DAY 5 PREVIEW: Top 16 seeds went 8-0 in the BNP Paribas Open second round on Saturday, setting up a sensational schedule on Monday. Second seed Andy Murray and No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka lead the order of play, which also includes No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych and No. 8 seed Richard Gasquet.

Watch Live Matches At TennisTV.com

Murray and Federico Delbonis will face off for the very first time on Stadium 1. The Brit is playing just his second tournament of the season, while Delbonis is participating in his sixth event of 2016. The Argentinian left-hander seeks the biggest win of his career, which up to this point was his upset of No. 5 Roger Federer in the 2013 Hamburg semi-finals (2-5 vs. Top 10 overall).

Andrey Kuznetsov is also after his best victory by ranking against World No. 4 Wawrinka. The Russian is 10-4 this season, equaling his career-high of 10 wins in 2015. However, he is 1-7 lifetime against Top 10 players, with his lone win coming over No. 7 David Ferrer at Wimbledon in 2014.

Berdych’s opponent, Borna Coric, has lost seven straight matches to Top 10 players since beating Murray and Rafael Nadal when both were third in the Emirates ATP Rankings. With Coric, 19, and Alexander Zverev, 18, still in the draw, two teenagers have reached the Indian Wells third round for the first time since three did so in 2007 (Murray, Novak Djokovic and Evgeny Korolev).

Gasquet’s meeting with Alexandr Dolgopolov is one of only two matches on Monday’s schedule between seeded players. The other pits 12th-seeded Milos Raonic against 17th-seeded Bernard Tomic in a battle between Top 20 players born in the 1990s. Raonic leads his FedEx ATP Head 2 Head rivalry with Tomic 2-0. Likewise, Gasquet has a 2-0 record versus Dolgopolov, who earned the biggest win of his career at this tournament, and in this round, over top-ranked Nadal in 2014.

FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS: In Order of Play by Court

Delbonis 2016 FastFacts
QF (2): Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas); São Paulo (l. to Cervantes)
YTD W-L: 9-5 (5-2 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: October 5, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 53
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 3-2 (2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Giraldo 63 76(5) in 1R and [32] Sousa 76(6) 64 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Advanced to 2R in 2015 (d. Lajovic, l. to Anderson)
• Reached Grand Slam 3R for 1st time in 10th major at Australian Open (d. Karlovic and Olivo, l. to Simon)
• Advanced to back-to-back QFs at Rio de Janeiro (d. Sock, l. to Cuevas) and São Paulo (l. to Cervantes)
• Won at least 1 match in all 6 events during 1st 3 months of season

Murray 2016 FastFacts
F: Australian Open (l. to Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 9-1 (9-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 35
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 2 (Career-High)
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 25-10 (2009 Runner-up)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Granollers 64 76(3) in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Reached QF-or-better 5 times, including 2009 final (d. No. 2 Federer, l. to No. 1 Nadal)
• Fell to 0-5 in Australian Open finals with 4th championship match loss to No. 1 Djokovic
• With older brother Jamie, became 1st brothers in Open Era to reach singles and doubles finals at same major
• Improved to 20-7 lifetime in 5-set matches with wins over Raonic in Australian Open SF and No. 6 Nishikori in Davis Cup 1R
• Extended Davis Cup win streak to 14 matches with 3 victories to lead Great Britain past Japan 3-1
• Played only 1 tournament during 1st 2 months of season
• Daughter, Sophia Oliva, born on February 7

[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs Borna Coric (CRO) Berdych Leads 1-0
15 Halle (Germany) Grass R16 Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-2

Berdych 2016 FastFacts
SF (2): Doha (l. to Djokovic); Marseille (l. to Kyrgios); QF (2): Australian Open (l. to Federer); Dubai (l. to Kyrgios)
YTD W-L: 13-5 (13-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: September 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 7
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 19-11 (2013 Semi-finalist)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat [WC] del Potro 76(4) 62 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Reached QF-or-better 3 times, including 2013 SF run (d. No. 10 Gasquet, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Advanced to QF-or-better at 1st 4 events of 2016 season
• Reached 6th straight Australian Open QF (d. Bautista Agut in 5 sets, l. to No. 3 Federer)
• Fell to No. 1 Djokovic in Doha SF and Kyrgios in both Marseille SF and Dubai QF
• Helped Czech Republic defeat Germany 3-2 in Davis Cup 1R by winning 5-setter over A. Zverev in 4h, 20m
• Also won doubles w/Stepanek for 50th Davis Cup victory of career (d. Kohlschreiber/Petzschner)
• Retired with right hamstring injury in 4th rubber while trailing Kohlschreiber 63 75

