The third round of the Western & Southern Open on Thursday features the top nine seeds, led by the foursome of Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Rafael Nadal and Milos Raonic. Murray (2008, 2011) and Nadal (2013) are former tournament champions.

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In the opening match on Center Court, No. 2 seed Wawrinka and his doubles partner this week Grigor Dimitrov meet for the sixth time. Dimitrov holds a 3-2 head-to-head advantage, winning the past three meetings. Wawrinka is trying to reach the quarter-finals here for the third straight year while Dimitrov is appearing in the 3R for the third time in four years. He is attempting to reach his first quarter-final here. Dimitrov is also looking to post his second Top 4 victory of the season. In March, he defeated No. 2 Murray in the 3R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami.

In the final match of the day session, #NextGen teenage star Borna Coric meets Nadal for the third time (tied 1-1). In their last meeting at the 2015 US Open, Nadal prevailed in four sets.  Coric is trying to reach his first career ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final and end a 10-match losing streak vs. Top 10 opponents. His last win came over No. 3 Murray in the quarter-finals in Dubai last year. Nadal is trying to reach his fifth ATP Masters 1000 QF of the season and seventh QF in Cincinnati. On Wednesday, Nadal notched his 801st career match win, tying Stefan Edberg for seventh place in the Open Era match wins list.

In the evening session, Murray brings a 5-2 career head-to-head record against South African Kevin Anderson, who won the last meeting in four sets in the 4R at last year’s US Open. Murray enters with a career-best 19-match winning streak and he’s attempting to become the 24th player in the Open Era to earn his 600th career ATP World Tour level singles match win. Four other active players (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Ferrer) have accomplished the feat. Anderson is looking to reach his second ATP Masters 1000 QF of the year (Toronto) and eighth in his career.

On Grandstand, No. 7 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, appearing in the 3R here for the first time in five attempts, takes on Steve Johnson, who won the previous meeting in a third set tie-break in the 3R of Winston-Salem last year. Tsonga is looking to reach his third ATP Masters 1000 of the season and sixth overall in 2016. If Johnson advances to his first career ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, he will become the top American in the Emirates ATP Rankings on Monday. He will replace John Isner, who has been the No. 1 American every week since July 29, 2013.

In the next match on, Raonic and Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita square off for the second time on the ATP World Tour. Raonic rallied from a set down to win in a third set tie-break in their last encounter in the 1R of 2011 Tokyo. Raonic is 19-6 in ATP Masters 1000 play this season, reaching the quarter-finals or better five times. Sugita, who is the lowest-ranked player left at No. 102, is appearing in the 3R of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.

In the last match on, No. 6 Tomas Berdych brings a 6-4 head-to-head record against No. 12 Marin Cilic. This is the first tournament Berdych is working with Cilic’s former coach, Goran Ivanisevic. On Stadium 3, No. 5 Kei Nishikori and Bernard Tomic meet for a fourth time (Nishikori leads 2-1).

DAY 5 FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play by Court

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) vs [2] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) Dimitrov Leads 3-2
11 Australian Open (Australia) Hard R64 Stan Wawrinka 7-5 6-3 6-3 
13 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Spain) Clay R16 Stan Wawrinka 3-6 6-4 6-1 
14 London / Queen’s Club (Great Britain) Grass SF Grigor Dimitrov 6-2 6-4 
15 ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (Monaco) Clay R16 Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-2 
15 ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (Spain) Clay R16 Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(5) 3-6 6-3 

Dimitrov 2016 FastFacts:
F(2):  Sydney (l. to Troicki); Istanbul (l. to Schwartzman); SF: Delray Beach (l. to Ram); QF(3): Brisbane (l. to Federer); Acapulco (l. to Thiem); ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (l. to Nishikori)
YTD W-L: 25-18 (19-10 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: May 16, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 34
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 7-4 (2013, 2015-16 3rd Round)

