Murray, Djokovic, Nadal In Week 1 Action

Top 10 Stars in Action: The opening week of the 2017 ATP World Tour season features three tournaments with nine of the Top 10 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings leading the way. This is the third year in a row at least four of the Top 5 and seven of the Top 10 are playing in the opening week of the season: Brisbane: (3) Raonic, (4) Wawrinka, (5) Nishikori, (8) Thiem, (9) Nadal; Doha: (1) Murray, (2) Djokovic, (10) Berdych; Chennai: (6) Cilic.

#NextGen Watch: There are four #NextGen players in action (not including qualifiers): Chennai: Borna Coric, Daniil Medvedev; Brisbane: (WC) Elias Ymer; Doha: Karen Khachanov.

January Title Leaders: In the past seven years, a Top 10 player has won 27 of the 42 tournaments (64 per cent) held in January, including three of six last season. Djokovic and Federer lead the way among active players on the ATP World Tour with eight career titles in the month of January. Djokovic, who won two titles last year in the opening month, has captured at least one title in January in five of the past six years:

*One title (2004 Australian Open) came on Feb. 1 and not included in total

Qatar ExxonMobil Open: The 25^th edition of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open is led by World No. 1 Andy Murray and No. 2 Novak Djokovic. Murray, who won back-to-back titles in 2008-09, is one of three former champions in the field. Djokovic is the reigning champ. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the fifth seed, is making his first appearance in Doha since winning the title in 2012. Here is a look at the other seeds: No. 3 Tomas Berdych, No. 4 David Goffin, No. 5 Tsonga, No. 6 Ivo Karlovic, No. 7 Philipp Kohlschreiber and No. 8 Marcos Baghdatis.

Top Two in Doha: This is the first time the top two players in the Emirates ATP Rankings are appearing in Doha since 2011, when No. 1 Nadal reached the semi-finals and No. 2 Federer won the title. The No. 1 and No. 2 players also appeared in Doha in 2010 when No. 1 Federer reached the semis and No. 2 Nadal advanced to the final. In 2009, No. 1 Nadal advanced to the quarter-finals and No. 2 Federer reached the semi-finals.

Top 10 Streak: A Top 10 player has been crowned champion the past eight years and 11 of the past 12 (except Murray No. 11 in ’08) in Doha: No. 1 Djokovic (2016), No. 6 Davydenko (2010), No. 10 Ferrer (2015), No. 4 Murray (2009), No. 1 Nadal (2014), No. 5 Ljubicic (2007), No. 10 Gasquet (2013), No. 1 Federer (2006), No. 6 Tsonga (2012), No. 1 Federer (2005), No. 2 Federer (2011).

Murray Brings Streak Into 2017: Murray enters Doha with a career-best 24-match winning streak. It’s the fourth time since 1975 (since complete records kept) a player closed out the season with a 20-plus match winning streak. Here are the streaks to end the year (listed chronologically):

Streak Finishing Season      Streak Ended

Murray 24 (in 2016)                 ?

Djokovic 24 (in 2013)              28 (in 2014)

Federer 29 (in 2006)               41 (in 2007)

Lendl 35 (in 1981)                  44 (in 1982)

Note: McEnroe won 24 in a row at the end of 1982, but his streak ended at 26 with a loss in the final to Lendl at the Masters in January 1983, which was considered part of 1982 season.

Murray in Doha: Murray is making his first appearance in Doha since 2014 when he lost in the 2R (l. to F. Mayer), his earliest exit in four visits. He has a 15-2 career record, reaching the final in his 2007 debut (l. to Ljubicic) and winning back-to-back titles in 2008 (d. Wawrinka) and 2009 (d. Roddick).

Murray closed last season by winning his last five tournaments (nine overall in 2016), capped by finishing No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with his win over Djokovic in the ATP Finals in London. He compiled a 23-1 record last season as the top seed, winning four of five finals.

Novak in Opening Week: This is the third year in a row and fifth time in his career Djokovic is playing in the opening week of the ATP World Tour season. Two years ago he lost in the quarter-finals to Karlovic and followed last year by winning the title. In 2009, he played in Brisbane and lost to Gulbis (1R). In 2007, he won the title in Adelaide in his tourney debut.

