ROTTERDAM WEDNESDAY PREVIEW – TOP THREE SEEDS HIGHLIGHT BUSY DAY OF ACTION ON DAY THREE

The top 3 seeds of Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych and Juan Martin del Potro at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, highlight Wednesday’s schedule as the first round wraps up and the second round begins at the ATP World Tour 500 stop. Former Top 10 stars Marcos Baghdatis and Nikolay Davydenko also play.

(Q) Matthias Bachinger (GER #95) vs. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP #44)  Baghdatis leads 2-0

(2) Tomas Berdych (CZE #7) vs. Lukas Rosol (CZE #77)    First Meeting

(3) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG #10) vs. Michael Llodra (FRA #47)   del Potro leads 1-0

(1) Roger Federer (SUI #3) vs. Nicolas Mahut (FRA #83)   Federer leads 2-0

Nikolay Davydenko (RUS #49) vs. (Q) Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA #733)  Davydenko leads 5-3
 
Wednesday  Fed-Ex ATP Head 2 Heads – In Order of Play

Centre Court

(Q)Matthias Bachinger (GER) vs Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) Baghdatis Leads 2-0
07 Munich (Germany) Clay R16 Marcos Baghdatis 6-7(7) 6-2 6-4
11 Metz (France) Hard R32 Marcos Baghdatis 7-5 6-2

Bachinger FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: April 2, 1987
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 95

• Bachinger’s second appearance at Rotterdam (0-1 record; fell 1st Rd. as qualifier last year)
• Last season finished in Top 100 for first time at No. 94, reaching a career-high No. 85 on Aug. 15, highlighted by 31-13 match record in Challenger play

Baghdatis FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
SF: Sydney (l Benneteau); Zagreb (l Lacko); QF: Brisbane (l Murray)
YTD W-L: 11-4
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: June 17, 1985
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 44

• Baghdatis has reached QFs or better at three of four events played so far this year - QFs at Brisbane, SFs at Sydney and SFs at Zagreb (only pre-QF loss: l. to Wawrinka in 2nd Rd. at Australian Open)
• Leads ATP World Tour with 11 match wins (11-4 record)
• He recently won first career ATP World Tour doubles title at Zagreb (w/Youzhny)
• This is the Cypriot’s fourth appearance at Rotterdam (3-3 record; has gone one round better every attempt, falling 1st Rd. in 2008, then reaching 2nd Rd. in 2010 and QFs in 2011)

Lukas Rosol (CZE) vs (2) Tomas Berdych (CZE)  First Meeting

Rosol FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-4
YTD Titles: 0/Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: July 24, 1985
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 77

• Rosol is 1-2 against Top 10 players (win came against then-No. 8 Melzer at 2011 Roland Garros)
• This is the Czech Republic native’s first appearance in Rotterdam
• Berdych and Rosol are two of only three Czech players in Top 100 (Stepanek in between at No. 29)

Berdych FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
W: Montpellier (d Monfils); QF: Australian Open (l Nadal)
YTD W-L: 9-1
YTD Titles: 1/Career Titles: 7
Date of Birth: September 17, 1985
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 7

• Berdych is 5-0 indoors this year (4-0 to win Montpellier title, 1-0 in Davis Cup)
• This is the Czech Republic native’s seventh appearance at Rotterdam (4-5 record; best result was QFs in 2011 - w/o to Tsonga)
• He enters with a 9-1 match record and trying to become the fifth player this season to win at least 10 matches – Baghdatis (11-4), Murray (10-1), Monfils (10-3), Kohlschreiber (10-4)

Michael Llodra (FRA) vs (3) Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) del Potro Leads 1-0
09 Roland Garros (France) Clay R128 Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3 6-3 6-1

Llodra FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-1
YTD Titles: 0/Career Titles: 5
Date of Birth: May 18, 1980
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 47

• Llodra set career-high ranking of No. 21 just nine months ago week of May 9, 2011 (now down at No. 47)
• The Frenchman is 8-30 against Top 10 players, losing his last six in a row (and last five in straight sets)
• Llodra’s sixth appearance at Rotterdam (8-4 record; best result was champion in 2008)