• Tournament Note: This is the 3rd time the Bulgarian has reached the 3R in Cincinnati. He earned 1R win over Simon before defeating No. 16 seed Lopez 57 63 76 in 2R
• Reached 1st ATP Masters 1000 QF of season in Toronto, where he fell to Nishikori
• 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 SF at Delray Beach (l. to Ram) and QFs at Brisbane (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Acapulco (l. to Thiem)
• Snapped 7-match losing streak vs. Top 10 opponents by beating No. 2 Murray in Miami 3R (l. to Monfils in 4R)
• Reached 3R at Australian Open (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Wimbledon (d. Simon, l. to Johnson)
• Suffered 6-match losing streak from May 1 to June 27
• Fell to No. 40 in Emirates ATP Rankings on July 18 – lowest ranking since No. 41 on February 11, 2013
• Has an 11-43 career record vs. Top 10 opponents (1-3 this year)

Wawrinka 2016 FastFacts:
W(3): Chennai (d. Coric); Dubai (d. Baghdatis); Geneva (d. Cilic); SF(2): Roland Garros (l. to Murray); ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (l. to Nishikori); QF(2): Marseille (l. to Paire); ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (l. to Nadal)
YTD W-L: 32-11 (19-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 3 / Career Titles: 14
Date of Birth: March 28, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 4
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 13-9 (2012 SF)

• Tournament Note: The 31-year-old Swiss native, after a 1R bye, rallied to beat wild card Donaldson 26 63 64 on Wednesday. His best result is SF in 2012 and QF past two years
• On a 10-match win streak in finals after beating Cilic 64 76(11) for 1st Swiss title at Geneva in May
• Also beat Baghdatis 64 76(13) 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)
• In defense of Roland Garros title, won 5-setter over Rosol in 1R and reached SF (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Appeared in 46 consecutive Grand Slam main draws since making major debut at 2005 Roland Garros
• Advanced to ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo QF (d. Kohlschreiber and Simon, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• 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

Borna Coric (CRO) vs [3] Rafael Nadal (ESP)                             Series Tied 1-1
14 Basel (Switzerland) Hard QF Borna Coric 6-2 7-6(4) 
15 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R128 Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-2 4-6 6-4 

Coric 2016 FastFacts
F(2): Chennai (l. to Wawrinka); Marrakech (l. to Delbonis); QF: Estoril (l. to Kyrgios)
YTD W-L: 21-21 (13-12 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: November 14, 1996
Emirates ATP Ranking: 49
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 3-1 (2016 Third Round)

• Tournament note: The 19-year-old is into 3R for 1st time in Cincinnati. He posted a 1R win over Frenchman Benoit Paire 16 63 64, then followed with 2R win over No. 14 seed Kyrgios 76 46 76
• 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)
• Beat Mathieu and Vesely to reach 2nd ATP World Tour final at Marrakech (l. to Delbonis)
• Advanced to Roland Garros 3R for 2nd straight year (d. Fritz and Tomic, l. to Bautista Agut) 
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 3R for 1st time at Indian Wells (d. Pouille and Bellucci, l. to No. 7 Berdych)
• After falling to Goffin in 5 sets, clinched Croatia’s 3-2 win over Belgium in Davis Cup 1R (d. Coppejans)
• Has a 2-12 career record vs. Top 10 opponents and has lost last 10 since defeating No. 3 Murray in Dubai QF last year. His first Top 10 win came over No. 3 Nadal in QF of Basel in 2014

Nadal 2016 FastFacts:
W(2): ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (d. Monfils); Barcelona (d. Nishikori); F: Doha (l. to Djokovic); SF(5): Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem); Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Murray); Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (l. to del Potro); QF: ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 34-10 (13-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 69
Date of Birth: June 3, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 5
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 20-9 (2013 Champion)

