Brazil Open - São Paulo, Brazil - ATP 250

[tented]

DATE: Feb 25 - Mar 3, 2019
SURFACE: Clay
PRIZE MONEY: $550,145
FIELD SIZE: 32
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Fabio Fognini

Seeds:

1. Joao Sousa
2. Malek Jaziri
3. Guido Pella
4. Leonardo Mayer
5. Pablo Cuevas
6. Jaume Munar
7. Juan Ignacio Londero
8. Taro Daniel

The Tournament:

After 11 successful years in Costa do Sauipe, the Brasil Open moved to South São Paulo in 2012. The ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tournament has been won by the top players on the ATP World Tour, including Spaniard Rafael Nadal and Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten. Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas capped off a historic three-peat in 2017.

About São Paulo:

It is the most populous city in Brazil, as well in the the Southern Hemisphere and in the Western Hemisphere. The municipality is the Earth's 13th largest city proper by population. It is the banking capital of South America and has its largest GDP. It exerts strong international influences in commerce, finance, arts, and entertainment. It is a cosmopolitan city, having the large Arab, Italian, Japanese, and Jewish populations.

 

[tented]

 

[isabelle]

defending champ's not there ??

 

[Moxie]

FAA is still holding onto the early break lead over Cuevas in the 3rd. 5-3 in the 3rd with Cuevas serving. My TV is showing Wawrinka, so I can only see live scores. @El Dude: just fyi.

EDIT: FAA broke to win! Good win for him.

 

[Moxie]

defending champ's not there ??

I did see a photo on Twitter of him celebrating Flavia's birthday with her, so maybe he decided to stay home and tend to personal business this week.

 

[mrzz]

My poor home tournament! The only week ATP comes to less than a mile from my place and I am very far away! I barely had internet for almost a week (which was actually a very good feeling), still can not even watch highlights on youtube. By the way thanks @tented for spelling the city's name correctly in thread title (but not in the OP).

Just because my good friend @Moxie likes it, here are a few fun facts about São Paulo:

Once a rhino was elected as a city councilor (with more than 100.000 votes, this is a classic).

It is the world's greatest population of Japanese, Italians and Lebanese in one city outside their home countries (this is the classical trivia but it is very true. One nice thing about it is that large numbers of Lebanese, Syrians and Arabs live side by side and very friendly with a large Jew community).

São Paulo is known for the gastronomy, but I beg to differ from my city co-inhabitants and can safely say that in general a "paulistano" (that's how we call who is from São Paulo) barely can distinguish food from trash. Fancy places generally are expensive and terrible, and the really good places are ugly and dirty. But at some point places started to become artificially ugly and dirty, so they would look good, but they still sucked, hence they became ugly, dirty, and terrible. There are good places but they are hard to find. If you ever come here, avoid the crowded places and just ask opinions from outsiders.

It is probably one of the most heterogeneous places in the world. At some points, like Avenida Paulista or Ibirapuera's park, you see sharing the same space people from all over the socio-economical spectrum (from homeless people to actual Billionaires), from all over the racial spectrum (from black to white and vice versa with all possible shades, indigenous, asian and all possible mixes imaginable), from all over cultural spectrum with all possible sexual orientations.

 

[tented]

My poor home tournament! The only week ATP comes to less than a mile from my place and I am very far away! I barely had internet for almost a week (which was actually a very good feeling), still can not even watch highlights on youtube. By the way thanks @tented for spelling the city's name correctly in thread title (but not in the OP).

Fixed!

 

[Horsa]

My poor home tournament! The only week ATP comes to less than a mile from my place and I am very far away! I barely had internet for almost a week (which was actually a very good feeling), still can not even watch highlights on youtube. By the way thanks @tented for spelling the city's name correctly in thread title (but not in the OP).

Just because my good friend @Moxie likes it, here are a few fun facts about São Paulo:

Once a rhino was elected as a city councilor (with more than 100.000 votes, this is a classic).

It is the world's greatest population of Japanese, Italians and Lebanese in one city outside their home countries (this is the classical trivia but it is very true. One nice thing about it is that large numbers of Lebanese, Syrians and Arabs live side by side and very friendly with a large Jew community).

São Paulo is known for the gastronomy, but I beg to differ from my city co-inhabitants and can safely say that in general a "paulistano" (that's how we call who is from São Paulo) barely can distinguish food from trash. Fancy places generally are expensive and terrible, and the really good places are ugly and dirty. But at some point places started to become artificially ugly and dirty, so they would look good, but they still sucked, hence they became ugly, dirty, and terrible. There are good places but they are hard to find. If you ever come here, avoid the crowded places and just ask opinions from outsiders.

