The Grand Prix Hassan II holds special memories for Tommy Robredo and the Spaniard made a winning start on Monday in Marrakech as he defeated qualifier Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.

On his only two previous appearances at this ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tournament, when it was held in Casablanca, the 34-year-old Robredo reached the final in 2001 (l. to Canas) and returned in 2013 to win the title (d. Anderson).

Robredo’s 10-1 Marrakech record will be put to the test in the second round, where he is set to face top seed Grigor Dimitrov. Robredo leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-1, winning their most recent contest in Indian Wells two years ago.

Second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas will open his campaign against qualifier Laslo Djere, who claimed the first tour-level win of his career as he defeated Martin Klizan 7-6(3), 6-3.

In remaining first-round action, Jan-Lennard Struff advanced with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory over qualifier Taro Daniel.

The ATP today confirmed that the Memphis Open will relocate to Long Island, New York, from 2018, ensuring the continuation of one of the ATP World Tour’s longest-running tournaments in the United States. The ATP World Tour 250 event will be held from 10-18 February 2018.

GF Sports, a live events and sports media entertainment company, has partnered with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) to move the tournament to the NYCB LIVE, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which is located on Long Island in New York.

“We are proud to partner with Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment to bring the historic Memphis Open to the new Coliseum,” said Gary Fuhrman, Managing Partner at GF Capital and Board Member of GF Sports. “The spotlight of New York will help to elevate this important tournament and this move is part of GF Sports’ larger goal of re-establishing American tennis as a global powerhouse within the sport.”

“This event diversifies our programming mix at NYCB LIVE’s Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and further delivers on our promise to bring major sporting events back to Long Island,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment. “I also want to thank Gary Fuhrman and his team for the opportunity to bring world-class tennis to Long Island and for working with Jeff Gewirtz, our Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, to consummate our partnership.”

The New York Metropolitan area has a rich tennis history highlighted by the US Open. The arrival of this ATP World Tour event will add another major tennis event to the New York sports calendar, and marks the first time in its 45-year history that the Coliseum will play host to a sanctioned tennis tournament. The event adds to the Coliseum’s growing line-up of top entertainment and sports events following the unveiling of new first-class amenities for fans, performers, and athletes, as part of top-to-bottom renovations, making it Long Island’s premier entertainment destination.

Chris Kermode, ATP Executive Chairman & President, said, “GF Sports has shown a strong commitment to invest in professional tennis with a particular focus on the United States. They have demonstrated their ability to operate ATP tournaments, including the Memphis Open, with the goal of growing the sport. The relocation of the Memphis Open to New York and to the newly renovated Coliseum is consistent with their vision, and will elevate this tournament, with over 40 years of history, to a new level of excellence.”

The Memphis Open was established in 1976 and boasts a roll of honour including Andre Agassi, Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, Jim Courier, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe, Kei Nishikori, Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras. In recent years, young American players have emerged at the tournament, including 2017 winner Ryan Harrison and 2016 runner-up Taylor Fritz.

Participants and ticket information for the tournament will be announced at a later date. To stay up to date on all the latest news surrounding the event visit NYCBLIVE.com.

Top seed Grigor Dimitrov, #NextGenATP player Borna Coric, Argentine Diego Schwartzman and Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky took time off in Marrakech on Sunday to enjoy a dromedary ride ahead of the Grand Prix Hassan II, which starts on Monday.

Dimitrov, who accepted a late wild card into the ATP World Tour 250 tournament, is visiting Morocco for the first time and enjoyed riding the dromedary, an Arabian one-humped camel. “It’s great to discover a new place and I had a great time today,” the Bulgarian said.

Coric has been to Marrakech before – the 20 year old reached the final last year before falling to Argentine Federico Delbonis. But the Croatian still had a great time during the off-court activity. “This was a new experience for me, and I really enjoyed it,” Coric said after the ride in the Palmeraie district.

Schwartzman, who is playing at a career-high No. 41 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, rode the moodiest dromedary but he couldn’t stop smiling and taking pictures, while Stakhovsky took in the architecture of the “red” city. Main draw play kicks off on Monday, with Stakhovsky facing Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the third match on centre court.

Spring Clay Season Commences: After an exciting first three months of action on the ATP World Tour, the red clay circuit swings into full gear with five tournaments in April. The lone clay tournament in North America, the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, and the only event in Africa, the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, begin the swing. There are 12 clay court tournaments in the next seven weeks leading into Roland Garros, which begins 28 May.