• Tournament Note: The 2013 champion is into 3R after 61 76 win over Cuevas. In addition to title, has reached SF twice (2008-09) and QF three times (2006, 2010-11). This is his 11th showing (20-9 record)
• Last week at Rio Olympics, won doubles gold medal (w/M. Lopez) and lost to del Potro in SF and Nishikori in singles bronze medal match. Defeated Bellucci in QF for 800th career singles match win. Spent a total of 22h,43m on court in singles and doubles 
• Before Olympics, had not played a match since Roland Garros 2R due to wrist injury
• Captured 9th Monte-Carlo and 28th ATP Masters 1000 title overall (d. No. 4 Wawrinka, No. 2 Murray and Monfils)
• Also won 9th Barcelona title, tying Vilas for Open Era lead with 49 clay-court titles (d. No. 6 Nishikori)
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 SFs at Indian Wells (d. A. Zverev after saving 1 MP, l. to No. 1 Djokovic) and Madrid (l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Suffered 7th straight loss to No. 1 Djokovic in ATP Masters 1000 Rome QF (0-15 in sets)
• Lost to eventual champs in SFs at Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem after holding 1 MP) and Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas)
• Reached Doha final (l. to No. 1 Djokovic), then suffered 2nd Grand Slam 1R loss at Aus. Open (l. to Verdasco)
• Became 8th man with 200+ major wins before conceding 3rd walkover of career in Roland Garros 3R (left wrist)
• Retired in Miami 2R vs. Dzumhur (illness) and withdrew from London/Queen’s Club, Wimbledon and Toronto (wrist)

[1] Andy Murray (GBR) vs Kevin Anderson (RSA) Murray Leads 5-2
10 Australian Open (Australia) Hard R128 Andy Murray 6-1 6-1 6-2 
11 ATP Masters 1000 Montreal (Canada) Hard R32 Kevin Anderson 6-3 6-1 
14 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass R16 Andy Murray 6-4 6-3 7-6(6) 
14 Valencia (Spain) Hard QF Andy Murray 6-7(3) 6-4 6-4 
15 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Andy Murray 6-4 3-6 6-3 
15 London / Queen’s Club (Great Britain) Grass F Andy Murray 6-3 6-4 
15 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Kevin Anderson 7-6(5) 6-3 6-7(2) 7-6(0) 

Murray 2016 FastFacts:
W(4): ATP Masters 1000 Rome (d. Djokovic); London/Queen’s Club (d. Raonic); Wimbledon (d. Raonic); Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (d. del Potro); F(3): Australian Open (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Djokovic); Roland Garros (l. to Djokovic); SF: ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (l. to Nadal)
YTD W-L: 47-6 (17-3 on hard)
YTD Titles: 4 / Career Titles: 39
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 2 (Career-high)
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 28-9 (2008, 2011 Champion)

• Tournament Note: The top seed has reached QF or better in Cincinnati in 8 of previous 11 appearances, winning title twice (2008, ’11). Last year, he fell in SF to Federer. Opened with 63 62 win over Monaco 
• In Rio de Janeiro Olympics last week, defeated del Potro in gold-medal match in 4h,2m to become 1st player to win 2 Olympic gold medals in singles
• Trying to win 600th career ATP World Tour level match and become fifth active player to accomplish feat:
(Federer 1,080, Nadal 801, Djokovic 737, Ferrer 683) 
• Enters on a career-best 19-match winning streak and last loss came to Djokovic in Roland Garros final on June 5
• Captured 3rd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon (d. Tsonga in 5 sets, No. 9 Berdych and No. 7 Raonic)
• Became 1st British finalist at Roland Garros and 10th man to reach all 4 major finals in Open Era (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Fell to 0-5 in Australian Open finals with 4th championship match loss to No. 1 Djokovic
• With J. Murray, became 1st brothers in Open Era to reach singles and doubles finals at same major (Australian Open)
• Celebrated 29th birthday by beating No. 1 Djokovic for 12th ATP Masters 1000 title at Rome
• Beat No. 8 Berdych and No. 5 Nadal en route to ATP Masters 1000 Madrid final (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Rallied from 76 30 down to defeat No. 9 Raonic and become 1st 5-time London/Queen’s Club champion (est. 1890)
• Extended Davis Cup win streak to 14 matches with 3 victories to lead Great Britain past Japan 3-1

