** Both players will be making their tournament debut

Two of the most expected players of the 2017 Acapulco Open, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martín del Potro, raised the excitement amongst tennis fans in Acapulco. After a surprise confirmation of his attendance to the XXIV edition of the tournament, Djokovic arrived this Sunday in a private flight and had his first trainment in the main court in Mextenis.

According to the main draw, the No. 2 world ranked player will kick off the first round against 27 year old, Slovanian, Martin Klizan (ATP 65), more than a month after his unexpected elimination at the Australian Open, and his last match during the first rounds of the Cup Davis against Rusia where he worked particularly hard to win due to Daniil Medvev’s exit, Nole returns with a strong will to regain confidence and continue to score points to maintain his fight for the ATP and snatch the main position from Andy Murray.

On the other hand, Juan Martín del Potro is playing his second tournament of the 2017 season in Acapulco where he hadn’t been able to participate due to previous injuries. In past days, the Argentinian player played in the Delray Beach ATP 250 where he reached the semifinals and lost to Canadian Milos Raonic.

Three victories in the Florida tournament have given Delpo enough self-confidence to aspire to a good result in this year’s AMT (Acapulco Open). 

In addition to entertaining, the Acapulco Open also fulfills fans’ dreams.

During today’s afternoon fans got to be very close to their idol Rafael Nadal after finding out he was going to give a press meeting with a small selection of press. The crowd curiously swirled around and got their cameras, mobile phones and oversized tennis balls out and took position as they quickly knew that Nadal would be present hunting for a precious autograph or selfie.

As soon as Rafa arrived the screams and calls of fans filled the atmosphere. The 2^nd seed gave a smile to his followers and proceeded to answer his interviewers’ questions going through the different tables arranged for such purpose. Those hunting for autographs would closely and avidly wait for Nadal to finish the current interview and move to the next table to snatch a picture with their mobile device. 

Minutes later, the appearance of Eugenie Bouchard caused frenzy among the present fans. Dressed in a white T-shirt, neon orange and yellow shorts, and same colored tennis shoes, the Canadian player gave her best smile for the media. Eugenie, who recently posed for Sports Illustrated, was sought after by fans, which patiently waited for Bouchard to complete her activities and do as they did with Nadal.

When Rafa finished his round the crowd surrounded him immediately, but few were the ones who achieved the coveted prize since the Main Stadium was ready for the Spaniard’s afternoon training session.

Meanwhile, Cilic and Bouchard held a photo shoot at the beach. The fans began to disperse as they watched them go towards the their photo session…

Acapulco Open fans are excitedly looking forward to a highly possible final match between Serbian player Novak Djokovic and Spanish player Rafael Nadal after the draw ceremony of the 2017 Acapulco Open sponsored by Telcel and HSBC. Nole (2 ATP) is the first seed while Rafael (6 ATP) is the second seed after Canadian player Milos Raonic’s (4 ATP) last minute drop out.

Djokovic will kick off the Acapulco tournament with a match against Martin Klizan from Slovakia (65 ATP) and if he comes out triumphant from such game he will face another great favorite: Argentinian Juan Martín del Potro (42 ATP) next. During Quarter-finals there is a high probability of a clash between Nick Kyrgios (16 ATP) who is playing against Dudi Sela beforehand, and a semi final against David Goffin (10-ATP) whose first opponent in this tournament will be Frenchman Stephane Robert (80 ATP).

Nadal’s first match will be demanding for he will be measured against German Mischa Zverev (33 ATP). The two players have played against each other once during the second found of the Brisbane tournament this year and Nadal came out victorious. For his second duel he will be measured against the winner of the Paolo Lorenzi-Yen Hsun Lu match, and later either to the delray Beach champion Jack Sock or Spaniard Feliciano Lopez.

Former Acapulco Open champion and this year’s fourth seeded Austrian player Dominic Thiem will collide first against French player Gilles Simon.

David Goffin, who witnessed the draw ceremony spoke, “it is a very intense main draw but I’ll do my best. Every game will be tough but I know it will be a good tournament for me and all of the players… I’ll have to play game by game”.  Goffin was part of the Acapulco Open in 2014 and was ranked 107 ATP at that time so he had to win his pass to the main draw after playing qualification rounds and then lost against Latvian tennis player Ernests Gulbis.

Another first face-off with high expectations is the clash between the third seeded and 7 world ranked Marin Cilic and Ukrainian Alxandr Dolgopolov that hold a 1-1 H2H, although their most recent match was in 2012 during the Umag tournament were Cilic came out triumphant. Mexican tennis player Lucas Gomez, who received a wild card, is playing against Croatian Borna Coric in his first match.