Emirates ATP Race To Milan Leaders: Six of the Top 12 #NextGenATP players in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan standings (as of 3 April) are in action, led by No. 5 Jared Donaldson, No. 7 Ernesto Escobedo and No. 9 Frances Tiafoe in Houston. Overall there are seven of the Top 20 in the main draw:

1 Alexander Zverev 11 Hyeon Chung – Houston

2 Daniil Medvedev 12 Noah Rubin – Houston (Q)

3 Casper Ruud 13 Alexander Bublik

4 Andrey Rublev 14 Omar Jasika

5 Jared Donaldson – Houston 15 Quentin Halys

6 Taylor Fritz 16 Blake Mott

7 Ernesto Escobedo – Houston (WC) 17 Karen Khachanov

8 Borna Coric – Marrakech 18 Alex De Minaur

9 Frances Tiafoe – Houston 19 Matteo Berrettini

10 Denis Shapovalov 20 Felix Auger-Aliassime

Reilly Opelka – Houston (WC)

Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship (Houston): This year’s tournament will mark the 83^rd edition hosted at the River Oaks Country Club. The last five winners are in the 28-player field, including reigning champion Juan Monaco, who also captured the 2012 title. The others are 2015 titleholder Jack Sock, 2014 titlist Fernando Verdasco and 2013 champ John Isner.

Sock is the No. 1 seed for the first time in his career in an ATP World Tour event. The other seeds: No. 2 Isner, No. 3 Sam Querrey, No. 4 Steve Johnson, No. 5 Verdasco, No. 6 Feliciano Lopez, No. 7 Donald Young and No. 8 Thomaz Bellucci. Overall seven players in the Top 50 of the Emirates ATP Rankings are in the draw for the second straight year.

Reigning Champion: Unseeded Monaco comes in as the reigning champion. The 33-year-old Argentine is expected to drop from No. 72 to around No. 128 in the 10 April Emirates ATP Rankings, since the tournament was held one week earlier last year. Monaco missed the first two months of the season with a wrist injury before returning last month.

He has an 0-2 record, losing in the first round of the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami. Last year he came into Houston ranked No. 148 and defeated 2015 champion Sock 36 63 75 in the final. Monaco also won the 2012 title (d. No. 10 Isner). Overall, Monaco has a 14-4 record in Houston.

Sock Top Seed: Sock is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament for the first time. The 24-year-old top American is off to a career-best 18-5 start, winning ATP World Tour titles in Auckland (d. Sousa) and Delray Beach (W/O vs. Raonic). He also advanced to his first Masters 1000 semi-final in Indian Wells (d No. 5 Nishikori, l. to Federer) and followed with a quarter-final in Miami (l. to Nadal).

Sock has an 11-3 record in Houston, winning his maiden ATP World Tour title in 2015 (d. Querrey) while unseeded and ranked No. 46. Last year he lost to Monaco 36 63 75 in the final.

#NextGenATP in Draw: There are six #NextGenATP stars in the main draw:

Rank Age
No. 75 Jared Donaldson 20
No. 89 Frances Tiafoe 19
No. 92 Hyeon Chung 20
No. 95 Ernesto Escobedo (WC) 20
No. 169 Reilly Opelka (WC) 19
No. 182 Noah Rubin (Q) 21

Querrey Eyes 300 Wins: Two-time finalist (2010, 2015) and No. 3 seed Querrey is four wins away from joining the 300 Match Wins Club on the ATP World Tour. The 29-year-old California native has a career record of 296-243. Querrey captured his ninth career ATP World Tour title in Acapulco last month, defeating two Top 10 (No. 9 Thiem in QF, No. 6 Nadal in final) and two Top 20 opponents (No. 11 Goffin in 2R, No. 17 Kyrgios in SF) along the way.

Querrey has a 13-7 record in Houston, falling to Juan Ignacio Chela in the 2010 final and to Sock in the 2015 championship. He also advanced to the semi-finals in 2014 (W/O vs. Almagro).

Isner Looks To Jumpstart: No. 2 seed and 2013 champion Isner comes in with a 6-7 match record on the season. The No. 2 American has not won back-to-back matches in the six previous tournaments he’s played in 2017.