Anderson 2016 FastFacts:
QF(4): Auckland (l Sock); Nice (l Sousa); Nottingham (l Johnson); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Toronto (l Wawrinka)
YTD W-L: 10-13 (6-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: May 18, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 24
Cincinnati W-L (Best result): 5-6 (2015-16 Third Round)

• Tournament Note: Matched his best result, a 3R showing for second straight year, by defeating Dolgopolov and No. 13 seed Gasquet 62 64. Prior to last year, had 1-5 record in Cincinnati
• Returned following 10-week injury absence and fell in 1R at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Monfils)
• Reached QFs following 1R byes at Auckland (l. to Sock), Nice (l. to Sousa) and Nottingham (l. to Johnson)
• As World No. 20, qualified at London/Queen’s Club (l. to Tomic in 1R)
• In Wimbledon 1R, suffered 4th loss of career from 2 sets up after holding 1 MP vs. Istomin
• Fell to No. 34 in Emirates ATP Rankings on July 25 – lowest ranking since No. 37 on Mar. 4, 2013
• Retired from 2 matches and withdrew from 8 tournaments due to left knee and right shoulder injuries 
• Also underwent minor ankle surgery on March 15 
• Has an 11-48 career record vs. Top 10 opponents (1-1 this season)

GRANDSTAND

[7] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) vs Steve Johnson (USA) Johnson Leads 1-0
15 Winston-Salem (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Steve Johnson 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) 

Tsonga 2016 FastFacts:
SF(2): Auckland (l. to Bautista Agut); ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo (l. to Monfils); QF(3): Buenos Aires (l. to Almagro); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic); Wimbledon (l. to Murray)
YTD W-L: 24-12 (12-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: April 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 10
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 2-4 (2016 Third Round)

• Tournament Note: The 31-year-old Frenchman has reached 3R for the 1st time in Cincinnati. He defeated wild card Reilly Opelka in two TB sets 76(5) 76(3). Was 0 of 7 on break points
• Saved 1 MP to beat Isner 19-17 in 5th after 4h, 24m 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)
• Defeated Thiem to advance to ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells QF (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Reached Aus. Open 4R (l. to No. 7 Nishikori) and Roland Garros 3R (d. Baghdatis in 2R after trailing by 2 sets)
• Withdrew from Rome and London/Queen’s Club, and retired in Roland Garros 3R vs. Gulbis (adductor)
• Squandered 1 MP in Auckland SF loss to eventual champion Bautista Agut
• Clinched France’s Davis Cup 1R win over Canada in doubles w/Gasquet (d. Bester/Pospisil)

Johnson 2016 FastFacts:
W: Nottingham (d. Cuevas); SF: Washington (l. to Karlovic); QF(3): London/Queen’s Club (l. to Cilic); Newport (l. to Young); Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (l. to Murray)
YTD W-L: 25-20 (13-11 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: December 24, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 23
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 4-1 (2014, ’16 Third Round)

• Tournament Note: No. 2 American has equaled his best result in Cincinnati, first achieved in 2014, when he lost to Raonic. Reached 3R with wins over Delbonis 64 75 in 1R and Benneteau 36 62 76 in 2R
• Reached QF in singles in Rio Olympics last week, falling to eventual gold-medalist Murray in third set TB. Earned bronze medal in doubles (w/Sock), defeating Nestor/Pospisil
• After a 6-14 start, has turned season around with 19-6 match record 
• Achieved career-high No. 21 in Emirates ATP Rankings on July 18 (23 this week) and could become No. 1 American next week if he reaches first career ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final here
• Captured 1st ATP World Tour titles in singles at Nottingham (d. Cuevas) and doubles at Geneva w/Querrey (d. Klaasen/Ram)
• Reached Grand Slam 4R for 1st time at Wimbledon (d. Dimitrov, l. to No. 3 Federer)
• Beat Isner 76(7) 76(15) to reach Washington SF (l. to Karlovic)
• Snapped 0-13 start to career vs. Top 10 players at London/Queen’s Club (d. No. 10 Gasquet in 1R, l. to Cilic in QF). Has 1-15 career mark vs. Top 10 
• Advanced to Australian Open 3R for 2nd straight season (d. Bedene and Bellucci, l. to No. 8 Ferrer)
• Saved 1 MP to defeat Millman in Delray Beach 1R before squandering 75 40 lead vs. Becker in 2R
• Reached Memphis doubles final w/Querrey (l. to Fyrstenberg/S. Gonzalez)

