking (No. 11 on June 6)
• Played in back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 SFs at Indian Wells (l. to Raonic) and Miami (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Beat No. 4 Wawrinka 76 in 3rd for biggest win of career in Indian Wells 4R (4-30 vs Top 10)
• Defeated No. 8 Berdych 60 60 to reach Rome QF – 1st double-bagel of Berdych’s career (l. to No. 3 Murray)
• Also reached ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai QF (d. del Potro in 1R and No. 8 Monfils in 3R, l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Saved 2 MPs vs Tiafoe in Indian Wells 2R and 1 MP vs Verdasco in Monte-Carlo 2R (l. to Granollers in 3R)
• Held 4 MPs vs Pouille in ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 1R before falling 76 in 3rd
• Swept Coric and Cilic, but lost doubles w/Bemelmans to Dodig/Skugor during Davis Cup 1R (CRO d. BEL 3-2)

[12] Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs Jack Sock (USA)            Sock Leads 2-0
15 Washington (U.S.A.)                Hard    R16    Jack Sock    6-7(4)    7-6(5)    6-4
15 Stockholm (Sweden)                Hard    SF    Jack Sock    6-4    6-2

Gasquet 2016 Summary
W (2): Montpellier (d. Mathieu); Antwerp (d. Schwartzman); F: Shenzhen (l. to Berdych); QF (3): Marseille (l. to Kyrgios); Roland Garros (l. to Murray); Winston-Salem (l. to Millman)
YTD W-L: 35-17 (22-11 on hard)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 14
Date of Birth: June 18, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 19
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 12-8 (2007 Semi-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Opened Tuesday with 64 76(11) win over Johnson. Best result was in 2007 when he beat Tsonga, No. 7 Blake & Murray to reach SF (l. to Nalbandian). Also QF in 2013 (l. to Nadal) and last year (l. to Murray)
• Advanced to Roland Garros QF for 1st time in 13th appearance (d. Kyrgios and No. 6 Nishikori, l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Captured 13th and 14th titles respectively at Montpellier (d. Mathieu) and Antwerp (d. Schwartzman)
• Did not drop a set or face a Top 100 player en route to Shenzhen final (l. to No. 9 Berdych 76 67 63)
• Reached R16 at ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells (l. to Cilic), Miami (l. to No. 7 Berdych), Madrid (l. to No. 6 Nishikori) and Rome (l. to No. 6 Nishikori)
• Suffered 1st Grand Slam 1R loss since 2010 Roland Garros at US Open (l. to Edmund)
• Withdrew from Doha (back), Australian Open (back), Rotterdam (flu), Barcelona (rib) and Toronto (abdominal)
• Retired in Wimbledon 4R vs Tsonga (back) and Basel 1R vs Pella (abdominal)

Sock 2016 Summary
F (3): Auckland (l. to Bautista Agut); Houston (l. to Monaco); Stockholm (l. to del Potro); QF (2): Washington (l. to Karlovic); ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (l. to Simon)
YTD W-L: 36-20 (26-13 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: September 24, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 24
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 3-2 (2016 3rd Round)

• Tournament Note: Top American opened on Tuesday with 62 76(3) win over Kohlschreiber and followed with 62 64 victory over No. 8-ranked Thiem. In 2014, beat Ramos-Viñolas, Tomic in Q and Andujar in 1R (l. to No. 10 Raonic)
• Only men’s or women’s tennis player to earn multiple medals at Rio Olympics, winning gold in mixed doubles w/Mattek-Sands (d. Ram/V. Williams) and bronze in men’s doubles w/Johnson (d. Nestor/Pospisil)
• Runner-up at Auckland (d. No. 8 Ferrer, ret vs Bautista Agut), Houston (l. to Monaco) and Stockholm (l. to del Potro)
• Advanced to Grand Slam 4R for 2nd time at US Open (d. No. 9 Cilic 64 63 63, l. to Tsonga)
• Also advanced to 1st ATP Masters 1000 QF at Shanghai (d. No. 6 Raonic after saving 2 MPs, l. to Simon 76 in 3rd)
• Achieved career-high No. 22 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 18 and became No. 1 American on October 17.
• ATP Masters 1000 doubles winner w/Isner at Shanghai (d. Lopez/Lopez, Bryan/Bryan and Kontinen/Peers), as well as runner-up w/Pospisil at Indian Wells (l. to Herbert/Mahut) and Rome (l. to Bryan/Bryan). Ranks No. 11 in doubles
• Reached finals in debuts w/Granollers at Basel (d. Lindstedt/Venus) and Tomic at Beijing (l. to Carreño Busta/Nadal)
• Played 27 matches (13 singles, 14 doubles) and 4 finals (1 singles, 3 doubles) in 29-day stretch from October 3-31
• Rallied from 2 sets down to beat Cilic in Davis Cup QF, but lost deciding rubber to Coric (CRO d. USA 3-2)
• Improved career Top 10 record to 5-16 with win over No. 8 Thiem on Wednesday (4-2 this season)