His best results are quarter-finals in Auckland and Memphis (after a bye). He is playing in Houston for the 10^th straight year (13-8 record) and in addition to his title, he was runner-up in 2012, a semi-finalist last year and quarter-finalist in 2009 and 2011.

Haas Returns: Former World No. 2 Tommy Haas, the oldest player in the singles draw at 39, returns to Houston for the first time since 2013. Haas is playing in his fourth tournament of the season and he’s looking for his first win (0-3). In his previous tournaments, he lost in the first round at the Australian Open (retired due to illness vs. Paire), in Delray Beach (l. to Basilashvili) and the in Miami (l. to Vesely).

Haas, who is the tournament director at Indian Wells, has a protected ranking of No. 25. He has a 14-7 career record in Houston, winning the title in 2004 (d. No. 2 Roddick), reaching the semi-finals in 2006 and quarter-finals three other times (2005, 2007, 2009). If he defeats wild card Reilly Opelka in the first round, he would be the oldest player to win an ATP World Tour singles match since 1995 Halle when 42-year-old Jimmy Connors reached the quarter-finals.

Bryans Back: Six-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, who have finished No. 1 on the ATP World Tour in 10 of the past 14 years, are making their 13^th appearance in Houston. The reigning champions are the top seeds, and they also won titles in 2007, 2009-10-11, 2014. In their last eight visits (DNP ’08, ’12), they have compiled a 28-2 mark since 2007.

They are looking for their first title of the season at River Oaks for the second year in a row. Their best result so far this season is a runner-up at the Australian Open (l. to Kontinen/Peers). Their last title came in Rome in May 2016. The other seeds are No. 2 Cabal/Farah, No. 3 Baker/Mektic and No. 4 Peralta/Zeballos.

Grand Prix Hassan II (Marrakech): The only African tournament on the ATP World Tour, the Grand Prix Hassan II, inaugurated in 1986 in Casablanca, takes place for the second year in a row at the Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech. Leading the way is wild card and top seed Grigor Dimitrov, who is making his debut.

The other seeds: No. 2 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, No. 3 Philipp Kohlschreiber, No. 4 Mischa Zverev, No. 5 Paolo Lorenzi, No. 6 Benoit Paire, No. 7 Diego Schwartzman and No. 8 Marcel Granollers. The reigning champion is Argentine Federico Delbonis. Overall seven of the Top 50 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings are in the field.

Grigor Top Seed: For the second time in his career, Dimitrov is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament. The previous time was in 2014 Bucharest where he was a wild card entry. He went on to win his first clay court title (d. Rosol).

The 25-year-old Bulgarian comes in with a 17-4 match record on the season after a 14-1 start. He won two of the first three tournaments he played, in the opening week in Brisbane, the first since June 2014 at Queen’s Club/London. He defeated three Top 10 opponents in consecutive matches: No. 8 Thiem (QF), No. 3 Raonic (SF) and No. 5 Nishikori.

Dimitrov then followed by reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open, where he lost to No. 9 Nadal 6-4 in the fifth set. In February, he won the first-year tournament on home soil in Sofia (d. Goffin). In the first two Masters 1000 tournaments, he lost in the third round in Indian Wells (bye, d. Youzhny, l. to Sock) and second round (after bye, l. to Pella).

Delbonis Reigning Champion: Unseeded Argentine Delbonis is the defending champion (d. Coric). He also reached the semi-finals in 2014 (l. to Granollers). Overall he has a 7-2 tournament record. This season the 26-year-old left-hander has an 8-6 match record with a quarter-final in Sao Paulo (l. to Sousa) and a fourth-round showing in Miami (l. to No. 4 Nishikori).

Spanish Success: A Spaniard has hoisted the tournament trophy in five of the last eight years: Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in 2014, Tommy Robredo in 2013, Pablo Andujar in 2011-12 and Juan Carlos Ferrero in 2009. There are a tournament-high five Spaniards in the draw, including former champions Garcia-Lopez and Robredo.

#NextGenATP Star: Last year’s finalist Borna Coric is the lone #NextGenATP player in the main draw. The 20-year-old Croatian has a 5-8 match record on the season, and he is coming off his best result, a third round at the Miami Open presented by Itau, where he beat No. 8 Dominic Thiem (l to Mannarino).

Strong Doubles Draw: The top seeds in the doubles draw are Indian Wells champions Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram. They are No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings. The other seeds are No. 2 Granollers/M. Lopez, No. 3 Bopanna/Matkowski and No. 4 Mergea/Qureshi.