Coric 2016 FastFacts
F: Chennai (l. to Wawrinka)
YTD W-L: 9-7 (8-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: November 14, 1996
Emirates ATP Ranking: 47
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 3-1 (2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Pouille 62 75 in 1R and [29] Bellucci 62 62 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Qualified in only other appearance in 2015 (d. Haider-Maurer, l. to Tomic in 2R)
• Began season by reaching 1st ATP World Tour final at Chennai (d. Bautista Agut 76 in 3rd, l. to No. 4 Wawrinka)
• Became 1st teen to play in an ATP final since countryman Cilic at 2008 New Haven (d. Fish)
• Spent 9 hours, 29 minutes on court en route to final, nearly 3 times Wawrinka’s 3 hours, 16 minutes
• After falling to Goffin in 5 sets, clinched Croatia’s 3-2 win over Belgium in Davis Cup 1R (d. Coppejans)
• Suffered 4-match losing streak after Chennai SF win over Bedene

Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) vs [3] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) First Meeting

Kuznetsov 2016 FastFacts
QF (2): Doha (l. to Nadal); Marseille (l. to Cilic)
YTD W-L: 10-4 (10-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: February 22, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 55
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 2-1 (2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat [Q] Trungelliti 64 64 in 1R and [28] Chardy 64 62 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: In only other appearance, fell to Ebden in 2013 1R
• Advanced to Grand Slam 4R for 1st time in career at Australian Open (d. Chardy in 2R, l. to Monfils)
• Achieved career-high No. 52 in Emirates ATP Rankings on February 1
• Reached QFs at Doha (l. to No. 5 Nadal) and Marseille (l. to Cilic)
• Improved to 6-0 lifetime in Davis Cup, winning opening rubber of Russia’s 5-0 sweep over Sweden (d. Arvidsson)
• Qualified at Rotterdam (l. to Troicki in 1R)

Wawrinka 2016 FastFacts
W (2): Chennai (d. Coric); Dubai (d. Baghdatis); QF: Marseille (l. to Paire)
YTD W-L: 14-2 (14-2 on hard)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 13
Date of Birth: March 28, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 4
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 16-8 (2008, 2011 Quarter-finalist)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Defeated Marchenko 75 76(6) in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Beat Berdych en route to QFs in 2008 (l. to No. 3 Djokovic) and 2011 (l. to No. 2 Federer)
• On a 9-match win streak in finals after beating Baghdatis to win ATP World Tour 500 event in Dubai
• Captured 3rd straight Chennai title (d. Coric), increasing win streaks at event to 12 matches and 24 sets
• Enjoyed 400th career win in Australian Open 3R on Jan. 23 (d. Rosol) before falling in 4R (l. to Raonic in 5 sets)
• Advanced to 2nd week of Australian Open for 4th straight season
• Appeared in 44 consecutive Grand Slam main draws since making major debut at 2005 Roland Garros
• Saved 2 MPs to beat Stakhovsky 64 46 76(8) in Marseille 2R and came within 2 points of losing to Stakhovsky in Dubai 1R before earning 57 63 75 win

STADIUM 2

[17] Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs [12] Milos Raonic (CAN) Raonic Leads 2-0
14 Tokyo (Japan) Hard R32 Milos Raonic 7-6(3) 6-3
16 Brisbane (Australia) Hard SF Milos Raonic 7-6(5) 7-6(5)