WORKING MAN: Sock is playing in his fifth straight tournament. In addition to his singles match on Thursday, he is playing his 2R doubles match (w/Monroe). This will be his 31st match in 32 days (since Oct. 3) and the fifth time he’s playing two matches in a day. He’s been off six days (Oct. 7, 10, 17-18, 24, 28) during this stretch.

[1] Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs [14] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)        Djokovic Leads 5-1
12 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R32    Novak Djokovic    6-3    6-2
13 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (USA    Hard    R32    Novak Djokovic    7-6(4)    6-1
13 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid (Spain)    Clay    R32    Grigor Dimitrov    7-6(6)    6-7(8)    6-3
13 Roland Garros (France)                Clay    R32    Novak Djokovic    6-2    6-2    6-3
14 Wimbledon (Great Britain)            Grass    SF    Novak Djokovic    6-4    3-6    7-6(2)    7-6(7)
14 Beijing (China)                    Hard    QF    Novak Djokovic    6-2    6-4
    
Djokovic 2016 Summary
W(7): Doha (d Nadal); Australian Open (d Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d Raonic); ATP Masters 1000 Miami (d Nishikori); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (d Murray); Roland Garros (d Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (d Nishikori); F(2): ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l Murray); US Open (l Wawrinka); SF: ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (l Bautista Agut); QF: Dubai (l Lopez)
YTD W-L: 60-7 (42-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 7 / Career Titles: 66
Date of Birth: May 22, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 1  /  BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 27-6 (2009, 2013-14-15 Champion)

• Tournament Note: Reigning 3-time champion (4 overall) opened with 63 64 victory over Muller to win his 16th match in a row. He is making his 12th straight showing in Bercy. Has not lost since 2R to Querrey (after a bye) in 2012. Since then, defeated Ferrer in 2013 final, Raonic in 2014 and Murray last year. Has won 32 of 35 sets during his streak
• Won his 60th match of season Wednesday, extending his streak to 10 straight years with 60+ match wins
• Has won at least 7 titles for a 4th consecutive season (5th in 6 years) and 7-2 in finals, highlighted by his maiden crown at Roland Garros in his 12th attempt (d. Murray). Become 8th man with career Grand Slam and 3rd with all 4 majors at once, 1st since Rod Laver in 1969. Also tied Emerson for 4th all-time with 12 Slam singles titles
• Surpassed 200 weeks at No. 1, $100 million in prize money and 50 wins at all 4 majors during Roland Garros
• His 223 weeks at No. 1 in career is 5th-most in history of Emirates ATP Rankings, behind Federer (302), Sampras (286), Lendl (270) and Connors (268). His 122 consecutive weeks at No. 1 is 4th-most behind Federer (237), Connors (160) and Lendl (157)
• Trying to finish No. 1 in Emirates ATP Rankings for 3rd straight year and 5th time in past 6 years (2011-12, ’14-15).  Has held top spot since July 7, 2014 after capturing his 2nd Wimbledon crown
• Captured at least 4 ATP Masters 1000 titles for 3rd straight season, winning titles at Indian Wells (d. Raonic) and Miami (d. No. 6 Nishikori) for 3rd straight year and 4th time overall. Also added Madrid (d. No. 2 Murray) and Toronto (d. No. 6 Nishikori) to extend record 30 ATP Masters 1000 titles
• In opening month, won Doha (d. Nadal) and tied Emerson’s all-time record with 6th Aust. Open title (d. No 2 Murray)
• Became 3rd active player to reach 700 wins by beating Jaziri in Dubai 2R on Feb. 24 (also Federer and Nadal)
 and fell 1 shy of Lendl’s Open-Era record 18 straight finals appearances, retiring vs Lopez in Dubai QF (eye)
• Fell to No. 3 Murray in ATP Masters 1000 Rome final, snapping career-long 17-match win streak vs Top 10
• Lost to Querrey at Wimbledon 3R, ending 30-match win streak at majors (longest since Laver’s 31 ended ‘68 RG F)
• Advanced to 7th US Open final and 21st Grand Slam final overall, 2nd all-time to Federer’s 27 (l. to No. 3 Wawrinka)
• Has a 54-1 match record when winning opening set during year with only loss coming to Wawrinka in US Open final

