Topic: ATP - Casablanca - Grand Prix Hassan II - 7-15 April 2012

[conchita]

A Royal Stop In Casablanca



The Grand Prix Hassan II, inaugurated in 1986, is entirely funded by Morocco's King Mohammed VI. Casablanca is the only ATP World Tour stop on the African continent. Two Moroccans have won the title in their home country: Hicham Arazi in 1997 and Younes El Aynaoui in 2002.

Name: Grand Prix Hassan II
Category: ATP World Tour 250
Place: Casablanca, Morocco
Date: 09.04.2012-15.04.2012
Draw Size: S-28 D-16 Surface: Clay
Prize Money: € 398,250
Total Financial Commitment: € 450,000 Ticket Hotline: +212-2298-1266
http://www.gphassan2tennis.com/site/index.php

Andujar Bids To Retain Title
Spain's Pablo Andujar, who captured his first ATP World Tour title at the Grand Prix Hassan II with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Italian Potito Starace in 2011, returns in a bid to retain the trophy at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament.

Mayer Aims For Better Run - World No. 20 Florian Mayer, who has a 70-59 career record on clay courts, makes his fourth appearance in Casablanca. He has twice reached the second round (2005-06).

Montañes Returns Again - Highly experienced clay-court specialist Albert Montañes, who reached the 2007 final (l. to Mathieu), fell to eventual champion Pablo Andujar in last year's semi-finals.

Dolgopolov Starts Clay Campaign- World No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov makes only his second main draw Casablanca appearance. In January, he lost to Andy Murray in the Brisbane final.

Singles Players # Player W-L Best Finish
1 Florian Mayer (GER) 2-3 R16-'06,05
2 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 0-1 R32-'10
3 Pablo Andujar (ESP) 5-0 W-'11
4 Denis Istomin (UZB) 0-0   
5 Donald Young (USA) 0-0   
6 Robin Haase (NED) 0-1 R32-'10
7 Albert Ramos (ESP) 0-0   
8 Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2-2 Q-'11

Doubles Players
1 Cermak / Polasek   
2 Butorac / Soares   
3 Marrero / Melo   
4 Bracciali / Fognini

Draw
(1) Mayer, Florian
Qualifier vs Chardy, Jeremy
Jaziri, Malek vs Hanescu, Victor
Riba, Pere vs (7) Ramos, Albert
---------------------------
(4) Istomin, Denis
Montanes, Albert vs Andreev, Igor
Mathieu, Paul-Henri vs WC Ziadi, Mehdi
Garcia-Lopez, Guillermo vs (8) Fognini, Fabio
----------------------------
(6) Haase, Robin vs Qualifier
Qualifier vs Machado, Rui
Starace, Potito vs Qualifier
(3) Andujar, Pablo
------
(5) Young, Donald vs Paire, Benoit
Bachinger, Matthias vs Volandri, Filippo
Cipolla, Flavio vs WC Idmbarek, Yassine
(2) Dolgopolov, Alexandr

[conchita]

Monday, OOP

Court Central - start at 11:00 am
Martin Fischer (AUT) vs Lamine Ouahab (ALG) - Qualifying Final Round
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) vs (8) Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Albert Montañes (ESP) vs Igor Andreev (RUS)
(5) Donald Young (USA) vs Benoit Paire (FRA)

Court 2 - start at 11:00 am
Iñigo Cervantes (ESP) vs Roberto Bautista-Agut (ESP)  - Qualifying Final Round
Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) vs Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol (ESP)  - Qualifying Final Round

Court 3 - start at 1:00 pm
Nicolas Devilder (FRA) vs Federico Delbonis (ARG)  - Qualifying Final Round

[Djokovic Champion]

This is a ATP 250 or ATP 500?

[Babblelot]

'bout time!

Andujar defending champ. Who knew?

[Babblelot]

This is a ATP 250 or ATP 500?

Has to be 250, but like you I'm too lazy to look it up.