Tomic 2016 FastFacts
F: Acapulco (l. to Thiem); SF: Brisbane (l. to Raonic); QF (2): Sydney (l. to Gabashvili); Quito (l. to Lorenzi)
YTD W-L: 14-7 (12-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: October 21, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 20
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 6-3 (2015 Quarter-finalist)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Ram 64 75 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Upset No. 8 Ferrer before conceding w/o to No. 1 Djokovic in 2015 QF due to back injury
• Advanced to 5th career final – 1st at an ATP World Tour 500 event – in Acapulco (l. to Thiem in 3 sets)
• Went 7-3 in native Australia to start 2016 season, reaching Brisbane SF (d. No. 8 Nishikori, l. to Raonic), Sydney QF (l. to Gabashvili) and Australian Open 4R (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Matched career-best performance in Melbourne, also advancing to 4R in 2012 and 2015
• Achieved career-high ranking of No. 17 on January 11
• Went 1-1 in Davis Cup 1R, defeating Sock and losing to Isner (USA d. AUS 3-1)
• Retired down 63 30 in Sydney QF vs. Gabashvili due to fatigue and dizziness

Raonic 2016 FastFacts
W: Brisbane (d. Federer); SF: Australian Open (l. to Murray)
YTD W-L: 10-1 (10-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8
Date of Birth: December 27, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 14
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 12-5 (2015 Semi-finalist)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Cervantes 61 63 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Saved 3 MPs to beat No. 3 Nadal en route to 2015 SF (l. to No. 2 Federer)
• Won 1st 9 matches of 2016 season, highlighted by 8th career title at Brisbane (d. No. 3 Federer)
• Victory over Federer avenged loss to Swiss in 2015 Brisbane final
• Upset No. 4 Wawrinka in 5 sets en route to 2nd Grand Slam SF at Australian Open (l. to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets)
• Withdrew from Delray Beach, Acapulco and Davis Cup 1R due to muscular tear sustained in Australian Open SF

[8] Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs [26] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) Gasquet Leads 2-0
10 Nice (France) Clay R16 Richard Gasquet 6-0 2-6 6-3
11 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard R64 Richard Gasquet 6-1 7-6(4)

Gasquet 2016 FastFacts
W: Montpellier (d. Mathieu); QF: Marseille (l. to Kyrgios)
YTD W-L: 7-1 (6-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 13
Date of Birth: June 18, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 10
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 14-10 (2011 Quarter-finalist)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Mahut 64 61 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Beat No. 10 Melzer and No. 8 Roddick en route to 2011 QF (l. to No. 3 Djokovic)
• Improved to 13-12 in ATP World Tour finals by capturing 3rd title at Montpellier (d. Mathieu)
• Moved into 2nd place among Frenchmen in Open Era with 13 titles (Noah 23)
• In only other tournament of 1st 2 months, advanced to Marseille QF (l. to Kyrgios)
• Clinched France’s Davis Cup 1R win over Canada in doubles w/Tsonga (d. Bester/Pospisil)
• Withdrew from Doha and Australian Open with back injury and from Rotterdam with flu

Dolgopolov 2016 FastFacts
SF: Acapulco (l. to Tomic); QF (2): Sydney (l. to Dimitrov); Rio de Janeiro (w/o vs Nadal)
YTD W-L: 9-4 (7-3 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: November 7, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 29
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 10-5 (2014 Semi-finalist)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Haase 64 62 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Upset No. 1 Nadal 76 in 3rd en route to 2014 SF (l. to No. 8 Federer)
• 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)
• Conceded walkover in Rio de Janeiro QF vs. Nadal due to right shoulder injury

[13] Gael Monfils (FRA) vs Albert Ramos-Viñolas (ESP) Monfils Leads 1-0
11 Hamburg (Germany) Clay R32 Gael Monfils 6-4 6-2

Monfils 2016 FastFacts
F: Rotterdam (l. to Klizan); QF: Australian Open (l. to Raonic)
YTD W-L: 10-3 (9-3 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 5
Date of Birth: September 1, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 16
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 4-7 (2006, 2014, 2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Carreño Busta 75 76(1) in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Attempting to reach Round of 16 for 1st time in 8th appearance
• Advanced to 1st Australian Open QF in 11th appearance (l. to Raonic)
• Fell to 5-18 in ATP World Tour finals with loss to Klizan in Rotterdam championship match
• Won 8th straight Davis Cup match to open France’s 5-0 sweep of Canada in 1R (d. Dancevic)
• Withdrew from Marseille due to right leg injury