For the women’s main draw,  Australian Open finalist and Acapulco Open’s first s seed Mirjana Lucid-Baroni will face Belinda Bencic while sixth seeded, Canadian Eugénie Bouchard will begin her journey with a face-off against Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic. On the other hand, Rio 2016 Olympic Champion Monica Puig from Puerto Rico will face Italian Francesca Schiavone while Renata Zarazúa (WC) will face Belgian Kirsten Flipkens (74 WTA).

Raúl Zurutuza, head of the tournament, is overjoyed about this year’s main draw since it is the best in the Mexican Open’s history. “This speaks about how this tournament is becoming more and more important to the players. We are ready to enjoy a great event”. 

Memphis’ champion plays during qualification rounds in Acapulco

Febru 25, 2017. Acapulco, Guerrero

With a two set win, American Player Ryan Harrison kicked of Qualies rounds for the 2017 Mexican Open sponsored by Telcel. Harrison (former champion of the Memphis ATP 250 and the Dallas Challenger) won by 6-3 and 6-3 over Australian player Matthew Ebden in the Caliente.MX Grand Stand.

Ranked 43 ATP, the Shreveport born player had summed up 11 consecutive wins after being eliminated during second rounds in the Aussie Open against Czech Tomas Berdych. 

During the Memphis finals Harrison triumphed over Nikoloz Basilashvilli from Georgia, to win his first ATP tour title. Meanwhile, in the Dallas Challenger he won over co-patriot Taylor Fritz.

This is the third time Harrison plays during qualification rounds; during the 2015 Abierto Mexicano de Tenis (Mexican Open) he surprised everyone when he made it all the way to semifinal rounds but fell defeated against Spaniard David Ferrer, a year later he unexpectedly triumphed over Croatian Marin Cilic but fell against Ukranian Ilya Marchenko.

During his second game during qualies looking to snatch a place in Acapulco’s Tournament main draw Harrison will face Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka who defeated German Tobias Kamke by 6-4 and 6-2.

Men’s 1^st Qualification Round

Ryan Harrison (EEUU) 6-3, 6-3 Matthew Edben (Australia)
Yoshihito Nishioka (Japan) 6-4, 6-2 Tobias Kamke (Germany)
Jordan Thompson (Australia) 6-1, 6-2 Alan Rubio (Mexico)
Stefan Kozlov (USA) 6-2, 6-2 Hyeon Chung (Korea)
Jared Donaldson (USA) 6-4, 6-3 Manuel Sánchez (Mexico)
Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3 Kevin Carpenter (Mexico)
Radu Albot (Moldavia) 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 Santiago Giraldo (Colombia)
Taylor Fritz (USA) 7-6, 6-1 Konstantin Kravchuk (Russia)

Women’s 1^st Qualification Round

Jennifer Brady (USA) 6-0, 6-3 Emma Reyes (México)
Marina Erakovic (NZL) 6-2, 6-2 Giovanna Manifacio (México)
Marie Bouzkova (Czech Republic) 6-1, 7-5 Asia Muhammad (USA)
Tatjana Maria (Germany) 6-3, 6-1 Nadia Podoroska (Argentina)
Fiona Ferro (France) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 Samantha Crawford (USA)
Jamie Loeb (USA) 6-2, 6-2 Jacqueline Cako (USA)
Verónica Cepede Royg (Paraguay) 6-1, 6-2 Victoria Rodríguez (Mexico)
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (EEUU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Giuliana Olmos (Mexico)
Sachia Vickery (USA) 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 Deniz Khazaniuk (Israel)
Mariana Duque-Mariño (Colombia) 6-1, 6-4 Francoise Abanda (Canada)
Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-1, 6-4 Catalina Pella (Argentina)
Chloe Paquet (France) 7-6, 6-3 Elitsa Kostova (Bulgaria)

After an early goodbye during the 2016 Acapulco Open the Croatian player comes back to the 2017 tournament with a thirst for triumph.

Marin Cilic, winner of 16 ATP titles -which includes one Grand Slam at the US Open in 2014- is undoubtedly one of the great attractions of the 2017 Abierto Mexicano de Tenis (Mexican Open) sponsored by Telcel.

After falling against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga during the quarterfinal rounds of the Rotterdam ATP Tournament, the Davis Cup finalist and ranked no. 7 by ATP, traveled earlier to Mexico to become familiarized with the Imperial Princess World’s hard courts and Acapulco’s climate.

Not everything has been intense training under the intense Acapulco sun, Cilic has used his time to carry out touristy beach-destination activities such as riding jet skis around the Acapulco Diamante Bay surprising both fans as fellow vacationers.

