[JakeBarkings]

From ITF Grand Slam Media
2009 AUSTRALIAN OPEN
DAY 8 MEN’S NOTESMonday 26 JanuaryRound of 16 Top HalfNo. 1 Rafael Nadal (ESP) v No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)

No. 4 Andy Murray (GBR) v No. 14 Fernando Verdasco (ESP)

No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) v No. 9 James Blake (USA)

No. 6 Gilles Simon (FRA) v No. 12 Gael Monfils (FRA)


On court today…

• Four Grand Slam finalists – Rafael Nadal, Fernando Gonzalez, Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The two youngest, Nadal and Murray, have yet to drop a set this tournament.

• The other player not to drop a set is Fernando Verdasco, who is in blistering form this tournament, having dropped the fewest number of games ever (12) in the Australian Open Open Era in advancing to this stage.

• All of the Top 8 seeds are through to the last 16 of the 2009 Australian Open, and if they all advance today and Novak Djokovic joined them on Sunday night, it will mark the first time ever in Grand Slam Open Era history that they will fill all 8 spots in the quarterfinals of a major.

• France is guaranteed a quarterfinalist here when Gilles Simon takes on his friend and countryman Gael Monfils, and the nation could be celebrating a second if Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wins today, as it will be just the 4th time ever in Australian Open Open Era history and first time at any Slam since here in 2006 that 2 Frenchman reach the last 8.

NO. 1 RAFAEL NADAL (ESP) v NO. 13 FERNANDO GONZALEZ (CHI)

Head-to-head: Nadal leads 4-3
2003 Stuttgart Clay (O) R32 Gonzalez 62 36 62
2004 AMS Miami Hard (O) R16 Gonzalez 76(1) 46 62
2006 AMS Rome Clay (O) QF Nadal 64 63
2007 Australian Open Hard (O) QF Gonzalez 62 64 63
2007 AMS Rome Clay (O) FR Nadal 62 62
2007 AMS Hamburg Clay (O) QF Nadal 64 64
2008 Beijing Olympics Hard (O) FR Nadal 63 76(2) 63
This is the first time that Gonzalez meets Nadal as the world No. 1, and he was the last player to meet Nadal when he was world No. 2 - on finals day at the Beijing Olympics. Then, Nadal recorded his first hard court win over Gonzalez, avenging his loss to the Chilean in the 2007 Australian Open quarterfinals.
NADALvGONZALEZ
22Age28
1ATP Ranking14
31Titles10
83-14Career Grand Slam Record57-31
17-4Australian Open Record17-8
340-78Career Record313-168
150-51Career Record - Hard141-86
5-12009 Record3-0
5-12009 Record - Hard3-0
10-3Career Five-Set Record14-12
3Comebacks from 0-2 Down5
81-57Career Tiebreak Record136-87
0-02009 Tiebreak Record1-0

• NADAL is making his 12th straight appearance in a Grand Slam round of 16, and is bidding to reach the quarterfinals here for the 3rd year in a row.

• Nadal defeated Christophe Rochus, Roko Karanusic and Tommy Haas through the first 3 rounds and has yet to drop a set.

• Nadal is behind Fernando Verdasco (12) and Tommy Robredo (18) for fewest games conceded into the last 16 (19), and this is the fewest he has ever dropped in reaching this stage of any Grand Slam.

• Since reaching the 3rd round on his Australian Open debut in 2004, Nadal has improved one round further on every subsequent appearance to reach the semifinals last year (l. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 62 63 62). He missed the 2006 tournament with a left foot injury.

• The last time Nadal lost in the 4th round of a Slam was at the 2007 US Open, when he fell to countryman David Ferrer.

• Nadal was one of 3 Spaniards through to the round of 16, alongside Robredo and Verdasco. If all 3 progress to the next round, it will mark just the second time in Australian Open Open Era history that 3 Spaniards make the quarterfinals here. Albert Costa, Felix Mantilla and Carlos Moya did so in 1997.