Ramos-Viñolas 2016 FastFacts
SF: Quito (l. to Estrella Burgos)
YTD W-L: 7-7 (3-3 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: January 17, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 49
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 7-3 (2012, 2015, 2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Chung 26 60 63 in 1R and [24] Kyrgios 76(4) 75 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Also reached 3R in 2012 (l. to Andujar) and 2015 (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Rallied from 25 down in 3rd to beat Ram, then upset Lopez en route to Quito SFs (l. to Estrella Burgos)
• Earned 1st win in 5th appearance at Australian Open (d. Coric, l. to Cilic)
• Held 1 MP before falling to Mathieu in 1st match of season at Doha
• Conceded walkover in Quito doubles 1R w/Falla vs. Krajicek/Monroe due to stomach illness

STADIUM 3

Goffin 2016 FastFacts
QF: Marseille (l. to Berdych)
YTD W-L: 9-4 (7-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: December 7, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 18
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 2-2 (2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat [WC] Tiafoe 36 63 76(2) in 2R after saving 2 MPs
• Tournament Highlight: Reached 2R in 2013 (d. Troicki in 3 sets, l. to F. Mayer)
• Advanced to Australian Open 4R for 1st time (d. Thiem, l. to No. 3 Federer)
• Defeated Coric and Cilic, but lost doubles w/Bemelmans to Dodig/Skugor during Davis Cup 1R (CRO d. BEL 3-2)
• Reached Marseille QF (l. to No. 8 Berdych)
• Loss to Berdych was 14th straight against a Top 10 opponent (1-25 overall)

Pella 2016 FastFacts
F: Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas)
YTD W-L: 8-4 (4-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 17, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 40
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 2-1 (2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Edmund 67(3) 64 75 in 1R and [22] Cuevas 61 46 64 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Qualified in only other appearance in 2013 (l. to Dodig in 1R)
• Broke through to 1st ATP World Tour final at Rio de Janeiro (d. Thiem, l. to Cuevas in 3 sets)
• Saved 3 MPs in Rio de Janeiro 1R to beat No. 11 Isner 76(5) 57 76(8)
• Became No. 1 Argentine and achieved career-high No. 40 in Emirates ATP Rankings on March 7
• Made winning Davis Cup debut to open Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Poland in 1R (d. Przysiezny)
• Earned 1st Australian Open win and 2nd overall at a Grand Slam by beating Darcis in 5 sets
• Lost to Lopez 76(2) 67(4) 76(3) 67(8) 64 in Australian Open 2R

Leonardo Mayer (ARG) vs [10] Marin Cilic (CRO) Cilic Leads 2-0
10 Roland Garros (France) Clay R32 Marin Cilic 6-4 3-6 7-5 6-7(5) 6-4
15 Roland Garros (France) Clay R32 Marin Cilic 6-3 6-2 6-4

Mayer 2016 FastFacts
QF: Doha (l. to Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 7-5 (6-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 46
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 5-2 (2013, 2016 Round of 32)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat Groth 64 63 in 1R and [20] Troicki 75 63 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Also reached 3R in 2013, conceding w/o to No. 5 Nadal due to back injury
• Extended Davis Cup win streak to 11 matches by beating Hurkacz and Przysiezny in 1R (ARG d. POL 3-2)
• Started season with run to Doha QF (l. to eventual champion Djokovic)
• Went 1-5 in next 6 matches following Doha 2R win over Andujar
• Loss to No. 9 Tsonga in Buenos Aires 2R was 8th straight defeat against a Top 10 opponent (1-24 overall)

Cilic 2016 FastFacts
F: Marseille (l. to Kyrgios); QF (2): Brisbane (l. to Thiem); Rotterdam (l. to Kohlschreiber)
YTD W-L: 10-7 (9-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 14
Date of Birth: September 28, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 12
Indian Wells W-L (Best Result): 7-8 (2014 Round of 16)

• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells: Beat [Q] Harrison 64 63 in 2R
• Tournament Highlight: Advanced to 2014 R16 (d. Lorenzi and Robredo, l. to No. 2 Djokovic in 3 sets)
• Fell to 14-10 lifetime in ATP World Tour finals with loss in Marseille championship match to Kyrgios
• Helped Croatia to 3-2 Davis Cup 1R win over Belgium (d. Coppejans, l. to Goffin)
• Advanced to QFs at Brisbane (l. to Thiem) and Rotterdam (l. to Kohlschreiber)
• Reached Australian Open 3R (l. to Bautista Agut)

The ATP and Nestlé Skin Health announced today a new global partnership which sees Daylong, one of Nestlé Skin Health’s leading science-based consumer brands, become the official sun care brand of the ATP World Tour for a two-year period beginning in 2016.