Del Potro FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
QF: Sydney (l Baghdatis); Australian Open (l Federer)
YTD W-L: 5-2
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 9
Date of Birth: September 23, 1988
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 10

• del Potro returned to Top 10 after Australian Open on Jan. 30 (first time since wrist injury lay-off in 2010)
• Has a record of 7-5 (.583) vs. lefties since start of 2011 (but 46-15/.754 vs. righties)
• The Argentine is making first appearance at Rotterdam

(1)Roger Federer (SUI) vs Nicolas Mahut (FRA) Federer Leads 2-0
06 Wimbledon (England) Grass R32 Roger Federer 6-3 7-6(2)  6-4
08 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells  Hard R32 Roger Federer 6-1 6-1

Federer FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
SF: Doha (W/O vs Tsonga); Australian Open (l Nadal)
YTD W-L: 7-2
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 70
Date of Birth: August 8, 1981
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 3

• Federer has won last 68 matches against non-Top 20 players (last loss: No. 32 Hewitt at 2010 Halle)
• He is coming off back-to-back losses in Australian Open SFs (Nadal) and Davis Cup (Isner); last time losing two straight matches was spring 2010 (to Berdych in Miami 4th Rd. then to Gulbis in Rome opener)
• Has never lost before QFs in six previous appearances in Rotterdam (champion in 2005, runner-up in 2001, semi-finalist in 2003 and quarter-finalist three times in 1999, 2002 and 2004)

Mahut FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
QF: Montpellier (l Berdych)
YTD W-L: 4-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: January 21, 1982
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 83

• Mahut is 3-22 against Top 10 players (all three wins have come indoors or on grass - No. 10 Grosjean at 2003 Lyon, No. 8 Ljubicic at 2007 Marseille and No. 2 Nadal at 2007 Queen’s Club)
• At first Grand Slam tourn. at Australian Open, reached 3R (l. to Djokovic), his best Grand Slam result since ’06 Wimbledon
• The Frenchman reached 2nd Rd. in only previous appearance in Rotterdam in 2008 (l. to Gabashvili)
 
(Q) Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) vs Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) Davydenko Leads 5-3
05 RUS v. FRA WG Qtrs (Russia) Clay RR Nikolay Davydenko 7-5 6-2 7-5
05 ATP Masters Series Cincinnati (USA) Hard R32 Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2
07 Sydney (Australia) Hard R16 Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4 ret
07 RUS v. FRA WG Qtrs (Russia) Clay RR Paul-Henri Mathieu 2-6 6-2 6-1 7-5
07 Moscow (Russia) Hard F Nikolay Davydenko 7-5 7-6(9)
08 Beijing Olympics (China) Hard R32 Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5 6-3
09 Hamburg (Germany) Clay F Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 6-2
09 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Montreal Hard R32 Nikolay Davydenko 7-6(4) 7-6(2)
Other Meetings:
00 Germany F3 (Neckarau) Clay R32 Nikolay Davydenko 6-0 4-6 6-4
01 Istanbul CH (Turkey) Hard SF Nikolay Davydenko 6-4 6-3
02 Wroclaw CH (Poland) Hard R32 Nikolay Davydenko 7-5 6-1
02 Braunschweig CH (Germany) Clay R16 Paul-Henri Mathieu 4-6 6-3 7-5

Mathieu FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-1
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: January 12, 1982
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 733

• Mathieu, a former World No. 12 who missed all of 2011 with a knee injury (returned to tour at end of January)
• He is 2-1 since coming back (reached 2nd Rd. of Montpellier and now 2nd Rd. here)
• With his 1st Rd. win over No. 15 Lopez, was first Top 20 win since 2010 Wimbledon (No. 14 Youzhny)
• This is the Frenchman’s third appearance in Rotterdam (2-2 record; has equaled best result by reaching 2nd Rd.)

