The 2017 Croatia Open is a point of pride in the country, whose favorite son Marin Cilic will play for the Wimbledon title on Sunday. Cilic will not be here in Umag, but the event is always a big deal – it is approaching its 30th anniversary in the year 2020. Moreover, this year’s field is really good for an ATP 250 event.
The competition in the 28-player main draw begins on Monday, July 17.
Event Details
Event: Croatia Open Umag
Category: ATP 250 Series
Date: July 17-23, 2017
Location: Stadion Gorana Ivanisevica – Umag, Croatia
With a prize money total of roughly 482,000 Euros, this is a tournament with a normal purse for an ATP 250 event. The work of Goran Ivanisevic and Marin Cilic has raised the profile of tennis in Croatia, so this is an event which is very important and a source of pride for Croatian residents and tennis fans.
Points
Champion – 250
Runner-up – 150
Semifinal – 90
Quarterfinal – 45
Former Champions and Results
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016: Fabio Fognini def. Andrej Martin 6-4, 6-1
2015: Dominic Thiem def. Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1
2014: Pablo Cuevas def. Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-4
2013: Tommy Robredo def. Fabio Fognini 6-0, 6-3
2012: Marin Cilic def. Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-2
Player Info:
David Goffin has been one of the most consistent players on the ATP Tour. It’s a shame that he suffered an unfortunate injury during Roland Garros and was forced to retire from his third-round match. The good news is he’ll be back in Umag. Goffin matched his best result at the Australian Open by reaching the quarterfinals this year. Weeks later, he also became the first Belgian male player to enter the top 10. He is currently ranked 13th in the world, but if he can show the form he displayed earlier in the year, he’ll be back in the top 10 sooner rather than later.
We don’t really know how fit Goffin is going to be — comebacks are always difficult. His love for the dirt is well known and he should feel comfortable straight away if his body really is fully healed. However, it will be wise if we don’t expect big things immediately because of rust and an inevitable degree of uncertainty about his game.
Gael Monfils was stunned by World No. 51 and fellow Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in the third round of Wimbledon. For all his talent, Monfils will forever remain an underachiever. Monfils has never made the second week at SW19 and he’ll have to leave with that unwanted record until he sorts out his mind.
Monfils next plays in Umag, where the field is full of talented men but are all filled with just as much intrigue. There is no clear-cut favorite. Each one of them mentioned here can win the title, but the man who keeps his emotions in check will be the last man standing.
Just as crazily talented as Gael Monfils is, Fabio Fognini is as well, but they both share the same weakness– they are fragile. If Fognini was a thinking tennis player, he would have won multiple slams, but instead here he is without any slam semifinals, let alone finals or titles. In the Wimbledon third round, Fognini appeared to be a better player against Andy Murray but couldn’t make most of the chances he presented himself.
In Umag, Fognini will play on his best surface. He may play well, hit some stunning shots, create chances and win some matches, but one can never be too sure with him. Fognini has done it before. He is also the defending champion but it won’t be easy if he doesn’t keep his focus.
Benoit Paire is awkward and unpredictable but is an insanely talented tennis player. By reaching the second week of Wimbledon for the first time, he showed that if he can put his mind to work, he can achieve big results. Paire is a terrific mover and he feels at home on clay. However, there are several players in the draw who also thrive on clay. If he aspires to win the title in Umag, he will have to play his best tennis with fierce focus. Maintaining focus throughout the tournament has always been a hurdle.
Stadion Gorana Ivanisevica
The translation here is not hard – this is Goran Ivanisevic Stadium, named last year after the Croatian tennis icon who won Wimbledon in 2001. The stadium is a cozy four-sided enclosure with a few thousand seats and a small front row behind the baseline, underneath a larger grandstand. The Croatia Open has been here since 1990.
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