“Tennis is a sport which follows the sun and players are increasingly aware of the potential damage to their skin,” said Todd Ellenbecker, Vice President of ATP Medical Services. “Beyond the players, there are approximately 4.5 million fans who attend ATP World Tour events every year, with significant exposure to the sun. We are delighted to initiate such a meaningful partnership with a truly authoritative sun care brand.”

“The Daylong brand perfectly meets the needs of tennis players, who spend a tremendous number of hours on court and absolutely need an effective and reliable way to protect their skin,” said Peter Sonnekus-Williams, Chief Marketing Officer of Nestlé Skin Health Consumer. “Such level of sun exposure can lead not only to sunburn but premature aging as well as an increased risk of skin cancer. I am truly convinced that Daylong is the high performance sun care brand they need. This partnership is also a perfect fit with Nestlé Skin Health’s consumer strategy, which is to bring science-based solutions to the broader skin health market in order to enhance people’s quality of life.”

A number of ATP players, such as Philipp Kohlschreiber, already use the Daylong brand to keep their skin healthy. “I know I really have to get my skin protected from the sun while I spend hours on the court every day,” said Kohlschreiber. “And I need a reliable and convenient product to do so. The Daylong product range is just perfect. It is sweat-and water-resistant, as well as quickly absorbed.”

Already present at ATP World Tour events in Sydney, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and Dubai, the Daylong brand will be featured at several more tournaments in 2016, including Geneva the week prior to Roland Garros, as well as the grass-court tournament in Halle.

Rafael Nadal got a confidence boosting victory on Sunday as he opened his campaign at the BNP Paribas Open.

The fourth seed and three-time champion saved 11 of 14 break points to beat fellow left-hander Gilles Muller 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in two hours and 14 minutes for a place in the third round. It was their fifth meeting, and their first since the 2011 US Open.

“[I’m] very happy for the victory after my last three matches that I’ve lost have been in three sets or five sets,” said Nadal, after his ninth match win of the season. “So I needed a victory like this. I was very happy about my attitude. [It] was a great victory for me.”

Nadal is now 45-8 in Indian Wells, including titles in 2007, 2009 and 2013.

Nadal, a winner of 27 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, will next face Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco. Although Nadal has a 14-3 FedEx ATP Head2Head record, Verdasco won their last match over five sets in this year’s Australian Open first round.

“I need to play better in the next match,” said Nadal. “I play against a tough opponent [Verdasco]. He beat me in Australia this year.”

A LOOK BACK
RC Hotel Open (Jonkoping, Sweden): The ATP Challenger Tour returned to Sweden for the first time in 20 years and the final did not disappoint. Andrey Golubev saved four match points to deny Next Generation star Karen Khachanov 6-7(9), 7-6(5), 7-6(4) in a pulsating two hours and 44 minutes. 19-year-old Khachanov did well to fight back from 2/5 down in the first set tie-break and served for the match at 6-5 in the second. Golubev turned aside a pair of match points at 40/15 and another two points later, before forcing a tie-break and extending the encounter to a decider. In the third set, the Russian teen was once again denied when serving for the championship at 5-3 and he would hold a fourth match point three games later. But this was the Kazakh veteran’s day, taking the deciding tie-break for his seventh Challenger crown and first in two years. Watch Golubev Save 4 MP

It was the longest final on the circuit this year and first to feature three tie-breaks since 2012, when Lukas Rosol edged Bjorn Phau 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 7-6(6) in Bratislava. Also, the last time at least four match points were saved in a final was in Tiburon (USA) last year, when Tim Smyczek also saved four in beating Denis Kudla.

