2019 China Open (Beijing) - ATP 500 Thread

[Enceladus]

Defending champion: Nikoloz Basilashvilli

Former champions, who are participating in this year's edition: Andy Murray (2016)

Official website: http://www.chinaopen.com.cn/en/
Wiki-link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_China_Open_–_Men's_Singles (here you will find the form of a draw when it will released)
Edition: 21th of men's singles
Date: 30 September–6 October
Category: ATP 500
Number of players in main draw: 32S
Surface: Hard
Location: Beijing, China
Venue: National Tennis Center
TV Broadcast:

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www.atptour.com

ATP entry list:
Main Draw
2 Murray, Andy (GBR) PR
4 Thiem, Dominic (AUT)
5 Medvedev, Daniil (RUS)
6 Zverev, Alexander (GER)
8 Tsitsipas, Stefanos (GRE)
9 Khachanov, Karen (RUS)
10 Bautista Agut, Roberto (ESP)
11 Fognini, Fabio (ITA)
13 Monfils, Gael (FRA)
14 Isner, John (USA)
18 Basilashvili, Nikoloz (GEO)
19 Auger-Aliassime, Felix (CAN)
20 Pella, Guido (ARG)
21 Schwartzman, Diego (ARG)
25 Berrettini, Matteo (ITA)
28 Lajovic, Dusan (SRB)
29 Kyrgios, Nick (AUS)
31 Edmund, Kyle (GBR)
32 Garin, Cristian (CHI)
33 Verdasco, Fernando (ESP)
34 Gasquet, Richard (FRA)
67 Cecchinato, Marco (ITA) (Acceptance based on year-end Top 30 list)
78 Dimitrov, Grigor (BUL) (Acceptance based on year-end Top 30 list)

Alternates
44 Kukushkin, Mikhail (KAZ)
46 Querrey, Sam (USA)
47 Rublev, Andrey (RUS)
48 Sonego, Lorenzo (ITA)
49 Kecmanovic, Miomir (SRB)
50 Ramos-Vinolas, Albert (ESP)
51 Krajinovic, Filip (SRB)
53 Cuevas, Pablo (URU)
54 Ruud, Casper (NOR)
55 Thompson, Jordan (AUS)

Qualifying Draw
38 Rublev, Andrey (RUS)
44 Cuevas, Pablo (URU)
45 Querrey, Sam (USA)
47 Kecmanovic, Miomir (SRB)
48 Evans, Daniel (GBR)
49 Ramos-Vinolas, Albert (ESP)
53 Thompson, Jordan (AUS)
56 Londero, Juan Ignacio (ARG)
57 Kukushkin, Mikhail (KAZ)
63 Berankis, Ricardas (LTU)
65 Fucsovics, Marton (HUN)
67 Norrie, Cameron (GBR)
68 Sandgren, Tennys (USA)

Alternates
69 Bublik, Alexander (KAZ)
73 Chardy, Jeremy (FRA)
73 Pospisil, Vasek (CAN) PR
77 Seppi, Andreas (ITA)
78 Karlovic, Ivo (CRO)
84 Majchrzak, Kamil (POL)
85 Gunneswaran, Prajnesh (IND)
86 Koepfer, Dominik (GER)
88 Tipsarevic, Janko (SRB) PR
96 Johnson, Steve (USA)
97 Klahn, Bradley (USA)
102 Granollers, Marcel (ESP)
106 Ymer, Mikael (SWE)
107 Tomic, Bernard (AUS)
108 Kudla, Denis (USA)
110 Laaksonen, Henri (SUI)
113 Harris, Lloyd (RSA)
115 Duckworth, James (AUS)
119 Gerasimov, Egor (BLR)
125 Gulbis, Ernests (LAT)
127 Bachinger, Matthias (GER)
132 Jung, Jason (TPE)
254 Oliveira, Goncalo (POR)

Wild cards:

• Li Zhe (CHN)
• Frances Tiafoe (USA)
• Zhang Zhizhen (CHN)

 

[Red Rick]

Slight disgust at Murray and Djokovic playing different tournaments.

The tennis world thinks it needs Fedal at the USO but fails to comprehend Murrovic will take all their pain and sorrows away

 

[James P]

I like how China just poached Tiafoe from Japan with a wild card lmao. Anyway, not really sure who's in form. A case could be made for RBA, Monfils to an extent, Schwartzman, Berrettini (??). Hard to say, but I'm going to go with the out-of-form, and soon out of WTF ranking points, Zverev, to get his s(tuff)hit together for this one.

