The 2017 Shenzhen Open comes on the heels of the first Laver Cup. That might seem insignificant until you realize that multiple Laver Cup participants are among the top four seeds in this event played in China. They will get first-round byes and therefore have a little more time to make the flight to China and prepare for their first matches, but they will still face a logistical challenge and the need to manage themselves efficiently. This being a small event held in China, we aren’t going to see many superstars. Obviously, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer will not be participating here. Alexander Zverev will be one of the stars and therefore one of the favorites to get the job done.
The competition in the 28-player main draw begins on Monday, September 25.
Event Details
Event: Shenzhen Open
Category: ATP 250 Series
Date: September 25 – October 1, 2017
Location: Shenzhen Longgang Sports Center – Shenzhen, China
The 2017 Shenzhen Open title will be a handsome prize. With a prize money allotment of just under $667,000, this is one of the richer ATP 250 tournaments on the men’s tour. The purse is up almost $26,000 from last year’s amount. This is a good in-between event for players who feel the need to get in match play and tune up their games before bigger events on the Asian swing.
Points
Champion – 250
Runner-up – 150
Semifinal – 90
Quarterfinal – 45
Former Champions and Results
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016 – Tomas Berdych def. Richard Gasquet – 7-6, 6-7, 6-3
2015 – Tomas Berdych def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez – 6-3, 7-6
2014 – Andy Murray def. Tommy Robredo – 5-7, 7-6, 6-1
Player Info:
Alexander Zverev played in the Laver Cup in Prague and will make the trek to China. He defeated Denis Shapovalov in Friday’s singles and was able to take Saturday off. His Sunday schedule had not been announced at the time of this preview. Zverev has won two Masters 1000 championships this year but never got past the fourth round of any Grand Slam tournament. An ATP 250 event represents a comfort zone, but the change from Laver Cup to a tour event in half a week could prevent him from playing his best. After he won Montreal, he then was exhausted in Cincinnati. He lost his first match despite getting a first-round bye in that tournament as well. He has had a fairly successful season as he is 46-14 on the year. He is 17-5 on the hard courts, was 16-4 on grass and 9-3 on class.
Mischa Zverev did not play Laver Cup, but he reached the Moselle Open final in Metz, France. Playing a full week of tennis will make the challenge difficult for the older Zverev in China. He has had a fantastic season, playing a lot of quality tennis in important tournaments. One advantage he will have in the early rounds is that his playing style lends itself to short points and quick exchanges. If he can play a lot of short points and not get caught up in long rallies, he can get through the early rounds and make a run.
David Goffin lost in the Metz quarterfinals. He is still working his way into form after his injury suffered at the French Open. Big hitters who can penetrate the court with their shots take time away from Goffin, whose footspeed isn’t as great as it was before his injury. He can handle inconsistent hitters or medium-pace hitters. That will affect his chances.
Tomas Berdych played singles in the Laver Cup on Saturday against Nick Kyrgios in his home nation of Czechoslovakia, after playing doubles on Friday. The significance of the Laver Cup for Berdych means he will have a tough time being fully motivated to defend his title here. Berdych has been very productive on the tour this year as he is 34-17. However, the hard courts haven’t been his best friend. He is just 13-8 on hard courts, which is a fairly average record.
Shenzhen Longgang Sports Center
The facility has 32 outdoor courts and a stadium court which holds 4,000 people. This is an intimate facility that is trying to make a name for itself as a world-class tennis center on both the ATP and WTA Tours. It’ll be a cozy event this week.
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