• As world No. 1, Nadal is top seed for a second Slam having acquired the top ranking on 18 August 2008. Lleyton Hewitt was the last No. 1 seed to fail to reach the quarterfinals here, falling in the round of 16 in 2003.

• Nadal is guaranteed to be No.1 after the Australian Open regardless of his final result here.

• Nadal owns 5 Grand Slam titles, having won at Roland Garros for the last 4 years and winning his first Wimbledon title last year.

• Nadal could face Gilles Simon or Gael Monfils in the next round if he wins today. He has a winning head-to-head over both, 2-1 vs Simon and 3-1 vs Monfils, but he has lost his last two meetings with each of them.

• Nadal began the 2009 season by playing the Abu Dhabi exhibition event (l. Andy Murray), and the following week reached the quarterfinals at Doha (l. Gael Monfils 64 64). He won the Doha doubles title with Marc Lopez.

• Nadal captured 8 titles in 2008, including his first two on grass. He became the first ever player to win the Roland Garros-Queen’s-Wimbledon triple crown, after winning his 4th straight title at Roland Garros, at Queen’s becoming the first Spaniard to win a grass court title since 1972, and ending Federer’s five-year reign at Wimbledon in the longest final in Wimbledon history. Nadal also won at AMS Monte Carlo, Barcelona, AMS Hamburg, all on clay and AMS Toronto and the Olympic Tennis Event in Beijing, on hard court.

• Although hard court is Nadal’s least successful surface overall, he improved his performance in 2008, compiling a tour-leading 46-10 record on the surface. As well as his 2 titles above, he also reached the final at AMS Miami, as well as 5 other semifinals on hard court. Nadal owns 7 career titles overall on hard court.

• Nadal led Spain to the 2008 Davis Cup final against Argentina in November, but had to withdraw from the line-up due to right knee tendinitis. He has a 10-1 career record in Davis Cup singles.

• Nadal is coached by his uncle Toni.

• 2007 runner-up GONZALEZ came back from two-sets down against No. 24 Richard Gasquet to advance to the last 16. He had saved match points at 7-6 in the 3rd set tiebreak.

• Gonzalez has now come back from two-sets down 5 times in his career, including once here in the first round of the 2005 Australian Open against Jose Acasuso.

• The Gonzalez-Gasquet 36 36 76(10) 62 1210 scoreline pushed Gonzalez’s total number of games played this tournament to 62, the most of any player in this year’s men’s draw.

• Gonzalez had defeated Lleyton Hewitt in five sets in the first round and Guillermo Canas in the 2nd. His five-set record now stands at 14-12.

• Gonzalez is attempting to reach the quarterfinals for the 2nd time here. In 2007, Gonzalez he went on to reach his only Grand Slam final to date, losing to Roger Federer 76 64 64.

• Gonzalez has made quarterfinal appearances at all 4 Slams and is one of 8 current players to have achieved this feat.

• Gonzalez’s record over world No. 1s stands at 3-13. At the 2007 Tennis Masters Cup, Gonzalez broke an 11-match losing streak against the world No. 1, when he defeated the then No. 1 Roger Federer in the round robin.

• If Gonzalez wins today, he will defeat his 4th different world No. 1. He has defeated former No. 1s Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi and Federer.

• Gonzalez has a 28-16 overall against lefthanders, although he has won 9 of his previous 11 meetings with lefthanders at Grand Slams.

• Gonzalez could meet either Gael Monfils or Gilles Simon in the next round if he wins today, and he has only ever met them on hard court. He trails Monfils 0-2, but has posted one victory over Simon.

• Gonzalez has won 2 hard court titles – 2005 Auckland and 2007 Beijing – out of his career haul of 10.

• This is Gonzalez’s first official tournament of the year, although he did play the exhibition event at Kooyong last week, winning one of his 3 matches.

