Barcelona Open 2019, Spain, ATP 500

[britbox]

DATE: April 22 - 28 2019
SURFACE: CLAY
PRIZE MONEY: €2,609,135
FIELD SIZE: 28
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Rafael Nadal

Seeds:

1 NADAL, Rafael
2 ZVEREV, Alexander
3 THIEM, Dominic
4 NISHIKORI, Kei
5 TSITSIPAS, Stefanos
6 KHACHANOV, Karen
7 MEDVEDEV, Daniil
8 FOGNINI, Fabio
9 SHAPOVALOV, Denis
10 GOFFIN, David
11 SIMON, Gilles
12 CARRENO BUSTA, Pablo
13 DIMITROV, Grigor
14 TIAFOE, Frances
15 POUILLE, Lucas
16 AUGER-ALIASSIME, Felix

The 2019 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (also known as the Torneo Godó) is the 67th edition of the event and part of the ATP World Tour 500 series of the 2019 ATP World Tour. It takes place at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona.

About Barcelona

Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. The fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city. Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their namesakes. City history museum MUHBA, includes several Roman archaeological sites. it is also home to the storied football team FC Barcelona.

Some Barcelona Trivia...


BARCELONA BEACHES ARE ARTIFICIAL

There were no beaches in Barcelona until 1992. The seaside of Barcelona was full of local industries up until the city decided to host the Olympic Games. Since 1992 you can find several man made beaches along a 4.5 km coastline.

THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE COLUMBUS MONUMENT

The Columbus Monument was built in 1888 for the World Exposition. After reconstruction works, the monument was reopened in June 2013. It unites two of the most important roads of Barcelona: the traditional Ramblas and Passeig de Colon, right in front of the port of Barcelona.

LAS RAMBLAS IS ACTUALLY 5 DIFFERENT AVENUES

La Rambla street is a famous meeting point for tourists, and it is busy throughout the day and night. Every day, there are more than 150,000 people taking a walk along this street.

The main feature of the Rambla Street is that it's divided into five separate avenues flowing smoothly into each other.

BARCELONA HAS 12 ABANDONED METRO STATIONS

Today in Barcelona, there are 12 abandoned stations between subway and commuter trains, and more and more fans of adventure and mystery come to Barcelona to visit these Ghost Metro stations.

BARCELONA THE ONLY CITY THAT RECEIVES A ROYAL GOLD MEDAL

Barcelona is the first and only city that received a Royal Gold Medal for architecture in 1999. 10interestingfacts10

This honor for architecture is awarded annually since 1848, by the Royal Institute of British Architects on behalf of the British monarch, in recognition of an individual’s or group’s substantial contribution to international architecture.

 

[britbox]

The Draw:

 

[herios]

Strangely Schwartzman played in the qualifications. Probably it was a last minute entry.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Ralph has brutal draw. Pretty tough opps except for the first round (bye, who has not won a single match in career) and second round.

In third he faces Lucas who has beaten him before, though on hard. In QF, he faces Perseus who is on the upswing. In SF, he gets Thiem and in F, he gets Fog/Sasha.

 

[Fiero425]

Ralph has brutal draw. Pretty tough opps except for the first round (bye, who has not won a single match in career) and second round.

In third he faces Lucas who has beaten him before, though on hard. In QF, he faces Perseus who is on the upswing. In SF, he gets Thiem and in F, he gets Fog/Sasha.

I saw that a couple days ago! I thought as the top seed, Rafa was in for it with a very tough draw in comparison to Sasha! I didn't make a big deal of it to placate "the haters" that just can't stand that kind of commentary from me for some inexplicable reason! :whistle:

 

[Fiero425]

Strangely Schwartzman played in the qualifications. Probably it was a last minute entry.

Lindsey just mentioned this on TTC; mishandling of the entry by either Schwartzman or his agent! He asked for a WC & didn't get it! As a possible #11 seed, it must have been rather late realizing the oversight! Never heard of going thru qualifying in this instance! :whistle:

 

[Moxie]

Granollers beat Jarry in qualifying. Then Jarry got the LL and beat Granollers to advance. That's gotta sting.

 

[Moxie]

Ralph has brutal draw. Pretty tough opps except for the first round (bye, who has not won a single match in career) and second round.