Dimitrov 2016 Summary
F (3): Sydney (l. to Troicki); Istanbul (l. to Schwartzman); Beijing (l. to Murray); SF (4): Delray Beach (l. to Ram); ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (l. to Cilic); Chengdu (l. to Ramos-Viñolas); Stockholm (l. to del Potro); QF (3): Brisbane (l. to Federer); Acapulco (l. to Thiem); ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (l. to Nishikori)
YTD W-L: 39-25 (33-17 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: May 16, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 18 /  BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 7-4 (2013-16 3rd Round)

• Tournament Note: All 4 losses in last 4 yrs. have come against Top 10 foes.Opened with 6-3 ret. win over Baghdatis
• Defeated Johnson, Pouille and No. 4 Nadal en route to Beijing final (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Held 1 MP in Sydney final (l. to Troicki 76 in 3rd) and led 76 52 in Istanbul final (l. to Schwarzman 60 in 3rd)
• Advanced to 3rd ATP Masters 1000 SF of career at Cincinnati (d. No. 4 Wawrinka in 3R, l. to Cilic 75 in 3rd)
• Also advanced to SFs at Delray Beach (l. to Ram), Chengdu (l. to Ramos-Viñolas) and Stockholm (l. to del Potro)
• Reached QFs at Brisbane (l. to No. 3 Federer in 3 sets), Acapulco (l. to Thiem) and Toronto (l. to No. 6 Nishikori)
• Reached US Open 4R (l. to No. 2 Murray) and 3R at Aus. Open (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Wimbledon (l. to Johnson)
• Snapped 7-match losing streak vs Top 10 opponents by beating No. 2 Murray in Miami 3R (l. to Monfils in 4R)
• Fell to No. 40 in Emirates ATP Rankings on July 18 – lowest ranking since No. 41 on February 11, 2013
[13] Lucas Pouille (FRA) vs [2] Andy Murray (GBR)            Murray Leads 2-0
16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (Italy)    Clay    SF    Andy Murray    6-2    6-1
16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R16    Andy Murray    6-1    6-3

Pouille FastFacts:
2016 Highlights:

W: Metz (d Thiem); F: Bucharest (l Verdasco); SF: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (l Murray); QF(3): Brisbane (l
Raonic); Wimbledon (l Berdych); US Open (l Monfils)
YTD W-L: 34-21 (20-13 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: February 23, 1994
Emirates ATP Ranking: 17
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 3-2 (2014, 2016 3rd Round)

• Tournament Note: Opened with a 67 63 64 win over Lopez on Wednesday to reach 3R for second time in three years. Two years ago as a qualifier (ranked No. 176), defeated Karlovic and No. 20 Fognini (l. to No. 2 Federer). Last year lost in 1R to countryman Chardy
• Captured 1st ATP World Tour title at Metz, becoming 7th French champion there in last 8 years (d. No. 10 Thiem)
• Defeated del Potro in 4 sets and Tomic 10-8 in 5th to reach 1st Grand Slam QF at Wimbledon (l. to No. 9 Berdych)
• Won 5-setters over Chiudinelli, Bautista Agut and No. 5 Nadal en route to US Open QF (l. to Monfils)
• Beat Gulbis and No. 9 Ferrer to reach 1st ATP Masters 1000 QF and SF at Rome as LL (l. to No. 3 Murray)
• Became 2nd LL ever to reach an ATP Masters 1000 SF (also T. Johansson at 2004 Toronto)
• Set career-highs this season in wins (34) and ranking (No. 16 on September 26). Has 5-5 record. vs. Top 10 foes
• Advanced to 1st ATP World Tour final at Bucharest (d. Lajovic, Karlovic, Lorenzi and Delbonis; l. to Verdasco)
• Reached R16 at ATP Masters 1000s in Miami (d. No. 8 Ferrer after saving 1 MP, l. to Simon), Monte-Carlo (d. No. 10 Gasquet, l. to No. 9 Tsonga) and Shanghai (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Qualified then saved 4 MPs to beat Goffin in ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 1R (l. to Querrey in 2R)
• Held 1 MP before losing to Lopez in Vienna 1R
• Withdrew from Istanbul (fatigue), then Atlanta, Los Cabos and Stockholm (lower back)