• Having won the bronze medal in Athens in 2004 and the silver medal at the Olympic Tennis Event in Beijing, Gonzalez became the first man to medal in singles at two different Olympic Games since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988.

• Last year, Gonzalez was voted his country’s best sportsman, winning the Condor de Oro award for the 3rd time.

• Gonzalez split from coach Larry Stefanki at the end of 2008 and is now working with Martin Rodriguez.

NO. 4 ANDY MURRAY (GBR) v NO. 14 FERNANDO VERDASCO (ESP)

Head-to-head: Murray leads 5-0
2007 Australian Open Hard (O) R64 Murray 76(4) 75 64
2007 St Petersburg Carpet (I) FR Murray 62 63
2008 Dubai Hard (O) R16 Murray 63 36 76(5)
2008 St Petersburg Hard (I) SF Murray 60 63
2008 AMS Paris Hard (I) R16 Murray 63 76(6)

MURRAYvVERDASCO
21Age25
4ATP Ranking15
9Titles2
29-12Career Grand Slam Record37-22
6-3Australian Open Record7-5
163-65Career Record194-149
120-40Career Record - Hard83-74
8-02009 Record7-1
8-02009 Record - Hard7-1
8-4Career Five-Set Record7-5
3Comebacks from 0-2 Down2
55-31Career Tiebreak Record71-72
0-12009 Tiebreak Record0-0

• MURRAY has equalled his best Australian Open result and reached the round of 16 here for the 2nd time. He has defeated Andrei Pavel, Marcel Granollers and Jurgen Melzer in the first 3 rounds here.

• Murray also reached this stage at the 2007 Australian Open before losing to Rafael Nadal 67 64 46 63 61.

• Overall, this is Murray’s 6th Grand Slam round of 16 appearance. He has fallen at this stage of a major 3 times, going on to the quarterfinals at 2008 Wimbledon and the 2008 US Open final on the other two occasions.

• This is just the 2nd time after the 2007 Australian Open that Murray has advanced to the round of 16 at a major without dropping a set.

• Murray became the first British player to reach a Grand Slam final since Greg Rusedski in 1997 at last year’s US Open, defeating Rafael Nadal in the semifinals before losing to Roger Federer.

• Murray is bidding to become the 5th different British man to reach the quarterfinals here in the Open Era and the 1st since John Lloyd in 1985. British men have lost their last 5 round of 16 matches here – Tim Henman in 2000-02, Greg Rusedski In 2001 and Murray in 2007.

British men to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals
Year
Player
Eventual Result
1970
Roger Taylor
SF
1971
Mark Cox
QF
1977 (Dec)
Robin Drysdale
QF
1977 (Dec)
John Lloyd
Final
1985
John Lloyd
QF

• Murray is playing a 2nd successive left-hander today. He has a 21-5 win-loss record against left-handers, all 5 losses coming to Rafael Nadal.

• Murray rose to world No. 4, equalling the highest-ever ranking by a British man and as a result, has his highest Grand Slam seeding here. He would have a chance of taking the No. 3 ranking if he wins the tournament and Novak Djokovic fails to reach the semifinals.

• Murray started the season in great style by successfully defending his title at Doha, defeating Roger Federer (for the 3rd time in a row) 67 62 62 in the semifinals and Andy Roddick 64 62 in the final. Murray also won the Abu Dhabi exhibition, (d. Federer and Nadal).

• Murray is bidding to become just the 3rd man to win at Doha and the Australian Open in the same year since the Doha tournament began in 1993 after Petr Korda in 1998 and Roger Federer in 2006. Korda and Federer are the only 2 men since 1998 to win the Australian Open having already won a title the same year.

• Through the 3rd round here, Murray was joint-leader for match wins this year with Marin Cilic and Richard Gasquet, with 8 victories.

• Murray has won his last 6 matches against Spanish players. He has a 17-9 win-loss record against players from the nation.