“It was an incredible experience to ride in the sea of ​​Acapulco. Now I understand why visitors and tennis players themselves speak so well about this place,” shared the Croatian 28 year old 6.5ft player. “The Acapulco Open will be a great tournament, there are several top ten ATP players and people deserve these kind and I know it will be a great spectacle for tennis fans,” added the fourth seeded.

This will be Cilic’s second participation during the Acapulco Open, last year the player was defeated during the first round by American Ryan Harrison, so he is ready for payback. This year Marin Cilic has to work hard during such tournament since his H2H against his top ten ATP rivals are not in his favor: 1-14 favoring Novak Djokovic; 1-3 in favor of Rafael Nadal, 1-1 with Raonic, 0-1 in favor of Dominic Thiem, and 1-3 against Goffin.

Federer Back In Top 10

Roger Federer is back in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings after winning his 18th Grand Slam championship at the Australian Open.
After missing the last six months of the 2016 ATP World Tour season to rehab his knee following arthroscopic surgery in February, the 35-year-old Swiss started the new year at No. 17, his lowest standing since May 2001. But his stunning triumph at Melbourne Park, where he beat Rafael Nadal in a five-set finale, saw Federer jump seven places to re-join the game’s elite.
“I think this one will take more time to sink in,” admitted Federer, who had waited almost five years to taste Grand Slam glory against after his 2012 Wimbledon victory. “When I go back to Switzerland, I’ll think, ‘Wow’.
“The magnitude of this match is going to feel different. I can’t compare this one to any other one except for maybe the French Open [at Roland Garros] in 2009. I waited for the French Open, I tried, I fought. I tried again and failed. Eventually I made it. This feels similar.”
The 2017 Australian Open turned out to be a Grand Slam of fairy tales. Federer facing his great rival Nadal across the net was nothing short of remarkable, considering the way 2016 ended for Nadal, nursing a wrist injury and finishing his season early in October. The Spaniard’s run in Melbourne sees him return to No. 6 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
But no-one lit up Melbourne Park more than Mischa Zverev. At 29-years-old, the German stunned World No. 1 Andy Murray to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final (l. to Federer) and captured the hearts of the Australian public, who learned that just two years ago Zverev had been ranked outside the Top 1000. It has been a long road back for Zverev, who almost quit playing as injuries took hold. But he is now at a career-high No. 35 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, eclipsing his previous career-high of eight years ago by 10 spots.
“There’s a lot of positive things I can take with me, hopefully take with me through the whole season, use the confidence to do well in many more tournaments to come,” said Zverev.
“Half a year ago I was hoping I could maybe be in the Top 100. Now I’m ranked a lot higher. So you never know where the game’s going to take you. If I stay healthy, then a lot of things are possible this year.”

SERENA SOARS TO TOP SPOT

Serena Williams came away with more than just a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title and a return to the No.1 rankings. The American is also in pole position to return to the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global for the first time since winning it in 2014.
Serena missed back-to-back WTA Finals due to injury, but looked healthy and fit through the fortnight in Melbourne, racing to her seventh Australian Open crown without the loss of a set.
Not far behind is sister Venus Williams, who served notice in Australia by reaching her first Grand Slam final since 2009, falling to Serena in two tight sets. Venus won the WTA Finals in 2008, but hasn’t qualified in seven years, when she reached the final in another all-Williams affair.
Johanna Konta narrowly missed out on Greatest Eight qualification in 2016, but her strong start to the season brings her up to No.3 on the Road to Singapore leaderboard after winning her second career title at the Apia International Sydney and reaching the last eight in Melbourne.
Meanwhile, the doubles Road to Singapore leaderboard is also starting to take shape, with Australian Open champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova leading the pack, while finalists Andrea Hlavackova and Peng Shuai settle for second place.

Raonic Beats Bautista Agut

World No. 3 Milos Raonic, the highest seed remaining at the Australian Open, secured his place in the quarter-finals for the third successive year by beating Spanish No. 13 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in two hours and 51 minutes on Monday.
Raonic, who hit 75 winners – including 33 aces (for a total of 93 aces at the major championship), will meet ninth seed and 2009 champion Rafael Nadal on Wednesday. Raonic trails Nadal 2-6 lifetime in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
“I was very fortunate to get the win today – there were some moments when it wasn’t looking so good,” said Raonic, during an on-court interview. “I was happy that I was able to find a way to pull through. And this atmosphere – especially when the roof closed, the noise stays in a little bit more, so it was great to be here. We live to see another day.”
Raonic opened up a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Bautista Agut worked his way back and led 5/1 in the tie-break. Raonic capitalised on his comeback with a service break to start the second set, but Bautista Agut found holes in the Canadian’s baseline game.
Bautista Agut held three break points in the ninth game of the third set, after the match was briefly suspended due to a rain delay at 3-3, but Raonic escaped. At 4-5, Bautista Agut double-faulted and then hit a forehand long to gift Raonic a commanding lead. Raonic then cruised to a 5-0 lead in the fourth set.
Looking back on his Brisbane quarter-final against Nadal, Raonic said, “We both tried to be the aggressors early on. I fought through a difficult moment midway through that second set. Then, I thought I had it pretty handily after that point. I broke towards the end of that second set. Broke right away in the third. Had a lot of 0/30 games [and] had a lot of break chances following after that, holding quite easy.”