Murray 2016 Summary
W(7): ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (d Djokovic); London / Queen’s Club (d Raonic); Wimbledon (d Raonic); Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (d del Potro); Beijing (d Dimitrov); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (d Bautista Agut); Vienna (d Tsonga); F(4): Australian Open (l Djokovic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid (l Djokovic); Roland Garros (l Djokovic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati (l Cilic); SF: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (l Nadal); QF: US Open (l Nishikori)
YTD W-L: 70-9 (40-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 7 / Career Titles: 42
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 2
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 18-9 (2015 Finalist)

• Tournament Note: Opened on Wednesday with 63 67 75 win over Verdasco in his 10th tournament appearance in 11 years (except 2013). Last year reached final for first time (l. to Djokovic). Has an 18-9 career record and prior to last season, his best result was QF 5 times (2007-08, 2010-11, 2014)
• Comes into 3R on a 16-match winning streak after a Davis Cup match win (d. Pella) and back-to-back Chinese titles in Beijing (d. Dimitrov) and ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (d. Bautista Agut) and Vienna on Sunday (d. Tsonga)
• Has captured 7 titles in 11 finals, both career bests and is co-title leader (w/Djokovic). Leads ATP World Tour this year with 70 match wins (last won personal-best 71)
• After a 13-4 start through April, has compiled a 57-5 match record from May through October, reaching 10 finals in 11 tournaments (with 7 titles)
• Put together a career-best 22-match winning streak from Queen’s Club in London until falling in final at ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (l. to Cilic). Rallied from 76 30 down to beat No. 9 Raonic and become 1st 5-time London/Queen’s Club champion
• Has a 42-21 career record in finals and surpassed Hall of Famer Stefan Edberg for 14th place on Open Era titles list
• Compiled a personal-best 23-3 record in Grand Slam play, highlighted by 3rd career Grand Slam title at Wimbledon (d. Tsonga in 5 sets in QF, No. 9 Berdych in SF and No. 7 Raonic in F). Also became 1st British finalist at Roland Garros (l. to Djokovic) since Bunny Austin in 1937 and 10th man to reach all 4 major finals in Open Era. Fell to 0-5 in Australian Open finals with 4th championship match loss to No. 1 Djokovic
• In ATP Masters 1000 play, has put together 24-5 match record with titles in Rome (d. Djokovic) and Shanghai (d. Bautista Agut). Also reached finals at Madrid (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) and Cincinnati (l. to Cilic)
• With J. Murray, became 1st brothers in Open Era to reach singles and doubles finals at same major (Aus. Open)
• Made history at Rio Olympics as 1st player to win a 2nd singles gold medal (d. del Potro 75 in 4th after 4h2m)
• Celebrated 29th birthday by beating No. 1 Djokovic for 12th ATP Masters 1000 title at Rome
• Did not drop a set en route to 40th of career at Beijing (d. Dimitrov)

[5] Kei Nishikori (JPN) vs [11] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)        Nishikori Leads 5-2

11 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R32    Kei Nishikori    6-7(1)    6-4   6-4
12 Australian Open (Australia)            Hard    R16    Kei Nishikori    2-6    6-2   6-1    3-6    6-3
13 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R16    Jo-Wilfried Tsonga    7-6(5)    6-0
13 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris (France)    Hard    R32    Kei Nishikori    1-6    7-6(4)    7-6(7)
14 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris (France)    Hard    R16    Kei Nishikori    6-1    4-6    6-4
15 Roland Garros (France)                Clay    QF    Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1   6-4  4-6      3-6  6-3
16 Australian Open (Australia)            Hard    R16    Kei Nishikori    6-4    6-2    6-4
    
Nishikori 2016 Summary

W: Memphis (d Fritz); F(4): ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l Djokovic); Barcelona (l Nadal); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Toronto (l Djokovic); Basel (l Cilic); SF(4): ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid (l Djokovic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome (l Djokovic); Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (l Murray); US Open (l Wawrinka); QF(3):  Brisbane (l Tomic); Australian Open (l Djokovic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Nadal)
YTD W-L: 57-17 (40-12 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 11
Date of Birth: December 29, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 4
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 8-4 (2014 Semi-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Playing in Bercy for sixth straight year (W/O in 2012) and opened with 62 75 win over Troicki on Wednesday to earn his 300th career victory. Best result was SF two years ago (d. No. 6 Ferrer in SF, l. to Djokovic). Last year reached 3R (l. to Gasquet)
• Coming off 5th ATP World Tour final (1-4) of season in Basel (l. to Cilic). It was his 20th career final (11-9)
• Has won a personal-best 57 matches this season, including 40 on hard courts
• Beat No. 2 Murray 75 in 5th to advance to 2nd Grand Slam SF at US Open (l. to No. 3 Wawrinka in 4 sets)
• Captured 4th straight Memphis title and extended win streak at event to 17 matches (d. Fritz)
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 finals at Miami and Toronto, losing to No. 1 Djokovic both times
• Snapped 16-match losing streak against Top 5 opponents by beating No. 5 Wawrinka in Toronto SF
• Defeated No. 5 Nadal in 3 sets to win Rio Olympics bronze medal (l. to No. 2 Murray in SF)
• Has saved match point (s) in four different matches this season. Saved 5 MPs in Miami QF and 3 MPs in Rio Olympics QF to beat Monfils 76 in 3rd on both occasions. Also saved 1 MP vs Isner in Indian Wells 4R (l. to No. 5 Nadal in QF) and 2 MPs vs Muller in Basel SF (l. to Cilic I to final)
• Advanced to Aus. Open QF (d. Tsonga, l. to Djokovic) and Roland Garros 4R (d. Verdasco in 5 sets, l. to Gasquet)
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 SFs at Madrid (l. to No. 1 Djokovic 76 in 2nd) and Rome (l. to No. 1 Djokovic 76 in 3rd)