• Murray won 5 titles in 2008 (Doha, Marseille, AMS Cincinnati, AMS Madrid, St Petersburg), the most by any British player in one season. Along with Gilles Simon and Andy Roddick, he was one of 3 players to defeat the Top 3 (Nadal, Federer, Djokovic) in 2008. He ended the season by reaching the semifinals of the Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

• Murray has won 9 career titles, 8 of which have come on hard court.

• Murray is coached by Miles Maclagan.

• VERDASCO has reached the last 16 of the Australian Open for the 1st time. He defeated Adrian Mannarino, Arnaud Clement and No. 22 seed Radek Stepanek in the first 3 rounds.

• Verdasco has dropped just 12 games in reaching the round of 16. This is the fewest number of games conceded through the first 3 rounds of the Australian Open in the Open Era. Only 3 men (Bjorn Borg – 1978 Roland Garros and 1979 US Open, Guillermo Vilas – 1982 Roland Garros and Zeljko Franulovic – 1969 Roland Garros) have dropped fewer games through the first 3 rounds of a major in the Open Era.

• Verdasco is bidding to reach his 1st Grand Slam quarterfinal today. He has lost his previous 5 round of 16 appearances. This is the 1st time that he has advanced to the last 16 without dropping a set.

• Verdasco is joined in the round of 16 here by world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. There have been two Spaniards in the quarterfinals here for the last 2 years and a record 3 in 1997 (Costa, Mantilla and Moya). Spain has had at least two quarterfinalists in 7 of the 8 previous Slams, missing out at the 2008 US Open.

• Verdasco has a 7-31 win-loss record against Top 10 players. The highest player that he has defeated is the No. 3, having done so 4 times.

• Verdasco and Rafael Nadal are the only 2 left-handers still alive in this year’s men’s draw from the 20 that started.

• Verdasco reached his 7th career final at Brisbane two weeks ago, falling to Stepanek 36 63 64. This was his first final on hard court.

• Verdasco achieved his highest year-end ranking in 2008 (No. 16), winning a career-high 47 matches. He won his 2nd career title at Umag in July, finished runner-up on grass at Nottingham, and reached three other semifinals. He obtained a career-high ranking of No. 11 on 21 July.

• Verdasco clinched the 2008 Davis Cup title for Spain when he won the fourth rubber against Jose Acasuso from 2-1 down to give Spain a winning 3-1 lead.

• Verdasco is currently without a coach.

NO. 5 JO-WILFRIED TSONGA (FRA) v NO. 9 JAMES BLAKE (USA)

Head-to-head: Tsonga leads 1-0
2008 AMS Paris Hard (I) SF Tsonga 64 63
TSONGAvBLAKE
23Age29
7ATP Ranking10
2Titles10
16-6Career Grand Slam Record51-27
9-2Australian Open Record20-7
56-28Career Record306-181
40-20Career Record - Hard233-111
6-12009 Record5-1
6-12009 Record - Hard5-1
0-0Career Five-Set Record4-11
0Comebacks from 0-2 Down1
29-20Career Tiebreak Record108-97
4-12009 Tiebreak Record1-2

• 2008 runner-up TSONGA has advanced to his 3rd Grand Slam round of 16, having defeated Juan Monaco, Ivan Ljubicic and qualifier Dudi Sela in the 1st 3 rounds.

• Last year, Tsonga became the 3rd unseeded Australian Open finalist in the last 5 years. He defeated 3 Top 10 players - No. 9 seed Andy Murray in the first round, No. 8 seed Richard Gasquet in the round of 16 and No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal in the semifinals - before losing to Novak Djokovic in the final. Tsonga had not previously reached a tour final.

• This is Tsonga’s 7th Grand Slam overall and he is making his 3rd round of 16 apperance. His other round of 16 appearance came at 2007 Wimbledon, where he lost to Richard Gasquet.

