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Cilic Sets Gasquet Clash

  • Posted: Mar 15, 2016

Cilic Sets Gasquet Clash

Cilic and Gasquet land contrasting third-round victories in Indian Wells

Tenth seed Marin Cilic has booked a fourth-round showdown with French No. 8 seed Richard Gasquet at the BNP Paribas Open after a convincing 6-3, 6-4 victory over Leonardo Mayer on Monday. The Croat improved his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against the Argentine to 3-0 after the one-hour, 26-minute affair.

Cilic hit six aces and won 83 per cent of first-serve points. He saved both break points faced. It marks the second time he has reached the fourth round in Indian Wells and he will be looking for his first win in three meetings with Gasquet. 

The Frenchman earlier posted a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 result against Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov. Gasquet won 82 per cent of first-serve points and broke on five of his 10 chances. It marked his third FedEx ATP Head2Head win in as many meetings with Dolgopolov, an opponent who reached the semi-finals in the desert in 2014 on the back of a third-round upset of then-World No. 1 Rafael Nadal.

Belgian 15th seed David Goffin fought back to deny Argentine Guido Pella 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Goffin had an abundance of break-point chances, but only converted on four of the 18.  Serving, he fended off six of the eight break points he faced. He awaits the winner of No. 3 seed Stan Wawrinka and Russian Andrey Kuznetsov.

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Delbonis Shocks Murray

  • Posted: Mar 15, 2016

Delbonis Shocks Murray

The Argentine hits 31 winners to score the upset

Federico Delbonis of Argentina notched the biggest win of his career Monday at the BNP Paribas Open. The 25-year-old Argentine knocked off a sluggish Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3).

Murray, the No. 2 seed, was playing in his second match since the Australian Open in January and in his first ATP World Tour event since becoming a father. But Delbonis cut him no slack, winning 70 per cent of his first-serve points and hitting 31 winners.

The Argentine’s biggest win prior had been a 2013 victory over then-No. 5 Roger Federer. Delbonis, No. 53 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, also improved to 3-5 lifetime against Top 10 opponents. He’ll next face either Gael Monfils of France or Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain.

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Idol Series: Coric & Ivanisevic

  • Posted: Mar 15, 2016

Idol Series: Coric & Ivanisevic

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Konta seals Indian Wells last-16 spot

  • Posted: Mar 14, 2016

Great Britain’s Johanna Konta eased into the last 16 of the Indian Wells Masters with a straight-sets victory over Denisa Allertova.

Konta, seeded 25th, secured a 6-4 6-1 win over the Czech, who had seen off Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber in the previous round.

The 28-year-old broke in the fifth game of the opening set before taking full control in what was a dominant display.

She will face Czech Karolina Pliskova, who defeated Ana Ivanovic 6-2 6-0.

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Murray, Wawrinka Feature At Indian Wells On Monday

  • Posted: Mar 14, 2016

Murray, Wawrinka Feature At Indian Wells On Monday

Tomas Berdych takes on #NextGen star Borna Coric on Monday

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

STADIUM 1

Federico Delbonis (ARG) vs [2] Andy Murray (GBR) First Meeting

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

[15] David Goffin (BEL) vs Guido Pella (ARG) First Meeting

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)

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ATP And Nestlé Skin Health's Daylong Announce Exclusive Global Sun Care Partnership

  • Posted: Mar 14, 2016

ATP And Nestlé Skin Health's Daylong Announce Exclusive Global Sun Care Partnership

Daylong becomes the ATP World Tour’s official sun care brand

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.

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Nadal Earns Confidence Boost, Starts Indian Wells Title Quest

  • Posted: Mar 14, 2016

Nadal Earns Confidence Boost, Starts Indian Wells Title Quest

Rafael Nadal to meet Fernando Verdasco in the third round

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.”

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Nadal Djokovic Open Indian Wells 2016 Campaigns

  • Posted: Mar 14, 2016

Nadal Djokovic Open Indian Wells 2016 Campaigns

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Golubev Saves 4 MP For Jonkoping Title; Bagnis Retains Santiago Crown

  • Posted: Mar 14, 2016

Golubev Saves 4 MP For Jonkoping Title; Bagnis Retains Santiago Crown

Revisit the week that was on the ATP Challenger Tour as we applaud the achievements of those on the rise and look ahead to who’s in action in the week to come

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.

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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.

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Nadal plans to sue over doping claims

  • Posted: Mar 14, 2016

Rafael Nadal plans to sue an ex-French government minister who said his seven-month absence in 2012 was “probably due to a positive doping test”.

The Spaniard is upset with comments made by Roselyne Bachelot, who was formerly Minister for Health and Sport.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner, 29, says he will sue anyone else who alleges “something similar in the future”.

Nadal says he is tired of the allegations and is no longer prepared to let them pass unchallenged.

“A minister of France should be serious,” he said. “This time is the time to go against her. We are going to sue her.

“This is going to be the last one, because I’m going to sue her. I am tired about these things. I let it go a few times in the past. Not any more.”

Bachelot, 69, served as Minister for Health and Sport from 2007 until 2010, under the government of former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

She made the allegations about Nadal last week, when addressing Maria Sharapova’s failed drugs test.

“When you see a tennis player stopping for months, it’s because there’s been a positive control,” said the French politician.

Nadal has already spoken out about the speculation surrounding him.

Following Sharapova’s admission last week of a failed test, the former world number one said: “I am a completely clean guy.

“I have never had the temptation of doing something wrong.”

Nadal has never failed a drugs test but has been the subject of speculation that he dopes.

In 2011, former French Open champion Yannick Noah wrote a newspaper article saying Spanish sporting success was due to doping.

A year later, a satirical French TV show featured a life-size likeness of Nadal filling up his car’s gas tank from his own bladder before being pulled over by traffic police for speeding.

Then in 2013, Belgian former professional player Christophe Rochus questioned Nadal being able to dominate the 2012 French Open and then be injured two weeks later at Wimbledon.

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