ICYMI

Andy Murray watched his countryman Aljaz Bedene take home an ATP Challenger Tour title. Read More

“Roger Federer deft touch” named March Masters Golden Hot Shot. Watch Hot Shot

First Time With #NextGenATP player Ernesto Escobedo. Read More

Why American Steve Johnson has been picking fish over fries. Read More

Next Gen ATP American Ernesto Escobedo cracked the Top 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time this month, jumping well over 200 spots since April 2016. The 20-year-old California native talks about the best gift he ever received, the first professional tennis match he ever watched and when he knew he loved the sport.

First moment I realised I loved tennis
When I was about eight years old and started to play in tennis tournaments. I loved being on the court being myself or competing with someone else. I played basketball and soccer, but tennis was always in my heart.

First tournament I played
It was five minutes from my house in West Covina at a club called Pacific Palms. I was eight years old. I played Deiton Baughman and it was the first match I ever played. He won 10-8 in the third-set tie-break and it was just a crazy match.

First coach and most important lesson he/she taught me
My first coach was Fernando Chavez. He taught me how to hit the ball and also just have fun on the court. I found it very stressful to be on the court by myself as a kid and he taught me how to just enjoy the game.

First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour
When I won my first-round match last year at the US Open. I couldn’t believe it. It was my first Grand Slam main draw and to get the win there was really special. I had about 15 friends and relatives there cheering me on, so it was just a great moment.

First professional tennis match I ever watched
The first match I ever watched was when Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. I watched it from the first point to the last and it gave me so much inspiration to play tennis. Thanks, Andy! [Smiles].

First celebrity crush
I know this one… she was on iCarly, Drake & Josh (Miranda Cosgrove).

First pet
My first pet was a dog we got about five years ago. I had always wanted a dog and my sister just brought him home, without permission. [Laughs]. It was probably one of the best presents ever.

First time I flew business class
It was this year flying back from the Australian Open. It was really fun to be in business class, flying in such a big plane. Just a great experience.

A LOOK BACK

Verrazzano Open (Sophia Antipolis, France): Aljaz Bedene cruised to his second ATP Challenger Tour title of 2017 (Irving, U.S.A.) without dropping a set. The Brit needed just 69 minutes to dismiss top seed Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-2 in Sunday’s final.

A rejuvenated Bedene, who is now 10-0 on the Challenger Tour in 2017 and improves to a staggering 13-2 in career Challenger finals, rises to World No. 76 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

World No. 1 Andy Murray helped present the trophy to his countryman Bedene. Murray has been training at the tournament venue, the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy, ahead of his return to the ATP World Tour at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters later this month.

Great week in Sophia-Antipolis @mouratoglouacademy. Nice to receive the trophy from royalty in @andy_murray as well ?? pic.twitter.com/wOrIOpr5C5

— Aljaz Bedene (@AljazBedene) April 9, 2017

Visit Panama Tennis Cup (Panama City, Panama): Tennis returned to Panama on the ATP Challenger Tour following a two year absence. 2012 champion Rogerio Dutra Silva won his ninth Challenger title and second of the season (Santiago, Chile) with a commanding 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Peda Krstin.

His reward is a 14-place jump to a career-high ranking of No. 69 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, becoming the Brazilian No. 2, just four spots behind his countryman Thomaz Bellucci. The 33 year old is one of six players with multiple titles this year, joining Bedene, Adrian Mannarino, Jurgen Melzer, Yuichi Sugita and Janko Tipsarevic.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

“It was a perfect week for me,” said Bedene. “This tournament is at the ATP World Tour level, that’s for sure. I feel great winning this title and I was consistent throughout the tournament, so it’s a good sign for the future.”

A LOOK AHEAD

Two clay court tournaments are scheduled on the Challenger Tour this week. Barletta in Italy hosts the €43,000 Open Citta’ Della Disfida.

The event, first held in 1997, has Gastao Elias playing as the top seed. 2011 and 2012 champion Bedene will target more Challenger success following his trophy haul in Sophia Antipolis. Defending champion Elias Ymer (d. Pavlasek) represents the #NextGenATP contingent along with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Over in Mexico for the $50,000 San Luis Open and Facundo Bagnis enters as the top seed, ahead of No. 2 Gerald Melzer and #NextGenATP player Stefan Kozlov.

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ATP CHALLENGER TOUR ON TWITTER: 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.