• Tsonga is one of 3 Frenchmen bidding to advance to the quarterfinals here. If he wins today he will join Gael Monfils or Gilles Simon, who face each other today, in the last 8. There have been 2 Frenchmen in the quarterfinals here 3 times in the Open Era (1973, 2001 and 2006). France has not had 2 men through to the quarterfinals of a Slam since the 2006 Australian Open (Sebastien Grosjean and Fabrice Santoro).

• If Tsonga wins today, France will have 3 men or women through to the quarterfinals and match its best performance at this stage of the Australian Open. There have been 3 French players in the last eight here on 3 occasions (1993, 1998 and 2006).

• Tsonga has a 9-9 win-loss record against Top 10 players.

• If Tsonga wins today, he will face either Andy Murray or Fernando Verdasco in the quarterfinals. He has never faced Verdasco and has a 1-1 record against Murray.

• Tsonga reached the quarterfinals at both Brisbane and Sydney before coming here. He was forced to withdraw from his quarterfinal at Sydney with a back injury.

• As well as reaching the Australian Open final last year, Tsonga won his first career titles at Bangkok and AMS Paris, both on hard court, and ended the year with a career-high ranking of No. 6. He missed 3 months of the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee at the end of May, missing Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympics before returning at the US Open.

• Tsonga and countryman Gilles Simon finished 2008 in the Top 10, marking the first time since 1986 that two Frenchmen have ended a season in the Top 10.

• Tsonga twice reached the semifinals in the boys’ singles here, in 2002 and 2003. His best junior result was winning the 2003 US Open title (d. Marcos Baghdatis).

• Tsonga is coached by Eric Winogradsky.

• BLAKE

• is through to the Australian Open round of 16 for the 5th time and is bidding to match his best Grand Slam result and advance to the quarterfinals.

• Blake defeated Frank Dancevic, Sebastien De Chaunac and No. 18 Igor Andreev in the 1st 3 rounds.

• Blake posted his best Australian Open result last year when he advanced to the quarterfinals, before losing to Roger Federer.

• The quarterfinals is the furthest that Blake has advanced at any Grand Slam. As well as reaching that stage here last year, he also did so twice at the US Open in 2005-06.

• Blake is bidding to join Davis Cup teammate Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals and mark the 7th time in the last 10 years that two American men have reached the last 8 here.

• If Blake wins, he will face a quarterfinal against Andy Murray or Fernando Verdasco. He has a winning record against both players, 1-0 vs. Murray and 2-0 vs. Verdasco.

• Blake has an 18-41 win-loss record against Top 10 players, though he has only won 1 of 11 such matches at Grand Slams.

• At 29 years old, Blake is the oldest player remaining in the men’s draw. If he wins today, he will become the oldest quarterfinalist since Fabrice Santoro, who was 33, when doing so in 2006.

• Blake played for USA with Meghann Shaughnessy at the 2009 Hopman Cup, winning 2 of his 3 matches.

• Blake had a very consistent 2008 – he reached the quarterfinals or better 13 times in his 21 tournaments, with his best result a runner-up finish at both Delray Beach and Houston.

• All of Blake’s 10 career titles have come on hardcourt, placing him equal 4th for titles won among active players.

• Blake has been coached by Brian Barker since he was 12.

NO. 6 GILLES SIMON (FRA) v NO. 12 GAEL MONFILS (FRA)

Head-to-head: first meeting
Given their nationality and closeness in age, it’s remarkable that these two Frenchmen have never met across the net before, at any level or stage of their career.
France has raised its tennis profile here at the 2009 Australian Open, with 3 Frenchmen and 3 women through to the last 16 here.

With this all-French match-up between friends Simon and Monfils, France is therefore ensured a men’s quarterfinalist. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga could make it 2 Frenchmen into the quarters should he defeat James Blake today which will equal the nation’s record here set in 1973, 2001 and 2006.

On the women’s side, Marion Bartoli won through to the last 8 on Sunday, and a Tsonga victory could further equal the Open Era record of 3 male and female French players into the Australian Open quarterfinals (set in 1993, 1998, 2006).