[ashwin#1]

A Royal Stop In Casablanca



The Grand Prix Hassan II, inaugurated in 1986, is entirely funded by Morocco's King Mohammed VI. Casablanca is the only ATP World Tour stop on the African continent. Two Moroccans have won the title in their home country: Hicham Arazi in 1997 and Younes El Aynaoui in 2002.

Name: Grand Prix Hassan II
Category: ATP World Tour 250
Place: Casablanca, Morocco
Date: 09.04.2012-15.04.2012
Draw Size: S-28 D-16 Surface: Clay
Prize Money: € 398,250

it is ATP 250..
players line-up looks uninteresting when compared to houston.. ..

[Alex]

I'm confused, I thought this was a challenger ... 

[conchita]

Has to be 250, but like you I'm too lazy to look it up.

if there's no mention in the topc's name the atp/wta tournaments are 250/ international.
sad, it is the only the atp event in Africa (Johannesburg lasted 3 editions with champions Tsonga, Lopez and local Anderson).
also the wta event in Morocco is a candidate for weakest wta event of the year.
increcible Morocco relegated to group III after losing at home vs Monaco.
Andujar is 1-4 in career finals, last year he played 3 finals.
interesting, Young is playing in this one and not Houston.

 

[Babblelot]

Makes me think DY was a practice player on the DC team. More likely he's thumbing his nose at the USTA.

[Djokovic Champion]

This is a ATP 250 or ATP 500?

Has to be 250, but like you I'm too lazy to look it up.

Thank you very much.

[conchita]

Monday

Singles - First Round
B.Paire (FRA) d. (5) D.Young 46 76(5) 62, tumble his nose in Morocco, too.
G Garcia-Lopez  defeats (8)  F Fognini  64 36 75, good win on hist worst surface for GGL.
I Andreev  defeats  A Montañes  63 63 , the downfall of Montañes has no end. sad.

Singles - Qualifying Final Round 
L Ouahab  defeats  M Fischer  57 63 63
S Gutierrez-Ferrol  defeats (3)  E Donskoy  46 62 75 
6)  R Bautista-Agut  defeats  I Cervantes  63 63
(5)  F Delbonis  defeats  N Devilder  62 63 

[conchita]

Tuesday, April 10, 2012, OOP

Court Central Start 11:00 am
Q] Federico Delbonis (ARG) v Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) v [WC] Mehdi Ziadi (MAR)
Flavio Cipolla (ITA) v [WC] Yassine Idmbarek (MAR)
[6] Robin Haase (NED) v[Q] Lamine Ouahab (ALG)
 
Court 2 Start 11:00 am
Pere Riba (ESP) v [7] Albert Ramos (ESP)
Not Before 1:00 PM
Malek Jaziri (TUN) v Victor Hanescu (ROU)
Jonathan Marray (GBR) / Jamie Murray (GBR) v Albert Montanes (ESP) / Albert Ramos (ESP)
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) / Malek Jaziri (TUN) v Pablo Andujar (ESP) / Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)

Court 3 Start 11:00 am
Michal Mertinak (SVK) / Andre Sa (BRA) v [4] Daniele Bracciali (ITA) / Fabio Fognini (ITA)
Not Before 1:00 PM
Matthias Bachinger (GER) v Filippo Volandri (ITA)
Potito Starace (ITA) v [Q] Roberto Bautista-Agut (ESP)

Court 6 Start 1:00 pm
[1] Frantisek Cermak (CZE) / Filip Polasek (SVK) v Dustin Brown (GER) / Paul Hanley (AUS)
[Q] Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol (ESP) v Rui Machado (POR)

[Babblelot]

I got to watch GGL v. Fognini. Roller coaster! 

Tried to watch DY but couldn't hang in there. Surprised to see he took the first set after dropping his first 2 service games.

