Grand Prix Hassan II, Marrakech, Morocco, ATP 250

[britbox]

DATE: 10 Apr 2017 - 16 Apr 2017
SURFACE: CLAY
PRIZE MONEY: €482,060
FIELD SIZE: 28
REIGNING CHAMPION: Frederico Delbonis

Seeds:
1 DIMITROV, Grigor
2 RAMOS-VINOLAS, Albert
3 KOHLSCHREIBER, Philipp
4 ZVEREV, Mischa
5 LORENZI, Paolo
6 PAIRE, Benoit
7 SCHWARTZMAN, Diego
8 GRANOLLERS, Marcel


Marrakech Night Market by Scott Rae, on Flickr

About Marrakech

Marrakech is the fourth largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca, Fes and Tangier. The strategy of Morocco is to develop the inland city as a tourism hotspot. Sport is playing a major role in this with Marrakech now hosting a WTA tournament to go with established World Touring Car Championship, Formula Two and Auto GP races.

Marrakech comprises an old fortified city packed with vendors and their stalls (the medina), bordered by modern neighborhoods, the most prominent of which is Gueliz. Today it is one of the busiest cities in Africa and serves as a major economic centre and tourist destination.

Marrakech has the largest traditional Berber market in Morocco, with some 18 souks selling wares ranging from traditional Berber carpets to modern consumer electronics. Crafts employ a significant percentage of the population, who primarily sell their products to tourists.



Marrakech enjoys a hot dry climate with average temperature highs of 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 60% humidity.

 

[britbox]

The Draw

 

[isabelle]

Grigor should win easily

 

[britbox]

Grigor should win easily

I'm not sure winning easy and Grigor belong in the same sentence... but agree that if he has turned the corner and is to start realising his potential then this kind of tournament is one where he needs to stamp his authority.

 

[El Dude]

"Should" is the operative word.

 

[britbox]

Results from the Marrakech Open Men's Singles Round 1 matches on Monday

Radu Albot (Moldova) beat Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 7-6(6) 6-3
Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) 6-4 6-4
Laslo Djere (Serbia) beat Martin Klizan (Slovakia) 7-6(3) 6-3
Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) beat Taro Daniel (Japan) 4-6 6-3 6-1

 

[britbox]

Results from the Marrakech Open Men's Singles Round 1 matches on Tuesday

Gianluigi Quinzi (Italy) beat Paul-Henri Mathieu (France) 7-6(8) 6-3
Reda El Amrani (Morocco) beat Federico Delbonis (Argentina) 7-6(3) 1-0 (Delbonis retired)
Amine Ahouda (Morocco) beat 8-Marcel Granollers (Spain) 6-4 6-4
Borna Coric (Croatia) beat 7-Diego Schwartzman (Argentina) 6-3 6-2

 

[britbox]

Results from the Marrakech Open Men's Singles matches on Wednesday

Round 2
2-Albert Ramos (Spain) beat Laslo Djere (Serbia) 6-7(4) 6-1 6-4
Borna Coric (Croatia) beat Reda El Amrani (Morocco) 6-2 3-6 7-6(5)

Round 1
6-Benoit Paire (France) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-7(0) 6-3 6-2
5-Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) 7-6(4) 7-5
Jeremy Chardy (France) beat Malek Jaziri (Tunisia) 6-2 4-6 6-3
Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) beat Luca Vanni (Italy) 6-2 6-3

 

[Moxie]

I'm not sure winning easy and Grigor belong in the same sentence... but agree that if he has turned the corner and is to start realising his potential then this kind of tournament is one where he needs to stamp his authority.

Old man Tommy Robredo took out Grigor today: 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.

 

[britbox]

Old man Tommy Robredo took out Grigor today: 6-4, 1-6, 6-1.

Looks like Grigor is returning to type after a promising start to the year. I had a feeling he wouldn't win here, but I wouldn't have bet money on old man Robredo schooling him.

 

[herios]

Seeds:

1. Dimitrov
2. Ramos-Vinolas
3. Kohlschreiber
4. M Zverev
5. Lorenzi
6. Paire
7. Schwartzman
8. Granollers

 

[Moxie]

Looks like Grigor is returning to type after a promising start to the year. I had a feeling he wouldn't win here, but I wouldn't have bet money on old man Robredo schooling him.

I gave this match a 2nd look when I saw the schedule yesterday, but figured Tommy didn't have enough notches in his comeback belt to take out Grigor. I'm still guilty of underestimating Dimitrov's ability to blow an opportunity, (i.e., to win this 250.)

 

[britbox]

Results from the Marrakech Open Men's Singles Round 2 matches on Thursday

3-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Jeremy Chardy (France) 6-0 2-6 6-3
Jan-Lennard Struff (Germany) beat Amine Ahouda (Morocco) 6-3 6-4
5-Paolo Lorenzi (Italy) beat Gianluigi Quinzi (Italy) 7-6(5) 2-6 6-4
Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat 1-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) 6-4 1-6 6-1
Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) beat 4-Mischa Zverev (Germany) 6-4 6-4
6-Benoit Paire (France) beat Radu Albot (Moldova) 6-2 6-2

 

[Carol]

I see Dimitrov doesn't change, very inconsistent. Anyway I'm glad with the Tommy win

 

[herios]

Veteran Tommy Robredo , now ranked 385, eliminates Grigor, the top seed.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Veteran Tommy Robredo , now ranked 385, eliminates Grigor, the top seed.

Wow, that is a long way from the AO run of Grigor. Looks like he is back where he belongs.
That too he took a wild card and travelled all the way to get his butt kicked.

 

[isabelle]

happy for Tommy even if Grigor's very disappointing one more time (he had a WC there)

 

[isabelle]

Coric beat Ramos and reaches semi

 

[herios]

Tommy Robredo lost today to Paire

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Tommy Robredo lost today to Paire

That's alright; He is saving himself for Murray at MC :devil