The 2016 edition of the Erste Bank Open has value for everyone, but especially for Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych, as you’ll see as you continue to read this preview. The ATP 250 tournaments are over. Now come two 500s in Vienna and Basel, followed by the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 event. After that, all that’s left is the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals.
The competition in the 32-player main draw begins on Monday, October 24.
Event Details
Event: Erste Bank Open
Category: ATP World Tour – 500 Series
Date: October 24-30, 2016
Location: Wiener Stadhalle – Vienna, Austria
There is just over 1.8 million euros on the line at the Wiener Stadhalle for this event. The 500-point tournament is coveted for its combination of points and take-home pay, in addition to its place as a tournament which can tip the scales in terms of qualification for the ATP World Tour Finals.
The points structure under the ATP system is that the championship means 500 points. A runner-up finish is worth 300. A semifinal result is 180 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 90 points. A round-of-16 results provides 45 points.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015: David Ferrer def. Steve Johnson 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
2014: Andy Murray def. David Ferrer 5-7, 6-2, 7-5
2013: Tommy Haas def. Robin Haase 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
2012: Juan Martin del Potro def. Grega Zemlja 7-5, 6-3
2011: Jo-Wilfred Tsonga def. Juan Martin del Potro 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 6-4
Player Info:
In the last five years, there have been five different champions. It shows how difficult it is to defend the title in Vienna. There are some solid top-10 and top-20 players in the draw but all eyes will be on Andy Murray, who will try to start his surge towards the unprecedented world No. 1 ranking in his career.
It won’t be a false statement if one says Andy Murray is in the form of his life. Murray won the 41st title of his career in Shanghai, the sixth title of the season, which ties his career best effort, and is also leading the tour with 65 match wins. Roberta Bautista-Agut, who ended as a surprise runner-up in Shanghai said it was clear how much Murray wanted to secure the top spot. He is really focused on getting number one. The equation for Murray is simple. He has to win Vienna and Paris and hope Djokovic fails to reach the final in the French capital. Murray has never been in this position before and it would be fascinating to see how he handles the pressure of chasing the No. 1 ranking. The field doesn’t matter to Murray. The way he is dismissing his opponents, it’s hard to see anybody stopping the Murray train.
The last few months have seen Tomas Berdych go up and down the ladder. Berdych skipped the final Grand Slam of the year with an injury, and he lost to Alexander Zverev in the semifinal in St. Petersburg in straight sets, but he regrouped in Shenzhen and defended his title, defeating Richard Gasquet in three hard fought sets. Just when many thought he was back to his winning ways, he get booted out of the first round in Shanghai. Berdych isn’t a lock for London but finds himself in a pole position, 235 points ahead of the next man vying for the eighth spot. The tall Czech will look to widen the gap by going deep in Vienna, but lately his form has been topsy-turvy and it’s difficult to judge how far he can go into the tournament.
Roberto Bautista-Agut reached his first Masters 1000 final toppling world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal encounter at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. The Spaniard returned everything that was thrown at him and his flat forehand continuously proved damaging. It posed problems to the world’s best player. Agut has 48 match wins this year and his run to the Shanghai final saw him shoot up to a career high No. 13 in the ATP rankings. In Moscow, Agut was walloped by Russian teenager Alexander Bublik, ranked 266 in straight sets. The unique part about this 28-year-old Spaniard is he is an all-court player unlike several other Spaniards who ply their trade on clay. Agut will quickly look to put the loss behind him and turn the corner in Vienna.
Also here is the defending champion David Ferrer, former champion Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and London hopeful Domnic Thiem. Ferrer gave another insight into his waning powers by making another early exit. He lost to next generation star Kyle Edmund in Antwerp in a battle lasting two hours. Ferrer comes to Vienna with little confidence, but it’s a tournament where he has consistently put up good results. It wouldn’t be a surprise it he goes deep again.
Jo-Wilfred Tsonga showed signs of return to form but fell to less fancied Agut in the quarterfinals in Shanghai. The Frenchman is yet to win a title this season. This could be Tsonga’s chance and he would like to make a statement with a title run. After playing every other week on tour, Domnic Thiem finally took a mini break from tennis opting out of the Shanghai Masters, but he would be itching to start winning again. He has a scary good serve and has an explosive baseline game, but more importantly is he in good physical shape? We’ll soon find out.
Wiener Stadhalle
The facility houses just over 16,000 for main-court matches. It has several other indoor halls where early-round matches are played. The building opened in 1957 and underwent renovations in 1974 and 1994, among other years. Wiener Stadhalle has hosted the Vienna tournament since 1974.