[4] Milos Raonic (CAN) vs [Q] Yuichi Sugita (JPN) Raonic Leads 1-0
11 Tokyo (Japan) Hard R32 Milos Raonic 6-7(4) 6-3 7-6(1) 
Other meeting:
09 Granby CH (Canada) Hard R32 Yuichi Sugita 7-6(3) 6-1 

Raonic 2016 FastFacts:
W: Brisbane (d. Federer); F(3): ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic); London (l. to Murray); Wimbledon (l. to Murray); SF: Aust. Open (l. Murray); QF(4): ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. 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: 40-10 (20-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8
Date of Birth: December 27, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 6
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 9-4 (2014 SF)

• Tournament Note: The 25-year-old Canadian reached SF in 2014, QF in 2012, 3R in 2013 and 1R in 2015. Opened on Wednesday with 76 76 win over Isner and improved to 22-8 in tie-breaks this season
• Has a 17-6 record in ATP Masters 1000 play this season, with QF or better in five tournaments
• 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 vs. Goffin in 4R and defeated No. 3 Federer in 5 sets in SF
• Also fell to No. 2 Murray in London/Queen’s Club final after leading 7-6 3-0
• Won first 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 QFs at Miami (l. to Kyrgios), Monte-Carlo (l. to Murray) and Madrid (l. to Djokovic)
• Advanced to Roland Garros 4R (l. to Ramos-Viñolas)
• Withdrew from Delray Beach, Acapulco and Davis Cup 1R due to muscular tear sustained in Australian Open SF

Sugita 2016 FastFacts
YTD W-L: 6-6 (4-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: September 18, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 102
Cincinnati W-L (Best result): 2-0 (2016 Third Round)

• Tournament Note: As a qualifier in main draw debut, Japanese No. 3 on Wednesday defeated A. Zverev in 1R, then followed with 63 75 win over Mahut to reach 3R for first time in an ATP Masters 1000 tournament
• Qualified for 1st time at Australian Open (l. to Monfils in 1R) and Halle (d. Fritz, l. to Seppi in 2R)
• Achieved career-high No. 97 in Emirates ATP Rankings on March 21
• Fell in qualifying at Sofia, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, Stuttgart and Wimbledon
• Captured 6th career Challenger title on home soil at Kyoto, JPN (d. Zhang). Has 10-7 record in Challengers
• Advanced to Challenger QFs at Bangkok, THA (l. to Kravchuk) and Busan, KOR (l. to Evans)
• Playing a Top 10 opponent for second time in career (2012 Chennai, l. to No. 10 Almagro in QF)

[6] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs [12] Marin Cilic (CRO)                     Berdych Leads 6-4
09 CRO vs. CZE WG SF (Croatia) Clay RR Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-3 3-6 4-6 6-3 
09 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard R64 Tomas Berdych 7-6(8) 3-6 6-4 
11 Marseille (France) Hard QF Marin Cilic 6-3 6-4 
11 Beijing (China) Hard F Tomas Berdych 3-6 6-4 6-1 
12 ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo Clay R32 Tomas Berdych 7-6(3) 6-1 
13 London / Queen’s Club (Great Britain) Grass QF Marin Cilic 7-5 7-6(4) 
14 Rotterdam (Netherlands) Hard F Tomas Berdych 6-4 6-2 
14 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass R32 Marin Cilic 7-6(5) 6-4 7-6(6) 
14 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard QF Marin Cilic 6-2 6-4 7-6(4) 
14 Barclays ATP Finals (Great Britain) Hard RR Tomas Berdych 6-3 6-1 