It is probably one of the most heterogeneous places in the world. At some points, like Avenida Paulista or Ibirapuera's park, you see sharing the same space people from all over the socio-economical spectrum (from homeless people to actual Billionaires), from all over the racial spectrum (from black to white and vice versa with all possible shades, indigenous, asian and all possible mixes imaginable), from all over cultural spectrum with all possible sexual orientations.

Are you enjoying your holiday? I missed you being around although I hope you're having a good time doing what you want to do.

I enjoy your extra information too though I think tastes vary massively. It wouldn't do for everyone to be the same. What is your favourite food?

 

[mrzz]

Are you enjoying your holiday? I missed you being around although I hope you're having a good time doing what you want to do.

I enjoy your extra information too though I think tastes vary massively. It wouldn't do for everyone to be the same. What is your favourite food?

Thanks, Horsa. Sadly holidays are entering their last week.

Yes, tastes differ, sure. But plain old quality is less subjective. My favorite food is red meat, something São Paulo is famous for, specially when foreigners come. Well, you will be able to find good meat in SP, but you need to really pay for it.

 

[mrzz]

About the tournament, this kid Ruud just loves Brazil, it seems. I guess 80% of his ATP level wins came in Brazil (both in Rio and São Paulo tournaments).

FAA got another good clay scalp on Ramos. He might be a dangerous clay floater when the European clay season begins. And Djere seems to be on a Brazilian run. Never saw him play... maybe @Mastoor can say something about his countryman.

 

[Horsa]

Thanks, Horsa. Sadly holidays are entering their last week.

Yes, tastes differ, sure. But plain old quality is less subjective. My favorite food is red meat, something São Paulo is famous for, specially when foreigners come. Well, you will be able to find good meat in SP, but you need to really pay for it.

You're welcome, Mrzz. Enjoy the rest of your holiday.

I like red meat too. Roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, veg, mashed & roast potatoes & gravy is 1 of my favourite meals. Have you ever tried a Yorkshire pudding? I like most meats though. I also like most fish especially salmon. I like seafood too. My favourite food is cheese. I can't eat blue cheeses though because I'm allergic to them.

 

[herios]

Felix vs Laslo Djere rematch today, the final from Rio became now a QF here.

 

[herios]

Djere stops Felix once again.
Ruud in the SF will also break through into the top 100.

 

[herios]

Garin into his first final of his career.

 

[Moxie]

Garin into his first final of his career.

Finally seems to be getting some results, for all the time we've been looking at him. Will play Pella in the final, who stopped Djere.

 

[herios]

Finally seems to be getting some results, for all the time we've been looking at him. Will play Pella in the final, who stopped Djere.

Therefore yet another new unheralded player will clinch his first trophy tomorrow.

 

[Moxie]

Therefore yet another new unheralded player will clinch his first trophy tomorrow.

For those who have been wondering where are the clay specialists anymore, it seems to me that there are a lot of new guys coming out of the Golden Swing with more clay chops than we'd seen. Oddly, the disappointment has been Thiem.

 

[El Dude]

I think Thiem wins his first clay Masters this year. I mean, its gotta happen sometime.

I remember Garin's name from when I first started following the young players really closely, I think back in 2013. Someone on this forum (in one of its older incarnations) was high on him. Anyhow, he didn't do anything for a few years and only really started moving last year. A late bloomer, evidently - he's going to be 23 in May. That sort of late blooming implies a limited ceiling.

 

[Moxie]

I think Thiem wins his first clay Masters this year. I mean, its gotta happen sometime.

I remember Garin's name from when I first started following the young players really closely, I think back in 2013. Someone on this forum (in one of its older incarnations) was high on him. Anyhow, he didn't do anything for a few years and only really started moving last year. A late bloomer, evidently - he's going to be 23 in May. That sort of late blooming implies a limited ceiling.

Rafa took Garin under his wing when he played in Viñas del Mar, Chile, in 2013. I'm sure I was amongst those touting him. Sure, late-blooming used to imply limited ceiling, but who knows anymore. I don't see him as an elite player, but give the kid a chance.

 

[El Dude]

Rafa took Garin under his wing when he played in Viñas del Mar, Chile, in 2013. I'm sure I was amongst those touting him. Sure, late-blooming used to imply limited ceiling, but who knows anymore. I don't see him as an elite player, but give the kid a chance.

Of course. And new precedents can and do occur. But the point of looking at precendents is not to say what can and cannot happen, but what is likely to happen. The later the blooming, the more limited ceiling - as a general but not absolute rule.