Read: Challenger Tennis Back In Sweden

ATP Challenger Zhuhai (Zhuhai, China): Another tournament made its ATP Challenger Tour debut last week, as the sparkling state of the art Hengqin International Tennis Centre in Zhuhai, China, hosted a $50,000 event. Almost 2,500 people filed in to see fourth seed Thomas Fabbiano lift the trophy, downing home hope Zhang Ze 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 in two hours and one minute on Sunday. The Italian claimed six of 17 break points for his second Challenger title, having earned his maiden victory in 2013 on home soil in Recanati. Zhang, meanwhile, was appearing in his second final in three weeks following a runner-up finish in Kyoto, Japan. He was the third Chinese finalist on the Challenger circuit already this year, with Wu Di notching its first title in Maui.

Read: Zhuhai Venue Feature | Wu Di’s Coach Shaves Head After Title

Cachantun Cup (Santiago, Chile): Top seed Facundo Bagnis solidified his return to the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, notching his third ATP Challenger Tour title of the year and eighth overall. The Argentine overcame Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3 in Sunday’s Santiago final, joining Gerald Melzer and Mikhail Youzhny as three-time Challenger champions in 2016. Bagnis also prevailed on the South American clay courts of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro earlier in the year. The champion in Santiago in 2013 and 2015 as well, he is the first player to successfully defend a title this year. Only two players had retained a crown last year – Jiri Vesely (Prostejov) and Somdev Devvarman (New Delhi).

Abierto de Puebla (Puebla, Mexico): The inaugural edition of the Abierto de Puebla featured a battle of unseeded finalists vying for the title. Colombia’s Eduardo Struvay topped Pedja Krstin of Serbia 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 for his second ATP Challenger Tour crown. Struvay had won his first title in November with victory on home soil in Bogota. For Krstin, it was his breakout tournament, having entered with the week with a 1-8 Challenger win-loss record since July. He had previously never reached the semis on the circuit, but on this occasion the Serb stunned top seed Benjamin Becker in a deciding tie-break.

What The Players Said
Golubev: “I’m happy to win, but a little bit tired. The match was strange. The first set I should have won, then in the second I had more chances in the beginning and then he had much more chances. He was serving for the match, had match points in the second set and in the third set again. It was up and down. I’m happy that I won.

“Just play in that moment (on the four match points saved). I had some bad luck with the net on break point and I was going a little bit crazy. But in tennis that can happen, so it’s an unbelievable sport for that. Maybe he got tense.”

Fabbiano: “I am very happy to win the title here in Zhuhai, especially in this beautiful venue. I felt some pressure today, because there are so many fans on site and they are all cheering for Zhang, but I still managed to win the match after I lost the first set. I am very happy about my performance today.”

Bagnis: “I’d like to thank my team and all my friends and family in Argentina. They gave me strength. This week was great. I won again here, it feels like a second home for me.”

WHAT’S AHEAD
There are five tournaments on three continents this week, with premier $125,000 events in Irving (USA) and Guadalajara (Mexico) set to commence on Tuesday. In Drummondville (Canada), Felix Auger Aliassime returns to the site of his historic run through qualifying a year ago, becoming the first player born in the 2000s to earn a point in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Yuichi Sugita is the top seed, with Austin Krajicek seeded second. American teen Tommy Paul is also in the draw.

In Guangzhou (China), another Japanese is a top seed with Taro Daniel leading the charge. Second seed Dudi Sela is bidding for a 20th title, while eighth seed Kimmer Coppejans looks to retain his crown. Finally, in Kazan (Russia), Ricardas Berankis is the No. 1 seed with home hope Aslan Karatsev returning as the defending champion.

View Draws & Watch Free Live Streams

ATP CHALLENGER TOUR ON TWITTER: New in 2016, the ATP Challenger Tour has launched a dedicated Twitter account for the latest news and information about players and events. Follow @ATPChallengerTour at twitter.com/ATPChallengerTour.

Novak Djokovic withstood an upset bid from a feisty American and kept his run at history alive at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday night. Djokovic, who’s looking to become the first player to win the tournament five times, took care of Bjorn Fratangelo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 to advance into the third round.

The second-round match was Djokovic’s first ATP World Tour contest since he retired against Feliciano Lopez last month in Dubai because of an infection in both eyes. The Serbian showed a bit of rust.