Berdych 2016 FastFacts:
SF(3): Doha (l. to Djokovic); Marseille (l. to Kyrgios); Wimbledon (l. to Murray); QF(6): Australian 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: 31-14 (19-8 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: September 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 8
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 18-11 (2011, ’13 SF)

• Tournament Note: The No. 6 seed has reached QF or better 4 out of 11 appearances in Cincinnati. Twice he has reached SF (2011, 2013). Last year reached QF before falling to Dolgopolov. Reached 3R (after 1R bye), defeated Granollers 63 76(4)
• Reached 3rd ATP Masters 1000 QF of season in Toronto (l. to Djokovic)
• 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) and Marseille (d. Goffin, l. to Kyrgios)
• Reached QFs at Aus. Open (d. Bautista Agut, l. to No. 3 Federer), Dubai (l. to Kyrgios), Miami (d. No. 10 Gasquet, l. to No. 1 Djokovic), Madrid (d. No. 9 Ferrer, l. to No. 2 Murray) and Roland Garros (d. Ferrer, l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Suffered 60 60 loss to Goffin in ATP Masters 1000 Rome 3R – 1st double-bagel of career at any level
• 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 in Davis Cup 1R Rubber 4 vs. Kohlschreiber (right hamstring) and withdrew from Washington (fatigue)
• Working with former Cilic coach Goran Ivanisevic in first tournament this week

Cilic 2016 FastFacts:
F(2): Geneva (l. Wawrinka); Marseille (l. Kyrgios); SF: London (l. Murray); QF(4): Brisbane (l. Thiem); Indian Wells (l. Goffin); Rotterdam (l. Kohlschreiber); Wimbledon (l Federer)
YTD W-L: 28-17 (17-11 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 14
Date of Birth: September 28, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 14
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 9-7 (2012 QF)

• Tournament Note: No. 12 seed is into 3R with wins over Troicki 63 64 in 1R and Verdasco 63 61 in 2R. His best result in Cincinnati is QF in 2012, where he lost to Djokovic. This is 4th appearance in 3R in 8 main draw appearances
• 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 London/Queen’s Club SF (d. Johnson, l. to No. 2 Murray in 3 sets)
• Fell to 0-8 lifetime in ATP Masters 1000 QFs at Indian Wells (l. to Goffin)
• Snapped 11-match losing streak vs. Top 10 opponents with win over No. 10 Gasquet in Indian Wells 4R
• Helped Croatia to 3-2 Davis Cup 1R win over Belgium (d. Coppejans, l. to Goffin)
• Withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 events at Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome due to knee injury

STADIUM 3

Bernard Tomic (AUS) vs [5] Kei Nishikori (JPN) Nishikori Leads 2-1
12 London Olympics (Great Britain) Grass R64 Kei Nishikori 7-6(4) 7-6(4) 
15 Brisbane (Australia) Hard QF Kei Nishikori 6-0 6-4 
16 Brisbane (Australia) Hard QF Bernard Tomic 6-3 1-6 6-3

Tomic 2016 FastFacts:
F: Acapulco (l. to Thiem); SF(2): Brisbane (l. to Raonic); London/Queen’s Club (l. to Raonic); QF(3): Sydney (l. to Gabashvili); Quito (l. to Lorenzi); s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Mahut)
YTD W-L: 27-19 (17-9 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: October 21, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 21
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 5-3 (2012, ’16 Third Round)