[conchita]

Tuesday

Singles - First Round
J Chardy  defeats  F Delbonis  64 75 
P Mathieu  defeats  M Ziadi  63 61 
F Cipolla  defeats  Y Idmbarek  61 26 61
L Ouahab  defeats (6)  R Haase  63 62  !!!!!
(7)  A Ramos  defeats  P Riba  62 63 
V Hanescu  defeats  M Jaziri  62 30   
P Starace  defeats  R Bautista-Agut  64 75 
M Bachinger  defeats  F Volandri  63 36 63
S Gutierrez-Ferrol  defeats  R Machado  62 61 

Doubles - First Round
 A Dolgopolov / M Jaziri  defeats  P Andujar / G Garcia-Lopez  76(5) 76(6)
 J Marray / J Murray  defeats  A Montanes / A Ramos  67(3) 62 10-3 
(4)  D Bracciali / F Fognini  defeats  M Mertinak / A Sa  36 76(1) 10-4   
 D Brown / P Hanley  defeats (1)  F Cermak / F Polasek  76(3) 63 

[conchita]

Wednesday, OOP

Court Central Start 11:00 am
[4] Denis Istomin (UZB) v Igor Andreev (RUS)
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) v Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)
Flavio Cipolla (ITA) v [WC/2] Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR)
[WC] Mohamed Saber (MAR) / Mehdi Ziadi (MAR) v Mikhail Elgin (RUS) /Denis Istomin (UZB)

Court 2 Start 11:00 am
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Matthias Bachinger (GER)
[WC] Anas Fattar (MAR) / Younes Rachidi (MAR) v Robin Haase (NED) /Jean-Julien Rojer (NED)
Matthias Bachinger (GER) / Florian Mayer (GER) v [2] Eric Butorac (USA) /Bruno Soares (BRA)

Court 3 Start 1:00 pm
Jonathan Marray (GBR) / Jamie Murray (GBR) v [4] Daniele Bracciali (ITA) / Fabio Fognini (ITA)
[3] David Marrero (ESP) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) v Christopher Kas (GER) / Julian Knowle (AUT)

[conchita]

Wednesday

Singles -Second Round
F Cipolla  defeats (2)  A Dolgopolov  64 61 big upset 
I Andreev  defeats (4)  D Istomin  67(3) 63 62
G Garcia-Lopez  defeats  P Mathieu  64 62 
B Paire  defeats  M Bachinger  67(3) 63 62

Doubles - Quarterfinals
(4)  D Bracciali / F Fognini  defeats  J Marray / J Murray  64 64 

Doubles - First round
(2)  E Butorac / B Soares  defeats  M Bachinger / F Mayer  61 62
(3)  D Marrero / M Melo  defeats  C Kas / J Knowle  67(4) 76(5) 10-1
R Haase / J Rojer  defeats  (WC) A Fattar / Y Rachidi  61 62   
M Elgin / D Istomin defeats (WC) M Saber / M Ziadi 64 60

[conchita]

Thursday, April 12, 2012, OOP

Court Central Start 11:00 am
[1] Florian Mayer (GER) v Jeremy Chardy (FRA)
Potito Starace (ITA) v [3] Pablo Andujar (ESP)
[Q] Lamine Ouahab (ALG) v [Q] Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol (ESP)
Dustin Brown (GER) / Paul Hanley (AUS) v Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) / Malek Jaziri (TUN)

Court 2 Start 11:00 am
Victor Hanescu (ROU) v [7] Albert Ramos (ESP)
[3] David Marrero (ESP) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) v Mikhail Elgin (RUS) / Denis Istomin (UZB)
Robin Haase (NED) / Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) v [2] Eric Butorac (USA) / Bruno Soares (BRA)

[swish]

F Cipolla defeats (2) A Dolgopolov 64 61 big upset

 
How does Dolgo lose here?

[Babblelot]

F Cipolla defeats (2) A Dolgopolov 64 61 big upset

 
How does Dolgo lose here?

Isn't that going to be the storyline for Dolgo? I suspect he'll have a career similar to Baghdatis. Both are pretty much flakes.

[HarryWild]

The Donald lost in the first round.  It is in Morocco and that means heavy travel expenses.  He better do well in the French Open or his ranking will be back to the 200s.