Davydenko FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 21
Date of Birth: June 2, 1981
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 49

• Davydenko is former No. 3 but spent last five weeks outside Top 50 (first time out of Top 50 since 2004)
• This week is Russia’s No. 3 player (after No. 31 Youzhny and No. 33 Bogomolov Jr.)
• This is the Russian’s ninth appearance in Rotterdam (15-8 record; best results were SFs in 2006-07 and 2010)

Court 1

Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) vs Lukasz Kubot (POL)   Nieminen Leads 1-0
10 POL vs. FIN EAG I 1st RD (Poland) Hard RR Jarkko Nieminen 6-4  7-6(6)   6-7(4) 7-5
Other Meeting:
08 Helsinki CH (Finland) Hard QF Jarkko Nieminen 7-6(4) 5-7 7-6(2)

Court 2

Alex Bogomolov Jr. (RUS) vs Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) First ATP Meeting
Other Meeting:
07 Naples CH (U.S.A.) Clay R32 Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-3 3-0 ret

(Q) Karol Beck (SVK) vs Philipp Petzschner (GER)  First ATP Meeting
Other Meetings;
08 Belgrade CH (Serbia) Carpet SF Philipp Petzschner 1-6 7-6(3)  6-3
08 US Open Q (U.S.A.) Hard -- Philipp Petzschner 6-4 6-3

SAN JOSE WEDNESDAY PREVIEW – THREE-TIME WINNER RODDICK, REIGNING CHAMP RAONIC IN ACTION

• There are four first round matches and two second round matches involving former SAP Open champions, are on Wednesday’s order of play at the at the HP Pavilion at San Jose.

• In the opening match of the day, Aussie No. 2 Matthew Ebden and top Israeli Dudi Sela meet for the first time in a first round encounter. Ebden, who is making his San Jose debut, is 3-3 on the season and ranked No. 88. Sela also is 3-3 on the year and his best result was the quarter-finals in Chennai in the opening week of the season.

• In the second match, American Sam Querrey takes a 2-1 career mark against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan. Querrey was a semi-finalist here two years ago and quarter-finalist in 2009. The 24-year-old American comes in ranked No. 85 with an 1-3 match record on the season. Istomin has played well in San Jose, reaching the semi-finals two years ago and the quarter-finals last year. He began the first two weeks of the season with a quarter-final in Brisbane and semi-final in Sydney.

• In the third match on, American teenager Ryan Harrison and No. 8 seed Olivier Rochus of Belgium square off for the first time. The 19-year-old Harrison is the second-youngest player in the Top 100 South African Airways ATP Rankings at No. 94. He is coming off a straight-sets win in a dead rubber vs.Switzerland on Sunday. Rochus, who is the top Belgian on the ATP World Tour at No. 50, is making his SAP Open debut. Last month he advanced to his 10th career ATP World Tour final (2-8) in Auckland (l. to Ferrer).

• In the final match of the day session, No. 6 seed Julien Benneteau of France makes his San Jose debut against American Ryan Sweeting. Benneteau won the previous meeting in the first round of Eastbourne last June. Benneteau opened the first month with solid results, reaching his sixth career ATP World Tour final in Sydney (l. to Nieminen) and following with a third round at the Australian Open. Last season Sweeting earned his first career ATP World Tour title in Houston (d. Nishikori) and finished in the Top 100 for the first time at No. 72.

• In the evening session, No. 2 seed and three-time SAP Open winner (2004-05, ’08) Andy Roddick takes on American teenage qualifier Denis Kudla. Roddick is playing his first match since Jan. 19 when he retired with a right hamstring injury in the second round at the Australian Open against Lleyton Hewitt. Roddick owns a 32-6 career match record in San Jose and he’s the No. 3 ranked American (at No. 17). Kudla, who is ranked a career-high No. 203, is trying to reach his second career ATP World Tour quarter-final. His first quarter-final came in Newport last July.

• In the final match, reigning champ and No. 3 seed Milos Raonic of Canada plays German Tobias Kamke for the second time. In their first meeting on grass in Halle last June, Raonic won 76 63 in the second round. The 21-year-old Canadian came into San Jose last year ranked No. 84 and he went on to finish No. 31 and earn ATP World Tour Newcomer of the Year honors. In 2010, Kamke  was ATP Newcomer of the Year after jumping from No. 254 to No. 67.