• Tournament Note: Aussie No. 2 reached 3R with wins over Sousa 64 63 in 1R, then defeated No. 11 seed Goffin 36 75 64 in 2R to match his best result here (also in 2012)
• Reached 5th career final at Acapulco – 1st at an ATP World Tour 500 event (l. to Thiem in 3 sets)
• Achieved career-high of No. 17 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 11 (No. 21 this week)
• Advanced to SFs at Brisbane (d. No. 8 Nishikori, l. to Raonic) and London/Queen’s Club (l. to No. 9 Raonic)
• Reached 4R at Australian Open (l. to No. 2 Murray) and Wimbledon (d. Verdasco in 5 sets of 1R, l. to Pouille 10-8 in 5th)
• Suffered 5-match losing streak from March to May before reaching Roland Garros 2R (d. Baker, l. to Coric) 
• Retired in Sydney QF vs. Gabashvili (fatigue), Indian Wells 3R vs. Raonic (right wrist) and Rome 1R vs. Paire (flu)
• Withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 events at Miami and Monte-Carlo due to right wrist injury
• Has a 7-34 career record vs. Top 10 opponents (1-2 this season with win over Nishikori in Brisbane QF)

Nishikori 2016 FastFacts
W: Memphis (d. Fritz); F(3): ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Djokovic); Barcelona (l. to Nadal); ATP Masters 1000 Toronto (l. to Djokovic); SF(3): ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Rome (l. to Djokovic); Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (l. to Murray); QF(3): Brisbane (l. to Tomic); Australian Open (l. to Djokovic); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Nadal)
YTD W-L: 46-13 (29-8 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 11
Date of Birth: December 29, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 7
Cincinnati W-L (Best Result): 3-3 (2012, ’16 Third Round)

• Tournament Note: Japanese star matched his best result by reaching 3R (also in 2012), defeating Youzhny 63 62. Now has a 3-3 record in Cincinnati
• Won singles bronze medal at Rio Olympics, defeating Nadal in three sets
• Captured 4th straight Memphis title and extended win streak at event to 17 matches (d. Fritz)
• Saved 5 MPs to beat Monfils en route to 2nd ATP Masters 1000 final of career at Miami (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Also saved 1 MP to defeat Isner 76 in 3rd before falling to No. 5 Nadal in ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells QF
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 SFs at Madrid (l. to Djokovic 76 in 2nd) and Rome (l. to Djokovic 76 in 3rd)
• Appeared in 3rd consecutive Barcelona final (d. Paire, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Advanced to Aus. Open QF (d. Tsonga, l. to Djokovic) and Roland Garros 4R (d. Verdasco in 5 sets, l. to Gasquet)
• Conceded walkover in Halle 2R vs. F. Mayer and retired in Wimbledon 4R vs. Cilic due to rib injury
• Beat Evans before falling to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets, ending 12-match Davis Cup win streak (GBR d. JPN 3-1 in 1R)

Andy Murray made quick work of Juan Monaco in the second round of the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday, winning 6-3, 6-2 to stretch his career-best winning streak to 19 matches. The top seed improved to 5-2 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry against Monaco and is now 47-6 on the year.

“It’s really humid here, quite different conditions to Rio,” said Murray, who is coming off a gold-medal performance at the Rio Olympics. “The court here is pretty fast. Rio was a lot slower than this. It took a bit of time to get into it, but I did all right.

“I did two short sessions yesterday and two short sessions today. I sometimes find that rather than doing one long session, if you’re going into new conditions, it’s a bit easier to do a couple of shorter sessions. I feel like I get my timing a bit quicker that way.”

Murray, who is top seed at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event for the first time, was at his efficient best on Center Court. The Brit only lost four points after landing a first serve (20/24) and was clinical in the forecourt (8 of 9 net points won). He finished with more winners (15-11) and fewer unforced errors (17-20) than his opponent.

Monaco was taking to the court for the second time on the day, as he finished off Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-4 in a rain-delayed first-round match hours before facing Murray. The Argentine was firing on all cylinders against the towering Croatian, winning 82 per cent of points on his own delivery and neutralizing Karlovic’s vaunted serve (2/5 on break points). However, he was unable to find solutions against Murray, dropping serve four times to succumb in 77 minutes.