 

[oldmanfan]

The Berr... in 5.

 

[Red Rick]

I like how China just poached Tiafoe from Japan with a wild card lmao. Anyway, not really sure who's in form. A case could be made for RBA, Monfils to an extent, Schwartzman, Berrettini (??). Hard to say, but I'm going to go with the out-of-form, and soon out of WTF ranking points, Zverev, to get his s(tuff)hit together for this one.

Beijing is underrated this year. It's absolutely huge in the race for London as all the contenders for the 7/8 spots are here.

 

[Rafa.the.Magnificent]

I chose Karen Khachanov, think he has a decent chance.

 

[stringertom]

I like how China just poached Tiafoe from Japan with a wild card lmao. Anyway, not really sure who's in form. A case could be made for RBA, Monfils to an extent, Schwartzman, Berrettini (??). Hard to say, but I'm going to go with the out-of-form, and soon out of WTF ranking points, Zverev, to get his s(tuff)hit together for this one.

Donut overlook defending champion Basil Fawlty, King of 500s, in the bottom half: 1R Pella and then a slumping Tsitsipas or Lajovic before probably the Monfils/Isner winner. My only concern is his recent retirement (shoulder) in Metz, down 1-4 in the third to eventual champion Jo Ali. Hopefully he mended in that short break.

 

[yokied]

I like RBA or DieGOAT here.

 

[March31]

Wish I could watch the doubles match now, where Koolhof\Tsitsipas has won the second set 6:0, playing Cabal\Farah. What could have given them such advantage? Doubt they win the match, though.

 

[D-Lite]

Basil managed to defend his other 500 win in Hamburg earlier this year - can he manage 2 title defences here in Beijing? Unlikely, but I'd like him to.

 

[GrassCourtFan]

Murray vs Berretini is super close. Murray's got the first set, on serve in the second. Berretini's dropshots are super effective but his confidence and consistency is very up and down.

 

[D-Lite]

So your defending men's champion is put on the 4th court? Don't these smaller tournaments (to the slams I mean) give any status to their defending champ? I know he's playing Pella, but still...

 

[weelie]

Murray was very grumpy, so I assumed he would be back to his old winning ways.... and so he was. I also remembered why I never liked him.

 

[GrassCourtFan]

Excellent win for Murray! Serve was up and down, but more up than down. And he had some excellent defensive and offensive points.

Getting back, match by match.

 

[D-Lite]

Murray gets Norrie in R2 - should be fun for us British fans!

 

[Red Rick]

The time has come for Muzzurrection

 

[OverallForm]

MuryGOAT is back! XD
First promising victory since the comeback. Though he said earlier that “It would be "naive" and "silly" to think he will ever return to being the player that surged to number one in 2016.”

I voted for Berrettini to win this tournament. Didn’t expect him to exit in the first round the losing in straights.

 

[megamind]

Murray's shots are there

But his movement is still pretty sluggish, and it used to be such a big part of his game

He may need to evolve to be more aggressive, in the short term, till / if he gets his movement back

 

[Breakpointerer]

Wow just saw that Muzz beat Berrettini, great win !

 

[Rafa.the.Magnificent]

Wow just saw that Muzz beat Berrettini, great win !

Wish I'd seen that!

 

[romeo8880]

So your defending men's champion is put on the 4th court? Don't these smaller tournaments (to the slams I mean) give any status to their defending champ? I know he's playing Pella, but still...

If it was up to me I’d have him playing his match on the practice courts

 

[stringertom]

Basil managed to defend his other 500 win in Hamburg earlier this year - can he manage 2 title defences here in Beijing? Unlikely, but I'd like him to.

Since 2018, Basil Fawlty is 20-5 at ATP500 level main draw (22-5 with 2 qualies wins at Hamburg’18) with losses only to players absent from Beijing or eliminated 1R (Donaldson, Fucsovic, Anderson and Coric 2x).

Roman numeral for 500 is “D,” first letter in Defense.

Next up is Tsitsipas, not exactly in form for a while. He is 0-1 h2h (lost AO’19 in four sets). Tsits’ current spiral downwards began by losing a TB 3rd set to Kyrgiosity in the Washington ATP500 SF. Maybe it continues vs Basil!