Last year Djokovic became the sixth player who was ranked No. 1 in his career to win the Doha title, joining former coach Boris Becker who won the inaugural title in 1993. Other No. 1s to win the title: Stefan Edberg (1994-95), Jim Courier (1997), Marcelo Rios (2001), Roger Federer (2005-06, ’11).

Tsonga Returns: No. 2 Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga makes his return to Doha for the first time since winning the title in 2012 (d. Monfils). Last season Tsonga finished in the Top 15 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the ninth straight year at No. 12. His best result was a runner-up in Vienna (l. to Murray).

Strong Doubles Draw: The top seeds are last year’s World No. 1 Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who won three titles in five finals. The other seeds who are expected to team up together in 2017: No. 2 Mate Pavic & Alexander Peya, No. 3 Vasek Pospisil & Radek Stepanek and No. 4 Dominic Inglot & Florin Mergea.

Note: Andy Murray is teaming up with Mariusz Fyrstenberg for the first time. They could meet J. Murray/Soares in QFs (if they both win 1R).

Brisbane International presented by Suncorp: The strongest field in tournament history features five of the Top 10 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings, led by World No. 3 and reigning champion Milos Raonic, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, No. 5 Kei Nishikori, No. 8 Dominic Thiem and No. 9 Rafael Nadal. Other seeds are Lucas Pouille, Grigor Dimitrov and David Ferrer. Wawrinka, Nadal and Ferrer are making their Brisbane debut. The past seven Brisbane finals have included a Top 10 player.

Milos Reigning Champ: Raonic is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament for the fifth time in his career. The recently (Dec. 27) turned 26-year-old Canadian is coming off his career-best season in 2016. He won his eighth career ATP World Tour title in Brisbane (d. Federer) and reached three other finals (ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells, The Queen’s Club/London, Wimbledon).

He also closed the season with a semi-final showing at the ATP Finals in London, where he lost to eventual champion Murray in a three-hour, 38-minute marathon. Raonic improved from No. 14 to No. 3 and won a personal-best 52 matches. He is 7-2 in Brisbane. He also reached the final in 2015 (l. to Federer).

Kei is Back: Nishikori is making his sixth straight visit to Brisbane and seventh overall. The 27-year-old Japanese star is a three-time semi-finalist (2013-15). Last season he won a personal-best 58 matches and finished No. 5 for the second time in three years. Nishikori, who is 11-9 in career finals, has won at least one ATP World Tour title the past five years.

New Faces to Watch: Wawrinka, Nadal and Ferrer are among the nine players in the main draw (not including qualifiers) making their first appearance in Brisbane. Wawrinka finished No. 4 for the third straight year and as the No. 1 Swiss for the first time, winning four titles in five finals.

Nadal won two titles and finished in the Top 10 for the 12^th consecutive year, the longest active streak on the ATP World Tour. Ferrer finished out of the Top 20 (at No. 21) for the first time since 2004 and his title streak of six years in a row also came to an end.

Thiem Marathon Man: No. 4 seed Dominic Thiem played the most tournaments (27) and the second-most matches (82) (behind Murray, 87) of any player in the Top 10 last season. The 23-year-old Austrian was also the youngest in the Top 10 at No. 8. He won a personal-best four ATP World Tour titles in six finals and 58 matches.

Tomic Leads Aussie Hopes: No. 2 Aussie Bernard Tomic is trying to become the first Aussie to win an opening week ATP World Tour title since Lleyton Hewitt won Brisbane in 2014. Tomic reached the semi-finals in Brisbane in 2012 and last year. There are two other Aussies in the main draw: wild cards Sam Groth and Jordan Thompson. Thanasi Kokkinakis, who is a member of the #NextGen group after finishing 2015 a year-end best No. 80, is coming off right shoulder surgery on 29 December 2015. He is playing in the doubles draw (w/Thompson).