In third he faces Lucas who has beaten him before, though on hard. In QF, he faces Perseus who is on the upswing. In SF, he gets Thiem and in F, he gets Fog/Sasha.

I don't think you're reading the draw correctly...you're looking through your hate-glasses, and projecting too many matches that have yet to happen. You've gotten confident thinking that Rafa just lost in MC. His quarter is not bad. He's destroyed Pouille on clay, and Pouille is no one to count on. The quarter below him has Goffin, Tsitsipas and Fucsovic, so it depends on who comes through, but I'd be more worried about Fucsovic, tbh.

Out of the bottom half, maybe Medvedev or Fognini, but I wonder who thinks the Fog is ready to double up?

 

[mrzz]

Mayer, for a R2 match, is not a gimme by no means, specially if you consider that his countryman Pella had game points to go double break up against him just last week. Their game styles are not that dissimilar, even though Nadal struggled a bit with the fact that Pella is left handed. On the other hand, Mayer is taller, and tall players have a bit of an opening against Nadal.

 

[Moxie]

Mayer, for a R2 match, is not a gimme by no means, specially if you consider that his countryman Pella had game points to go double break up against him just last week. Their game styles are not that dissimilar, even though Nadal struggled a bit with the fact that Pella is left handed. On the other hand, Mayer is taller, and tall players have a bit of an opening against Nadal.

Not exactly a gimme, but the h2h is 5-0 in Nadal's favor. Not good result on clay for Mayer, either. And he's a one-hander. Unless Rafa plays crap again, I don't think Mayer is going to win this one.

 

[mrzz]

...well, Nadal's H2H against most of his R1 and R2's would be like that. And, about the one hander (ha! you know I would not miss that), remember that I compiled the numbers a while ago and one handers have a better winning percentage against Nadal than two handers...(obviously Nadal has a massive lead against large groups as those two, but if I recall it correctly it was something like -- on clay in particular -- 92% against two handers and 85% against one handers. If you invert the numbers, one handers have roughly twice the success rate against Nadal than two handers.

 

[Moxie]

...well, Nadal's H2H against most of his R1 and R2's would be like that. And, about the one hander (ha! you know I would not miss that), remember that I compiled the numbers a while ago and one handers have a better winning percentage against Nadal than two handers...(obviously Nadal has a massive lead against large groups as those two, but if I recall it correctly it was something like -- on clay in particular -- 92% against two handers and 85% against one handers. If you invert the numbers, one handers have roughly twice the success rate against Nadal than two handers.

We shall see, but I don't see this as much of a speed-bump.

 

[herios]

I like the fact that the younger Americans elect to go to Europe earlier and play from the beginning during the clay season: Fritz, Opelka, Tiafoe, Kudla, McDonald. In the last 15 years or so, they used to start the clay season a lot later, 3-4 weeks in it, missing basically half of it.

 

[Moxie]

I like the fact that the younger Americans elect to go to Europe earlier and play from the beginning during the clay season: Fritz, Opelka, Tiafoe, Kudla, McDonald. In the last 15 years or so, they used to start the clay season a lot later, 3-4 weeks in it, missing basically half of it.

USTA has made an effort to get the kids on clay younger. Perhaps bearing fruit. At least they're not so afraid.

 

[mrzz]

We shall see, but I don't see this as much of a speed-bump.

Let's put it this way: this would be a tricky R1/2 for anyone else in the field.

 

[Moxie]

Let's put it this way: this would be a tricky R1/2 for anyone else in the field.

That I agree with. I just find it amusing that folks are getting all cocky about Nadal losing, just because he lost to FFF at MC. Suddenly everything is possible. Sure, it's possible. But Fabio Fognini was Kyrgios, in some ways, before there was a Kyrgios...lots of talent, if he could be bothered, and if he could pull his head together. Leo Mayer isn't either of them.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

That I agree with. I just find it amusing that folks are getting all cocky about Nadal losing, just because he lost to FFF at MC. .

I was never worried about Ralph winning 1R and 2R. See my post above. But, I do think he is vulnerable in every match after that independent of whom he plays against.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

.

but I wonder who thinks the Fog is ready to double up?

I second this. But, it does not really help Ralph though.

 

[isabelle]

Kei beat Fritz, Kuhn beat Delbonis

 

[Moxie]

I second this. But, it does not really help Ralph though.

That comment was actually independent of Rafa's prospects.