Tsonga 2016 Summary
F: Vienna (l Murray); SF(2): Auckland (l Bautista Agut); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (l Monfils); QF(5): Buenos Aires (l Almagro); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Djokovic); Wimbledon (l Murray); US Open (l Djokovic); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (l Bautista Agut)
YTD W-L: 36-16 (24-10 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: April 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 13
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 17-8 (2008 Champion)

• Tournament Note: Last Frenchman to win title in 2008 (d. Nalbandian). Also runner-up in 2011 (l. to Federer) and QF in 2009 and 2012. Opened with 63 64 win over Ramos-Vinolas on Wednesday
• Coming off first ATP World Tour final of season in Vienna last Sunday (l. to Murray). Has a 12-11 record in finals
• Joined Monfils and Pouille in US Open QF, becoming 1st French trio to reach Grand Slam QF in Open Era
• Saved 1 MP to beat Isner 19-17 in 5th after 4h24m en route to Wimbledon QF (l. to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets)
• Earned 7th career win over No. 3 Federer to reach ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo SF (l. to Monfils)
• Advanced to ATP Masters 1000 QFs at Indian Wells (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) and Shanghai (l. to Bautista Agut)
• Reached Aus. Open 4R (l. to No. 7 Nishikori) and Roland Garros 3R (d. Baghdatis in 2R after trailing by 2 sets)
• Clinched France’s Davis Cup wins in 1R vs CAN w/Gasquet (d. Bester/Pospisil) and QF vs CZE (d. Vesely)
• Squandered 1 MP in Auckland SF loss to Bautista Agut and 2 MPs in Davis Cup QF loss to Rosol
• Retired in Roland Garros 3R vs Gulbis (adductor) and US Open QF vs No. 1 Djokovic (left knee)
• Withdrew from Rome and London/Queen’s Club (adductor), as well as Metz, Chengdu and Beijing (left knee)

[7] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs Gilles Simon (FRA)            Simon Leads 7-5
06 Australian Open (Australia)            Hard    R64    Gilles Simon    6-3    6-2    4-6    6-2
06 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo     Clay    R32    Gilles Simon    7-6(2)    6-7(5)    6-4
08 Sydney (Australia)                Hard    R16    Tomas Berdych    7-6(3)    6-2
09 CZE vs. FRA WG 1st RD (Czech Republic)    Carpet    RR    Tomas Berdych    7-6(3)    4-6    7-6(2)    6-3
09 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R16    Gilles Simon    6-3    6-4
09 Valencia (Spain)                    Hard    R16    Gilles Simon    6-4    4-6    6-3
12 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris (France)    Hard    QF    Gilles Simon    6-4    6-4
13 Bangkok (Thailand)                Hard    SF    Tomas Berdych    6-7(5)    6-2    7-5
14 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    QF    Gilles Simon    7-6(4)    4-6    6-0
15 Rotterdam (Netherlands)                Hard    SF    Tomas Berdych    6-2    6-1
15 Wimbledon (Great Britain)            Grass    R16    Gilles Simon    6-3    6-3    6-2
15 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai (China)    Hard    R16    Tomas Berdych    6-3    6-3

Berdych 2016 Summary
W: Shenzhen (d. Gasquet); SF (4): Doha (l. to Djokovic); Marseille (l. to Kyrgios); Wimbledon (l. to Murray); St. Petersburg (l. to A. Zverev); QF (6): Aust. Open (l. to Federer); Dubai (l. to Kyrgios); ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Murray); Roland Garros (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (l. to Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 37-19 (25-13 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 13
Date of Birth: September 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 11
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 25-10 (2005 Champion)