Jean Borotra is the only Frenchman to claim the Australian Open title, doing so in 1928. French women have claimed 2 - Mary Pierce in 1995 and Amelie Mauresmo in 2006.
SIMONvMONFILS
24Age22
8ATP Ranking13
5Titles1
15-13Career Grand Slam Record24-13
7-3Australian Open Record6-3
121-86Career Record105-82
60-44Career Record - Hard52-43
5-22009 Record6-1
5-22009 Record - Hard6-1
3-2Career Five-Set Record5-1
0Comebacks from 0-2 Down0
35-33Career Tiebreak Record45-34
3-12009 Tiebreak Record1-1

• SIMON has reached his first Grand Slam round of 16. He defeated Pablo Andujar, Chris Guccione and Mario Ancic in the first 3 rounds last week.

• Simon made a rapid rise up the rankings in the second half of 2008, breaking the Top 20 and then the Top 10 for the first time in the space of 3 months to finish the year as the French No. 2 for the first time. As a result, he has his highest seeding at a Grand Slam.

• Both Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ended 2008 inside the Top 10, marking the first time since 1986 that two Frenchmen ended the season in the Top 10.

• Simon’s breakthrough season saw him win 3 titles (Casablanca, Indianapolis and Bucharest) and finish runner-up at AMS Madrid. He ended the year ranked No. 7, and reached the semifinals on his Tennis Masters Cup debut.

• Simon was one of 3 players, along with Andy Murray and Andy Roddick, to defeat the Top 3 players (Nadal, Federer and Djokovic) in 2008.

• If Simon wins today, he will face either Rafael Nadal or Fernando Gonzalez in the next round. Simon defeated Nadal in the semifinals of 2008 AMS Madrid, but trails him 2-1 overall, while he lost to Gonzalez in their only previous meeting in 2006.

• Simon began 2009 at the Hopman Cup, winning 2 of his 3 singles matches. He then lost in the 2nd round (after a first-round bye) at Sydney to Richard Gasquet.

• Simon is coached by Thierry Tulasne.

• MONFILS

• won through to the Australian Open round of 16 for the first time, by defeatingMartin Vassallo Arguello, Stefan Koubek and No. 17 seed Nicolas Almagro in the first 3 rounds.

• Monfils is bidding to reach his 2nd Grand Slam quarterfinal.He went on to reach the Roland Garros semifinals last year (l. Roger Federer).

• Monfils began working with Lleyton Hewitt’s former coach Roger Rasheed in July of last year, and has since risen to a career-high ranking of No. 13 this month. He broke the Top 20 for the first time after reaching the final of Vienna in October, his 6th career final, despite being plagued by wrist, knee and shoulder injuries in 2008 (he missed last year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon).

• On working with Rasheed Monfils said: "I try to be closer with my baseline and a little bit more aggressive, and I also change a little bit my physical attitude. I tried to learn more concentration and switch my tactics sometimes. I was ready to change my game a little bit; I also changed my racquet."

• If he wins today, Monfils will meet Rafael Nadal or Fernando Gonzalez in the quarterfinals. Monfils recorded his first ever victory over Nadal in the quarterfinals at Doha just over 2 weeks ago, but trails Nadal 3-1 overall. He has a 2-0 record over Gonzalez.

• Monfils’s defeat of Nadal was his first victory over a world No. 1 and boosted his record against Top 10 players to 13-18.

• Monfils is a three-time finalist on hard court (2005 Metz, 2006 Doha, 2008 Vienna).

• Monfils reached the semifinals at Doha (l. Andy Roddick 76 36 63).

• Monfils, Andy Roddick and Marcos Baghdatis were the three former Australian Open boys’ champions to reach the round of 16. Monfils won the title in 2004, and the same year, picked up the Roland Garros and Wimbledon boys’ titles. Stefan Edberg is the only player in the Open Era to collect both the junior and senior Australian Open titles.