Wednesday FedEx ATP Head 2 Heads – In Order of Play

Matthew Ebden (AUS) vs Dudi Sela (ISR)     First Meeting

Ebden FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 3-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: November 26, 1987
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 88

Sela FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
QF: Chennai (l Raonic)
YTD W-L: 3-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: April 4, 1985
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 73

Denis Istomin (UZB) vs Sam Querrey (USA)  Querrey Leads 2-1
09 Eastbourne (Great Britain) Grass R16 Denis Istomin 3-6 7-6(3)  6-4
09 Los Angeles (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Sam Querrey 6-2 6-0
11 Memphis (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Sam Querrey 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 6-4

Istomin FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
SF: Sydney (l Nieminen); QF: Brisbane (l Tomic)
YTD W-L: 5-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: September 7, 1986
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 61

Querrey FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 1-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 6
Date of Birth: October 7, 1987
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 85

Ryan Harrison (USA) vs (8) Olivier Rochus (BEL) First Meeting

Harrison FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 7, 1992
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 94

Rochus FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
F: Auckland (l Ferrer)
YTD W-L: 5-4
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: January 18, 1981
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 50

(5) Julien Benneteau (FRA) vs Ryan Sweeting (USA) Benneteau Leads 1-0
11 Eastbourne (Great Britain) Grass R32 Julien Benneteau 6-2 7-6(4)

Benneteau FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
F: Sydney (l Nieminen)
YTD W-L: 6-4
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: December 20, 1981
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 34

Sweeting FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: July 14, 1987
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 75

(Q) Denis Kudla (USA) vs (2) Andy Roddick (USA)  First Meeting

Kudla FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 1-1
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: August 17, 1992
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 203

Roddick FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 1-1
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 30
Date of Birth: August 30, 1982
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 17

(3) Milos Raonic (CAN) vs Tobias Kamke (GER) Raonic Leads 1-0
11 Halle (Germany) Grass R16 Milos Raonic 7-6(2) 6-3
 Other Meeting:
10 Granby CH (Canada) Hard F Tobias Kamke 6-3 7-6(4)

Raonic FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
W: Chennai (d Tipsarevic)
YTD W-L: 7-1
YTD Titles: 1
Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: December 27, 1990
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 32

Kamke FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 21, 1986
South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking: 89

SAO PAULO WEDNESDAY PREVIEW – MELLO-BELLUCCI ALL-BRAZILIAN ENCOUNTER HIGHLIGHTS DAY THREE

• There are five first round matches and one second round match on Wednesday’s schedule at the Brasil Open.

• In the first match of the day on Centre Court, Italian Potito Starace brings a 2-0 career mark against Chilean qualifier  Paul Capdeville. Starace has played well in Brazil, reaching the quarter-finals in 2007 and last year. He is looking to jump start his season, having only won one match (1-4) thus far. Capdeville is the top player from Chile and he’s looking for his first win in the tournament  (0-2). The 28-year-old Chilean’s last ATP World Tour match win was two years ago on home soil in Santiago.

• In the second match, the top player from Colombia, Santiago Giraldo, looks to improve on his 2-0 record against No. 8 seed Albert Ramos of Spain. Giraldo is off to a 6-4 start this season with a quarter-final in the opening week of the year in Brisbane. Ramos, who finished last year in the Top 100 for the first time at No. 66, is trying to rebound after a slow start (1-4). In the first week of the season he advanced to the quarter-finals in Doha.

• In the third match, No. 6 seed and 2010 winner Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain takes on Argentine Leonardo Mayer for the first time. Ferrero has an 11-3 career mark at the Brazilian tournament and last weekend he won the second rubber in Spain’s 5-0 first round Davis Cup victory over Kazakhstan. The 32-year-old Spaniard has won 16 career titles on the ATP World Tour, the most of any player in the field.  Mayer has finished in the Top 100 the past three years and he comes in No .80 this week.