Murray’s next opponent will be Kevin Anderson, who upended No. 13 seed Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-4 in 79 minutes. The South African hit 17 aces to no double faults and broke the Frenchman four times to score his third win in eight FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings with Gasquet.

Yuichi Sugita was a two-time winner on Wednesday. During the day session, he downed #NextGen star Alexander Zverev 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 in their first-round encounter. At night, the speedy Japanese saw off Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 7-5 to book a place in the last 16.

Rafael Nadal won his first ATP World Tour match since May, dismissing Pablo Cuevas in the second round of the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday. His 6-1, 7-6(4) win avenged a defeat to the Uruguayan in February to improve the Spaniard’s FedEx ATP Head2Head record between the pair to 3-1.

The 2013 champion had arrived in Cincinnati with hard-court matches under his belt, having claimed the Olympic doubles gold medal with Marc Lopez in Rio de Janeiro before falling in the bronze medal play-off to Kei Nishikori in the singles.

“I think I played well,” Nadal said. “I think I played a good match against a tough opponent in the first round for me for sure.

“After coming from Rio and after the marathon that I had, it’s a very important victory for me. So I’m very happy.”

Cuevas won the pair’s semi-final clash on clay in Rio de Janeiro en route to the title earlier in the season but this would mark their first meeting on hard courts. It was Nadal who made the quicker start of the two, breaking twice to race through the opening set in just 26 minutes.

Cuevas mounted more of a challenge in the second where he held break points in three of Nadal’s service games, including a set point at 5-4. Nadal held strong to force the tie-break and sealed the result on his first match point to set up a third-round meeting with Borna Coric, who downed fellow #NextGen player and No. 14 seed Nick Kyrgios.

The Spaniard later acknowledged the stabilising influence his support team had had through his many ups and downs. “Well, I always had a team spirit,” he said. 

“I always enjoyed playing more for a team than just myself. Even the same when I was a kid playing football.

“So always with my team I always had a great relationship. When we are on court it’s normal you have the feeling with them.”

Coric showed impressive resolve in beating Kyrgios 7-6(2), 4-6, 7-6(6). The Croatian teen was broken while serving for the match at 5-3 in the deciding set, then saved match point at 6-5 in the tie-break before beating Kyrgios for the first time in two FedEx Head2Head meetings. Coric struck 16 aces and saved five break points in the two-hour, 32-minute win. He upset Nadal in Basel in 2014, but the Spaniard got his revenge at the US Open the following year.

Eighth seed Dominic Thiem booked his first career win at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati on Wednesday. The 22-year-old Austrian won his first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Aussie qualifier John Millman 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the third round. He will next face ninth seed Gael Monfils, who broke Marcos Baghdatis six times to win 7-5, 6-0 in 71 minutes.

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Thiem, No. 9 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, won 80 per cent of his first-serve points and broke the 27-year-old Millman six times. The win improves his chances of reaching the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at The 02 in London for the first time. He is currently in sixth place in the Emirates ATP Race To London.

The win also gives Thiem his first victory since 29 June when he beat German Florian Mayer in the first round at Wimbledon. Thiem lost his first-round match at the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel and retired after five games at the Rogers Cup because of a hip injury.

The Austrian leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry against Monfils 1-0, a three-set semi-final victory last year on clay at Konzum Croatia Open Umag. Monfils also has his eye on qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the first time. The Frenchman is in eighth place, just in front of Tomas Berdych.

Berdych, the No. 6 seed, set up a third-round meeting with Marin Cilic by downing Marcel Granollers 6-3, 7-6(4). It was Granollers’ second match of the day after the Spaniard beat Jiri Vesely in a rain-delayed first-round match. Cilic breezed past wild card Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-1 in under one hour. He trails the FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry against Berdych 4-6.