• Tournament Note: Making 12th straight showing and won title in 2005 debut (d. No. 10 Ljubicic in 5 sets). Opened Tuesday with 63 36 75 win over Sousa. Trying to reach QFs (better) for 6th straight year (SFs in 2011 and 2014)
• Reached 30th final of career and 1st of 2016 at Shenzhen, defending title with 3-set win over Gasquet
• Defeated A. Zverev, Vesely and Pouille en route to 6th Grand Slam SF at Wimbledon (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Also advanced to SFs at Doha (l. to No. 1 Djokovic), Marseille (l. to Kyrgios) and St. Petersburg (l. to A. Zverev)
• Reached QFs at Australian Open (l. to No. 3 Federer), Dubai (l. to Kyrgios), Roland Garros (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) and ATP Masters 1000 events in Miami (l. to No. 1 Djokovic), Madrid (l. to No. 2 Murray) and Toronto (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Appeared in 59 straight ATP Masters 1000 events since missing 2010 Madrid due to right hip injury
• Suffered 60 60 loss to Goffin in ATP Masters 1000 Rome 3R – 1st double-bagel of career at any level
• Fell outside Top 10 on October 31 for 1st time since reaching 2010 Wimbledon final as World No. 13 (329 weeks)
• Helped Czech Republic defeat Germany 3-2 in Davis Cup 1R by winning 5-setter over A. Zverev in 4h20m
• Also earned 50th Davis Cup victory w/Stepanek (d. Kohlschreiber/Petzschner) and retired vs Kohlschreiber
• Withdrew from Washington (fatigue) and US Open (appendicitis), snapping streak of 52 straight major appearances

Simon 2016 Summary
SF (2): Metz (l. to Thiem); ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (l. to Murray); QF (4): ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Goffin); Estoril (l. to Carreño Busta); Nice (l. to A. Zverev); Stuttgart (l. to del Potro)
YTD W-L: 33-25 (22-16 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: December 27, 1984
Emirates ATP Ranking: 23
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 11-10 (2012 Semi-finalist)

• Tournament Note: Opened on Monday with 46 63 62 win over [Q] Benneteau and saved 3 MPs in 26 61 76(6) victory over [10] Bautista Agut to improve career record to 11-10 in Bercy. Defeated No. 6 Berdych en route to SF in 2012 (l. to Janowicz), his best result. Has lost in 3R on 4 other occasions (2008-09, 2013, 2015)
• Advanced to Australian Open 4R for 3rd time (d. Donskoy in 5 sets, l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 5 sets after 4h32m)
• Also played 4 hours, 32 minutes vs Pella in Roland Garros 2R, rallying from 2 sets down (l. to Troicki in 3R)
• Lost 76 in 5th to Lorenzi after 4 hours, 54 minutes in US Open 2R — longest match of tournament
• Earned biggest win since 2008 over No. 3 Wawrinka en route to ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai SF (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 Miami QF (d. Pouille 60 61, l. to Goffin) and Metz SF (l. to No. 10 Thiem)
• Also reached 3R at Monte-Carlo (l. to No. 4 Wawrinka), Madrid (l. to No. 2 Murray) and Olympics (l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Seeking 1st appearance in a final since Metz in September 2015 (l. to Tsonga)
• Held 3 MPs vs Gabashvili in Marseille 1R and 2 MPs vs A. Zverev in Nice QF before losing both 76 in 3rd

COURT 1

[16] Pablo Cuevas (URU) vs [4] Milos Raonic (CAN)            Raonic Leads 2-0
14 Oeiras (Portugal)                Clay    R16    Milos Raonic    6-3    6-2
16 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo    Clay    R32    Milos Raonic    7-5    2-6    7-6(5)
Other meeting:
10 Valencia Q (Spain)                Hard    —    Pablo Cuevas    1-6    6-4    7-5

Cuevas 2016 Summary
W: Rio de Janeiro (d Pella); Sao Paulo (d Carreno Busta); F: Nottingham (l Johnson); Hamburg (l Klizan); QF: Buenos Aires (l Ferrer); Antwerp (l Schwartzman)
YTD W-L: 34-22 (9-12 on hard)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 5
Date of Birth: January 1, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 22
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 2-3 (2016 3rd Round)