• In the evening session, former World No. 3 David Nalbandian of Argentina makes his tournament debut against Frenchman Benoit Paire. The winner will face No. 2 seed Gilles Simon. Last weekend Nalbandian helped Argentina to a 4-1 victory over Germany in Davis Cup play, winning a singles and doubles match. Last month the 22-year-old Paire reached his first career ATP World Tour quarter-final in Auckland. He is ranked No. 98 after reaching a career-high No. 84 on Jan. 16.

• In the only second round  match, Brazilian left-handers Ricardo Mello and No. 4 seed Thomaz Bellucci meet for the fourth time. Bellucci leads 2-1 but Mello won the only clay court meeting in the quarter-finals of Costa do Sauipe two years ago. Mello has enjoyed success on home soil, reaching the semi-finals three times (2005, 2010-11) while compiling a 15-8 match record. The top Brazilian Bellucci, was runner-up in Costa do Sauipe in 2009 and he’s looking to reach his first quarter-final of the season.
February

Wednesday FedEx ATP Head 2 Heads – In Order of Play

Centre Court

Potito Starace (ITA) vs (Q) Paul Capdeville (CHI) Starace Leads 2-0
11 Santiago (Chile) Clay R32 Potito Starace 3-6 6-3 6-4
11 CHI vs ITA WG Play-Offs (Chile) Hard RR Potito Starace 6-3 6-3 2-6 7-6(5)

Starace FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 1-4
YTD Titles: 0/Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: July 14, 1981
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 76
*Tournament W-L (Best Result): 5-7 (QF in 2007, 2011)

Capdeville FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 0-1
YTD Titles: 0/Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: April 2, 1983
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 126
*Tournament W-L (Best Result): 0-2 (1R in 2003, ‘09)

Santiago Giraldo (COL) vs (8) Albert Ramos (ESP) Giraldo Leads 2-0
11 Acapulco (Mexico) Clay R32 Santiago Giraldo 4-6 7-5 7-5
11 Barcelona (Spain) Clay R32 Santiago Giraldo 6-3 4-6 6-3

Giraldo FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
QF: Brisbane (l Simon)
YTD W-L: 6-4
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: November 27, 1987
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 65

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): 0-1 (1R in 2011)

Ramos FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
QF: Doha (l Tsonga)
YTD W-L: 1-4
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: January 17, 1988
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 64

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): First main draw appearance

(6) Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) vs Leonardo Mayer (ARG)   First Meeting

Ferrero FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 1-2
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 16
Date of Birth: February 12, 1980
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 43

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): 11-3 (Winner in 2010)

Mayer FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 1-2
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 80

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): 1-1 (2R in 2011)

David Nalbandian (ARG) vs Benoit Paire (FRA)  First Meeting

Nalbandian FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-1
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 11
Date of Birth: January 1, 1982
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 84

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): First main draw appearance

Paire FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
QF: Auckland (l Rochus)
YTD W-L: 3-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 8, 1989
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 98

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): First main draw appearance

Ricardo Mello (BRA) vs (4) Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) Bellucci Leads 2-1
10 Costa Do Sauipe (Brazil) Clay QF Ricardo Mello 6-3 7-6(3)
10 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass R128 Thomaz Bellucci 6-4 6-4 6-4
11 Australian Open (Australia) Hard R128 Thomaz Bellucci 7-5 7-5 4-6 3-6 6-3
Other Meeting:
08 Florianopolis CH (Brazil) Clay SF Thomaz Bellucci 7-5 6-4

Mello FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: December 21, 1980
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 123

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): 15-8 (SF in 2005, 2010-11)

Bellucci FastFacts:
2012 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 2-3
YTD Titles: 0
Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: December 30, 1987
South African Airways ATP Ranking: 38

*Tournament W-L (Best Result): 7-4 (Runner-up in 2009)

Court 1

Blaz Kavcic (SLO) vs (Q) Jeremy Chardy (FRA)   Kavcic Leads 1-0
11 Chennai (India) Hard R32 Blaz Kavcic 6-3 6-2