Djokovic sprayed 18 unforced errors in the first set, and won only 12 of the 23 points he served. Fratangelo, a qualifier who was seeking his second ATP World Tour win, arrived ready to play against the No. 1 seed. The 22-year-old American took care of his serve in the opening stanza and erased all three break points he faced. He, not Djokovic, also was dictating play and keeping his opponent behind the baseline.

“He came out with a good game plan,” Djokovic said. “I started awful.”

But in the second set, it was a new match. Djokovic earned his first and second breaks. He also won 16 of the 17 points he served and dropped his unforced error count to a more customary four. In 25 minutes, he had evened the match.

“I managed to regroup in the second,” Djokovic said.

During the third set, Fratangelo fought back. Djokovic broke him in the first game, but the American played an inspiring game, matching Djokovic’s rallies and breaking the Serb back. But Djokovic earned another break at 2-all, a lead he would not relinquish.

“I think the fifth game in the third was the deciding one,” Djokovic said. “That break obviously meant that I can start to feel a bit more comfortable.”

Djokovic will next meet German Philipp Kohlschreiber, a ruthless 6-0, 6-1 winner over American Denis Kudla. The 27^th seed won 86 per cent of first-serve points in the 45-minute rout. Djokovic will carry a 7-1 FedEx Head2Head record into his match with the German.

In an all-Spanish clash, 18^th seed Lopez landed a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in one hour and six minutes. Lopez struck eight aces and saved both break points he faced.

He will meet another of his countryman in the third round, Roberto Bautista Agut. The No. 14 seed progressed with a walkover after Russian Mikhail Youzhny withdrew due to illness.

Juan Martin del Potro’s week in Indian Wells is not over yet. The Argentine teamed up with compatriot Leonardo Mayer to upset No. 2 seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.

The Tower Of Tandil last played doubles at an ATP World Tour event two years ago, when he and Marin Cilic lost in the first round of Indian Wells to Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic. This time, del Potro found instant chemistry with Mayer, moving in sync with his partner from the baseline to undo Dodig/Melo. The winners did not face a break point and secured victory in 57 minutes.

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Meanwhile, top seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau crashed out in the first round. The Dutch-Romanian pairing fell 7-6(6), 3-6, 10-6 to Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski. The Polish duo won 75 per cent of first-serve points and broke twice to spring the upset in just under two hours.

Eighth seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Zimonjic ground out a 6-3, 6-7(6) 17-15 win over Czechs Marek Michalicka and Ivo Minar in one hour and 42 minutes. The French-Serbian pair saved four match points in the match tie-break and needed five match points of their own to get the job done.

David Goffin and Joao Sousa posted a 6-1, 4-6, 10-6 win over David Marrero and Bernard Tomic, while veteran pairing Daniel Nestor and Radek Stepanek had a routine 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram.

Dominic Inglot and Robert Lindstedt advanced when opponents Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah retired down 6-3, 3-1.

No player has won more tie-breaks in 2016 than Dominic Thiem and the top Austrian continued his run of dominance in pressure situations Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open.

Thiem improved to 12-3 in tie-breaks this year, surviving a close encounter against qualifier Jozef Kovalik 7-6(4), 7-6(3) in the second round in Indian Wells. The 11th seed fired 34 winners, including 10 aces, while claiming 84 per cent of first serve points. He prevailed after one hour and 47 minutes despite converting just one of 11 break chances. Making his third appearance in the Southern California desert, Thiem notched a tour-leading 21st match win of the year. He will face either 21st seed Jack Sock or another qualifier, Michael Berrer.

Kovalik earned his first ATP World Tour match win on Friday, defeating Pierre-Hugues Herbert, having emerged from qualifying at a Masters 1000 event for the first time.

In other action, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame a slow start to dismiss countryman Vincent Millot 7-5, 6-1. Tsonga saw his streak of seven consecutive appearances in Indian Wells snapped due to injury last year, but the 30 year old is back in the desert. He fell behind an early break at 3-1, but the seventh seed would reel off 12 of the next 15 games to close out the victory in just 70 minutes.

Millot was victimised by 22 unforced errors, while his fellow Frenchman converted four of seven break opportunities and won nine of 10 net points. Tsonga dominated points under five shots, claiming 41 of 69. He will square off against either California native Sam Querrey or Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker next.