• Tournament Note: Opened Wednesday with 61 62 win over Lorenzi to reach 3R for first time. His previous win came in 2014 (d. L. Mayer, l. to Dimitrov in 2R). Last year lost to Seppi in 1R
• Captured back-to-back ATP World Tour titles at Rio de Janeiro (d. Pella) and São Paulo (d. Carreño Busta)
• First player to beat only lefties en route to a title (d. Bagnis, Monteiro, Delbonis, No. 5 Nadal and Pella in Rio)
• Did not drop a set en route to Hamburg final (l. to Klizan)
• Reached 1st grass-court QF, SF and final at Nottingham (d. Baghdatis after saving 1 MP in QF, l. to Johnson)
• Set career-highs this season in wins (33) and ranking (No. 19 on August 15)
• Beat both Kohlschreiber and Monfils 76 in 3rd to reach ATP Masters 1000 R16 for 1st time in Madrid (l. to Kyrgios)
• Held 1 MP before falling 76 in 3rd to Elias in Umag 2R
• In doubles w/Granollers, reached Barcelona final (d. Dodig/Melo in 1R, l. to Bryan/Bryan), Australian Open SF (d. Dodig/Melo in 3R, l. to Nestor/Stepanek) and Roland Garros QF (d. Rojer/Tecau in 2R, l. to Kubot/Peya)
• Retired in Vienna 1R vs Sousa due to left knee injury

Raonic 2016 Summary
W: Brisbane (d. Federer); F (3): ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic); London/Queen’s Club (l. to Murray); Wimbledon (l. to Murray); SF (3): Australian Open (l. to Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (l. to Murray); Beijing (w/o vs Dimitrov); QF (4): ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Kyrgios); ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo (l. to Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (l. to Monfils)
YTD W-L: 48-15 (28-9 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8
Date of Birth: December 27, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 5
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 7-4 (2014 Finalist)

• Tournament Note: Opened Tuesday with 76(5) 64 win over Carreno Busta. Beat No. 2 Federer and No. 5 Berdych to reach 2014 final (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Became 1st Canadian man and 2nd Canadian overall to reach major singles final at Wimbledon (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• En route to Wimbledon final, earned 1st win from 2 sets down to beat Goffin, then defeated No. 3 Federer in 5 sets
• Also fell to No. 2 Murray in London/Queen’s Club final after leading 76 30
• Won 1st 9 matches of season, highlighted by 8th career title at Brisbane (d. No. 3 Federer)
• Upset No. 4 Wawrinka in 5 sets en route to Australian Open SF (l. to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets)
• Played in 3rd ATP Masters 1000 final at Indian Wells (d. No. 7 Berdych, Monfils and Goffin; l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 SF at Cincinnati (d. No. 9 Thiem, l. to No. 2 Murray) and QFs at Miami (l. to Kyrgios), Monte-Carlo (l. to No. 2 Murray), Madrid (l. to No. 1 Djokovic) and Toronto (l. to Monfils)
• Held 2 MPs before falling in ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 3R to Sock 76 in 3rd
• Withdrew from Delray Beach and Acapulco (hip) and conceded w/o in Beijing SF vs Dimitrov (right ankle sprain)

[Q] Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) vs John Isner (USA)        Isner Leads 2-0
14 US Open (U.S.A.)            Hard    R64    John Isner    7-6(5)    6-4    6-2
16 Vienna (Austria)                Hard    R32    John Isner    6-7(1)    6-3    6-4

Struff 2016 Summary
QF (2): Kitzbühel (l. to Lorenzi); Antwerp (l. to Gasquet)
YTD W-L: 12-17 (6-8 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: April 25, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 91
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 2-0 (2016 3rd Round)

• Tournament Note: Qualified and beat Marchenko 61 61 on Monday and followed with biggest career win (first over Top 10), defeating No. 3 Wawrinka 36 76(6) 76(1), saving 1 MP. Previously lost in 2014 Q1 to Young and 2015 Q2 to Roger-Vasselin
• Snapped 13-match tour-level losing streak by beating Mahut in Montpellier 1R (l. to Bemelmans in 2R)
• Advanced to QFs at Kitzbühel (l. to eventual champion Lorenzi) and Antwerp (l. to eventual champion Gasquet)
• Qualified and lost in 1R at Monte-Carlo (l. to Thiem), Barcelona (l. to A. Zverev), Roland Garros (l. to Tsonga) and Vienna (l. to Isner)
• Reached Wimbledon 2R in doubles with countryman Brown as Q (l. to Marray/Shamasdin)
• Swept Alphen aan den Rijn, NED Challenger titles in singles (d. Haase) and doubles w/Masur (d. Haase/Westerhof)
• Has 23-9 match record in Challengers and captured 5th career Challenger title at Mons, BEL (d. Millot) and runner-up at Heilbronn, GER (l. to Basilashvili) and Furth, GER (l. to Albot