Familiar Doubles Duos: The top three seeds played full-time together last season and finished in Top 6: No. 1 Pierre-Hugues Herbert & Nicolas Mahut, No. 2 Henri Kontinen & John Peers and No. 3 Raven Klaasen & Rajeev Ram. Kontinen/Peers, the defending champions, defeated Klaasen/Ram in the ATP Finals in London. No. 4 seeds Daniel Nestor & Edouard Roger-Vasselin won two titles last season. Top 10 players Wawrinka, Nishikori and Thiem are in the doubles draw.

Aircel Chennai Open: The 22^nd edition of the only ATP World Tour tournament in India is led by top seed and World No. 6 Marin Cilic, who won back-to-back titles in 2009-10. The other seeds are No. 2/2013 runner-up Roberto Bautista Agut, No. 3 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, No. 4 Martin Klizan, No. 5 Benoit Paire, No. 6/last year’s finalist Borna Coric, No. 7/2008 champion Mikhail Youzhny and No. 8 Yen-Hsun Lu. Cilic and Youzhny are the only former winners in the draw.

Marin Tough Top Seed: Cilic is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament for the ninth time in his career and for the first time in Chennai. The 28-year-old Croatian star has a 14-3 main draw record in Chennai, winning back-to-back titles in 2009 (d. Devvarman) and 2010 (d. Wawrinka). He also was a SF in 2008 (l. to eventual champion Youzhny).

This is Cilic’s first appearance in Chennai since 2013 (l. to Paire in QF). He finished last season a career year-end best No. 6 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, highlighted by two titles in four finals, including his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati (d. Murray). He also helped his country to the Davis Cup final (l. to Argentina 3-2).

Cilic has an outstanding 25-5 career record as the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament, winning three titles and reaching two other finals: 2015 Moscow champion, 2010 Metz QF, 2013 Memphis QF, 2010 Munich finalist, 2013 Zagreb champion, 2010 Zagreb champion, 2011 Zagreb QF, 2009 Vienna finalist.

Bautista Agut Is Back: No. 2 seed Roberto Bautista Agut is making his fifth straight appearance in Chennai (7-4 record). The No. 2 Spaniard last season (behind No. 9 Nadal) finished a year-end best No. 14 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with two titles. He reached the Chennai final in 2013 and SF in 2015.

Coric Returns to Action: No. 6 seed Borna Coric, who reached his first career ATP World Tour final here last year (l. to Wawrinka), is coming off his second straight Top 50 finish at No. 48. The 20-year-old #NextGen star underwent season-ending right knee surgery on 27 September 2016.

Bedene Success in Chennai: British No. 4 Aljaz Bedene is the last direct entry into the main draw and he comes in with a 12-4 career record in Chennai. He reached the final in 2015 as a qualifier, semi-finals in 2013 and last year and quarter-finals in 2014.

Wild Cards in Field/Indian Title Hopes: The top two Indian players in the Emirates ATP Rankings are wild cards Saketh Myneni, who is No. 192, and Ramkumar Ramanathan, who is ranked No. 227. There are two others in the final round of qualifying: Yuki Bhambri and Prajnesh Gunneswaran. The other wild card is 18-year-old Norwegian star Casper Ruud, ranked a career-high No. 225.

Leander With 11^th Partner: Indian doubles star Leander Paes is making his 17^th Chennai appearance with his 11^th different partner. He has a 33-9 record in his home country tournament. The 43-year-old Calcutta native is playing for the first time with Brazilian Andre Sa. They are the No. 3 seeds.

Paes was runner-up two years ago (w/Klaasen). Paes has won the doubles title six times (1997-99, ’02, ’11-12), the first five with long-time partner Mahesh Bhupathi. His last title came with Janko Tipsarevic in 2012.

ICYMI

Kind of a big deal: Andy Murray received a knighthood. Read

Murray and Djokovic launched the 2017 season in Doha. Read

Aussie wins kicked off action in Brisbane. Read

Aussie teen makes grand entrance in Brisbane. Read

Spend a day with Dimitrov pushing himself to the limits. Watch

Birthdays

2 January: Ivan Dodig (32)

6 January: Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (39), Sergiy Stakhovsky (31)

8 January: Kyle Edmund (22)