 

[Mainad]

If it was up to me I’d have him playing his match on the practice courts

No love for Nicky B???

 

[stringertom]

mury goat battling again towards another potential TB. Norrie and he traded breaks and the lefty serves now at 5-6.

‘MMMON!

 

[stringertom]

mury goat cashes on his 4th set point in the TB when Norrie DFed. 7-6(6).

 

[megamind]

mury goat cashes on his 4th set point in the TB when Norrie DFed. 7-6(6).

mury goat

 

[stringertom]

mury goat

Ewe dead in SDL anne stihl sore abowt it, no?

 

[ark_28]

On this form we can rule Murray out of winning the Australian Open

 

[stringertom]

mury goat playing stinky goat cheese tennis in the second set. Down 2-5.

 

[GrassCourtFan]

Oof. Murray looks totally gassed out there. There was an absolutely brutal game on Norrie's serve, including a brutal 37-shot rally, and now Murray just looks straightforwardly tired. Not "walks around tired but then runs like a rabbit in the points"; he bailed out early on a few rallies, didn't run for some balls, still going for broke on a few shots.

I think Norrie has successfully exposed Murray's mediocre fitness at this stage in his comeback and is going to grind out the win.

[edit] LMAO I say that, and Murray immediately breaks back by playing super aggressive.

 

[stringertom]

mury goat breaks back! 4-5. New king of TBs???

 

[megamind]

Ewe dead in SDL anne stihl sore abowt it, no?

why be sore when mury goat?

 

[ark_28]

This could be a very good draw for Thiem!

 

[yokied]

TIME VIOLATION FOR A RECEIVER! I'm still making my way through the Fog-Kukushkin epic, but we have one folks! The Fog was given one on the first point of Kukushkin's serve at 1-1 in the second. Unsurprisingly, he had a good two minute chat with the ump about it and ranted away for a couple of games and a changeover before regrouping at 2-2 for a break.

 

[Breakpointerer]

Mury GOAT looking good

 

[Breakpointerer]

Mury wins!

 

[icedevil0289]

i havent had the chance to watch murray, but good for him for winning these matches but why does it feel like he is pushing his body to the limit yet again to win matches?

 

[3fees]

Congrats to Murray blnt Norrie 76 67 61, two wins in a row--yippie

Murray v Thiem The Dom is a heavy favorite.

Cheers
3Fees

 

[megamind]

now I want murray to take down thiem

it's gonna be hard though, really hard

 

[Mainad]

Murray v Thiem The Dom is a heavy favorite.

Cheers
3Fees

now I want murray to take down thiem

it's gonna be hard though, really hard

They have met 3 times, twice on hardcourt and once on clay and all of their matches went the distance. Murray won both hardcourt meetings although the last one was in 2015 when he was at the height of his form. Thiem has improved since then and Murray, of course, is much weaker. It will be an extremely tough proposition for him.

 

[Harry_Wild]

Murray doing well! Third set was 6-1 against Norrie!

 

[clayqueen]

41 posts only. Is this a sign of things to come when Fedal eventually retire? The Tokyo thread is just as bad.

 

[megamind]

41 posts only. Is this a sign of things to come when Fedal eventually retire? The Tokyo thread is just as bad.

no this is a sign of things to come when Fedal eventually retire

 

[clayqueen]

no this is a sign of things to come when Fedal eventually retire

Rafa celebrating!

 

[megamind]

Rafa celebrating!

i like that you phrase what some would call constipation in more positive terms

 

[clayqueen]

i like that you phrase what some would call constipation in more positive terms

There again, Rafa haters not letting the facts get in their way.

 

[megamind]

There again, Rafa haters not letting the facts get in their way.

i m rafa lover, but an anti-constipationist, if I do say so myself!!!!!!!

 

[clayqueen]

i like that you phrase what some would call constipation in more positive terms

Sounds like you go to the loo with a racquet in your hand. Weird, much?

 

[megamind]

Sounds like you go to the loo with a racquet in your hand. Weird, much?

one only makes such faces in moments of the dreaded constipation

join the cause to defeat constipation today!

 

[clayqueen]

i m rafa lover, but an anti-constipationist, if I do say so myself!!!!!!!

Evidently not.