Isner 2016 Summary
F: Atlanta (l. to Kyrgios); SF: Houston (l. to Sock); QF (3): Auckland (l. to Bautista Agut); Washington (l. to Johnson); Vienna (l. to Murray)
YTD W-L: 30-20 (20-13 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 10
Date of Birth: April 26, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 27
BNP Paribas Masters W-L (Best Result): 10-7 (2011 Semi-finalist)

• Tournament Note: No. 2 American (behind Sock) is trying to reach his third QF in Bercy. Opened on Tuesday with 76(8) 64 win over M. Zverev and followed with 76 76 victory over [15] Ferrer to improve season tie-break record to 31-30. Beat No. 5 Ferrer to reach 2011 SF and No. 2 Federer to reach 2015 QF (l. to No. 8 Ferrer)
• Reached 4R at Australian Open (l. to No. 8 Ferrer) and Roland Garros (d. Gabashvili in 5 sets, l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Earned 300th career win over Edmund in Roland Garros 2R on May 25
• Rallied from 2 sets down to beat countryman Tiafoe in US Open 1R (l. to Edmund in 3R)
• Lost 6 matches 76 in 3rd: Buenos Aires 2R vs Lajovic (held 1 MP), Rio de Janeiro 1R vs Pella (held 3 MPs), Indian Wells 4R vs No. 6 Nishikori (held 1 MP), Miami 2R vs Smyczek, Geneva 2R vs Rosol and London/Queen’s Club 2R vs Muller (held 10 MPs). Also held 1 MP in Wimbledon 3R before falling to Tsonga 19-17 in 5th after 4h24m
• Fell 76 76 to Johnson in Washington QF, Kyrgios in Atlanta final and No. 6 Raonic in Cincinnati 2R
• In Davis Cup, defeated Groth and Tomic (USA d. AUS 3-1), then beat Coric and lost to Cilic (CRO d. USA 3-2)
• Hit 49 aces and 0 DFs in 4-set win over Tomic, including fastest serve ever recorded in a tour-level match (157 mph)
• Won 2nd ATP Masters 1000 doubles title at Shanghai w/Sock (d. Lopez/Lopez, Bryan/Bryan and Kontinen/Peers)
• Withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome (knee), as well as Beijing (back)

AMERICANS IN TOP 100: Isner is one of seven Americans in the Top 100 Emirates ATP Rankings:
No. 24 Jack Sock
No. 27 John Isner
No. 29 Sam Querrey
No. 33 Steve Johnson
No. 73 Taylor Fritz
No. 93 Donald Young
No. 96 Ryan Harrison

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Murray Survives Verdasco Challenge

  • Posted: Nov 03, 2016

Murray Survives Verdasco Challenge

World No. 2 prevails in second-round clash in Paris

Andy Murray came through a stern opening test from Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, weathering some inspired play from the Spaniard to advance, 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-5.

“It wasn’t the best match from my side. I got through it. I will play better tomorrow,” Murray said. “I didn’t necessarily feel comfortable out there, but I feel like the way the two of us finished the match, I was stronger at the end in the last game when I had my chance.”

With the win, Murray remains in contention to unseat Novak Djokovic as World No. 1. He will need to either win in Paris and have Djokovic lose before the final, or finish runner-up and have the Serbian lose before the semi-finals. Djokovic won his second-round match earlier in the day over Gilles Muller.

Next up for the Brit is No. 13 seed and local favourite Lucas Pouille, who prevailed on Wednesday over Feliciano Lopez. Murray leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-0 and has dropped just seven games against the Frenchman, including a convincing win last month at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

“He’s a big hitter. He takes chances,” said Murray of Pouille. “He’s quite similar to Fernando, actually, apart from being a righty. Both of them like to go for big first serves and take chances from the back of the court.”

You May Also Like: Murray, Djokovic Battle For No. 1 In Paris

A single break of serve was all Murray needed to take the opening set. Verdasco raced to a 4-1 lead in the second set, but couldn’t serve it out at 5-3 and Murray eventually forced a tie-break. Verdasco took a commanding 6/2 lead and made good on his fourth set point chance to bring the match to a deciding set.

Little separated the two players until the final stages of the third set. Murray saved two critical break point chances at 5-5 and then promptly broke Verdasco in the next game to prevail in two hours and 28 minutes.

Murray now has seven consecutive wins over Verdasco and improves his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry over the Spaniard to 12-1. His lone loss to Verdasco came at the 2009 Australian Open.

bnp

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