The 2016 edition of the Stockholm Open is one of multiple ATP tournaments going on next week. Moscow is one, the new one in Antwerp, Belgium (replacing the one in Valencia, Spain), another. Which indoor venue and which field appealed the most to second-level ATP players trying to score some rankings points and some money before the final Masters event in Paris-Bercy? Let’s see which players are able to take advantage of a small field and perhaps fatigue from other opponents late in the tennis season.
The competition in the 28-player main draw begins on Monday, October 17.
Event Details
Event: Stockholm Open
Category: ATP World Tour – 250 Series
Date: October 17-23, 2016
Location: Kungliga Tennishallen – Stockholm, Sweden
With a prize money allotment of just over 566,000 pounds – nearly $690,000 – the Stockholm Open has the same payout of the European Open in Antwerp. It’s a competitive prize handout for an event whose central stadium court is relatively small.
The points structure under the ATP system is that the championship means 250 points. A runner-up finish is worth 150. A semifinal result is 90 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 45 points.
Former Champions and Results (5 Years)
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2015: Tomas Berdych def. Jack Sock – 7-6(1), 6-2
2014: Tomas Berdych def. Grigor Dimitrov – 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
2013: Grigor Dimitrov def. David Ferrer – 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
2012: Tomas Berdych def. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga – 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
2011: Gael Monfils def. Jarko Nieminem – 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Player Info:
After years of promise, Gael Monfils is finally experiencing his best year on tour. Monfils, at times, seemed as if he was tanking and wasn’t trying enough during his U.S. Open semifinal match against Novak Djokovic. However, that doesn’t reflect how committed, serious and consistent he has been throughout the year. He has been so committed that the experts are somewhat surprised to see it. The Frenchman has been so consistent that his London berth looks all but assured. Where has this Monfils been all his career? The words mercurial, athletic, and dynamic always existed in his world, but it’s been updated to a more serious, consistent and focused look in 2016. At the ongoing Shanghai Rolex Masters, Monfils was in the driver’s seat in his pre-quarterfinal match against David Goffin but let his winning position slip. It’s a mere aberration relative to a norm he followed for several years. He is the No. 1 seed in Stockholm and would like to play like one.
What a fabulous season it has been for Lucas Pouille. Not only has it been a breakthrough year, where he won his first ATP title in Metz, France, but has also made giant strides on the Grand Slam stage. He backed up his quarterfinal run at Wimbledon by reaching another quarterfinal in New York, where he also beat Rafael Nadal in a pulsating five-setter in the fourth round. At the ongoing Masters tournament in Shanghai, the young Frenchman couldn’t do much damage as he surrendered to a red-hot Andy Murray in straight sets. Pouille has quickly breached the top-20 rankings and would want to continue the rise. There are some in-form players in the Stockholm draw, but the 22-year-old talent from France remains the one to watch for.
Grigor Dimitrov has been good but not great. In Beijing, he played some beautiful tennis and went on to make the finals. On his way, Bulgarian absolutely destroyed Nadal in the quarterfinals. In the first set of the match, he was so dominant he didn’t allow Nadal to hold serve. The offense has always been good but he beat Nadal at his own game– defense. Running from sideline to sideline produced uncharacteristic errors from Nadal, which eventually resulted in an upset. In Shanghai, Dimitrov shockingly appeared cold and lost to Vasek Pospisil in straight sets in the second round. Dimitrov has the ability to play jaw-dropping tennis every now and then but is still far from learning the art of consistency. At one point in 2016, Dimitrov was deteriorating, but his new coach Danny Vallverdu has been instrumental in Dimitrov’s rebirth as a tennis player. In 2013, Dimitrov won his first ATP title in Stockholm but has been title-less for two years, and he’ll be desperate to end the drought.
Kungliga Tennishallen
The 2016 Stockholm Open was founded in 1969, and this facility, with a 5,000-seat stadium court, was built in 1945 and has been a mainstay of indoor tennis in autumn on the ATP World Tour. This venue is famous for having hosted a fight with former world heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson. It also hosted the 1975 Davis Cup Final between Sweden and what was then called Czechoslovakia.