Nadal Battles Monfils

Rafael Nadal recorded his fifth straight victory – and 13th win overall in 15 meetings – against Gael Monfils at the Australian Open in just under three hours on Monday night for a place in his 30th Grand Slam championship quarter-final.
Ninth seed Nadal, who beat Roger Federer for the 2009 title, improved to 49-10 at Melbourne Park with a 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over fellow 30-year-old Monfils, the No. 6 seed from France. The 30 year old’s win denied Monfils his 250th tour-level match win on hard courts and gave the Spanish superstar his first Grand Slam victory over a player in the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings since beating then No. 2-ranked Novak Djokovic in the 2014 Roland Garros final.
Nadal experienced little resistance from Monfils through the first two sets, but when he hit a double fault and three unforced errors at 4-4 in the third set the encounter turned on its head. Monfils, also a crowd favourite in Melbourne, broke and saved four break points en route to clinching the 48-minute set. Although Nadal, struggled at times for groundstroke fluency, he performed well on serve and, courtesy of two service breaks in the fourth set, kept alive his chances of clinching a 15th major championship crown.
“I had chances to break in the third set,” said Nadal, during an on-court interview. “I didn’t play my best game at 4-4. You are [then] under pressure against a player like him. [In the fourth set] I think against Gael, I made a few mistakes in a row and played a good backhand on the break point.
“I’m very happy being in the quarter-finals in a Grand Slam after a couple of years without being there. It is very special for me and especially here in Australia, where it feels a little like home. The crowd is always supporting me.”
Nadal has a 6-2 advantage over his next opponent, World No. 3 Milos Raonic, in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but Raonic won their most recent clash, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the Brisbane International presented by Suncorp 16 days ago.
“I have to play very, very well, that’s the only way,” said Nadal. “He beat me a couple of weeks ago in Brisbane. It was a tough game. He’s a top player with an amazing serve, so I need to be focused with my serve and wait for opportunities on my return.”
Monfils, now on a six-match losing streak against Top 10 opponents, reflected, “I think I really struggled with my return. I could not make enough returns at the beginning of the match. So that was a little bit inconvenience… It would have been a big help to have a better serve. I couldn’t reach all the spots at the beginning. [There was] not much accuracy. So it was just a battle to get back. Rafa fought, [and] found the way to fight. I would say he is a true champion so he deserves the match… I think he’s playing great. He’s a great returner… He’s on top of his game.

VANDEWEGHE VAULTS PAST MUGURUZA

CoCo Vandeweghe played impeccable tennis to continue a career-best run, dispatching No.7 seed Garbiñe Muguruza, 6-4, 6-0 to reach the Australian Open semifinals.
“It’s amazing to be in a semifinal,” she said in her post-match press conference. “But, you know, not satisfying. I want to keep going, keep playing. There’s more things to do out on a tennis court that I’m hoping to achieve.”
Vandeweghe might have been forgiven for having a letdown less than 48 hours after defeating World No.1 and defending champion Angelique Kerber in the previous round.
But with the help of coach Craig Kardon, it was clear the unseeded American came to play from the outset, earning break points in the very first game against Muguruza, who was playing in her first major quarterfinal since winning Roland Garros.
“I thought I took care of the things that I could control, which is the most important thing: not letting outside factors affect anything that was happening.
“It’s kind of weathering the storm a little bit, knowing what Craig and I talked about before the match: the game plan is going to work, and believing in it, not wavering from it, which I’m very proud of myself for doing, especially early in the first set when I was kind of squandering quite a few break points.”
The first set came down to one break of serve, which Vandeweghe converted and never looked back, losing just one more game in one hour and 23 minute masterclass.
“Maybe I play better nervous and scared. I don’t know. I think I don’t shy away from a challenge necessarily. I never have. Growing up, I’ve always just been wanting to prove people wrong in a lot of different regards.
“I think it’s more that I take it as an enjoyable challenge. It’s what I want to do. It’s where I want to be. To face the best players is definitely an accomplishment, to say for myself that I’ve gotten to the point that I’ve beat and face these top players.”