Rio Open 500 2015: Daily Scores, Results and Draw Schedule
Rafael Nadal is known as the "King of Clay" for a reason. This is the surface he dominates, so it comes as little surprise that he was defending his singles title at the 2015 Rio Open in Brazil this week.
The hard courts put greater stress on Nadal's knees, which have a history of giving him problems throughout his prolific career. Clay allows Nadal to slide around and utilize his tremendous topspin to its full advantage.
Nadal, seeking to round into form ahead of a hopeful 10th French Open title at Roland Garros later this year, noted before the event how much the weather was to play a factor.
"I think this heat would affect anybody,” said Nadal, per The Associated Press (via the Columbia Daily Tribune). "It's very difficult with these conditions. The conditions are extreme, with high humidity on top of that. If it doesn't cool off, I'll suffer and try to survive any way I can."
A solid run through the tournament ended abruptly when Nadal fell to Fabio Fognini in the semifinals. Fognini couldn't carry the momentum over to the final, where he was defeated by David Ferrer.
As for the women's side, Sara Errani headlined the field as the top overall seed. Errani was a French Open finalist herself in 2012 and lived up to her billing by taking home the title.
Read on to see how the tournament unfolded, with recaps of the action from Rio de Janeiro for both the men's and women's draws.
Note: Statistics and information courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com and WTATennis.com unless otherwise noted.
Draw Schedule
1 of 14
Men's Final, Sunday, February 22, 9 p.m. GMT/4 p.m. ET
Fabio Fognini vs. David Ferrer
Women's Final, Sunday, February 22, 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET
Sara Errani vs. Anna Schmiedlova
Men's and Women's Finals Recap
2 of 14
Men's Singles: Final
No. 2 David Ferrer def. No. 4 Fabio Fognini; 6-2, 6-3
Women's Singles: Final
No. 1 Sara Errani def. Anna Schmiedlova; 7-6 (2), 6-1
Recap
Sunday marked the final in both the men's and women's final at the Rio Open, and neither match was particularly close.
A Spanish ATP champion emerged—though not the one most expected. Rafael Nadal was knocked out in the semis by Fabio Fognini, but Nadal's compatriot, David Ferrer, wound up crushing Fognini, dropping only five games in the final.
Even a first-serve percentage of 73 couldn't keep Fognini within striking distance. Ferrer showcased the game that has made him among the game's elite players, perpetually overshadowed by Nadal and the other superstars of this era.
Despite a proficient service game in terms of putting the ball in play, Fognini won just 52 percent of his first-serve points, as Ferrer's returning prowess was on full display. This marks a deserved moment for Ferrer to soak up the spotlight and hopefully provide a spark to carry him forward amid such tough competition atop men's tennis.
For the WTA event, Sara Errani did what Nadal couldn't—win the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the draw. A dominant 7-2 win in a first-set tiebreaker eliminated any doubt that Errani could overcome surging youngster Anna Schmiedlova.
After the match, Errani alluded to how her perseverance helped her grind out the victory, via WTATennis.com:
"he first set was tough. We played more than an hour. We were both fighting hard in that set - she was playing very well and not giving me anything, really. It was also the first time I played her so I needed some time to find my tactics. I was happy I managed to win that set, and in the second set things started going much more my way. I think I was just physically stronger in the end.
"
Schmiedlova was indeed giving Errani zero ground. Errani hit 87 percent of her first serves in during the opening set, per TennisTV on Twitter, yet Schmiedlova held her ground before wilting in the extra points.
The run to the final has to give the 20-year-old Schmiedlova confidence to keep on the path toward her promising potential. Granted, coming up just shy of a maiden WTA title has to sting a little.
This was a long-deserved breakthrough for Errani, who hadn't won a title since 2013. The former top-ranked doubles player is on her way back toward the top in singles, so Errani has to feel fantastic about the result heading into the clay-court season.
Errani was a finalist in the 2012 French Open, and based on her form in Rio on clay, she may be able to aim that high again this year at Roland Garros.
Men's Recap Day 6
3 of 14
Men's Singles: Semifinals
No. 2 David Ferrer def. Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-5, 6-1
No. 4 Fabio Fognini def. No. 1 Rafael Nadal 1-6, 6-2, 7-5
Day 6 of the Rio Open served up a monumental shock, as Fabio Fognini overcame tournament favourite Rafael Nadal 2-1 to book his place in the final.
There, he’ll meet David Ferrer, who defeated Andreas Haider-Maurer in straight sets, and will be looking to complete a Spanish clean sweep to get his hands on the trophy.
Nadal went into the semi-final with Fognini having not lost a semi-final on clay in all of 12 years, but he came up short against the Italian, who produced the performance of a lifetime.
It didn’t start well for the world No. 28, though, as Nadal put him to the sword in the opening set with a 6-1 victory.
The Spaniard was quite simply on fire during that set, but a switch seemed to flick in Fognini’s head, as he suddenly became unplayable himself.
By adopting a more aggressive approach, Fognini had the beating of Nadal and took the second set 6-2.
From then on, it was anyone’s match, as the players exchanged blows game after game. At 6-5 to Fognini, Nadal had to serve out to keep his head above water, but a fabulous game by the Italian followed by an incredible match point saw him book his place in the final.
Here’s a look at that captivating final point, courtesy of Tennis TV:
"Watch this: match point! Fabio #Fognini beats Rafa #Nadal on a sensational match point, #tennis #RioOpen http://t.co/WlcsNdWJnR
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) February 22, 2015"
That remarkable reach from Fognini summed up his entire performance: it was determined, alert and just plain brilliant.
Following the match, the Italian was understandably elated and a little shocked by what he had just achieved, per BBC Sport:
"I'm really happy about this match. I beat the best player on this surface. Rafa is always difficult. From the second set I played really well, and I tried to change a little bit to be more positive on court. I'm super happy, and obviously on Sunday I will have to battle David, who has always beaten me.
"
Fognini will need to produce a similarly brilliant display to overcome Ferrer, who eased his way into the final courtesy of a 7-5, 6-1 triumph over Haider-Maurer.
Although the Spaniard was pushed a little in the opening set, he never looked like faltering and will be the hot favourite for the Fognini clash on Day 7.
However, if the semi-finals are anything to go by, then the underdog could well have his day again.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Women's Day 6
4 of 14
Women's Singles: Semifinals
No. 1 Sara Errani def. No. 5 Johanna Larsson; 7-5, 6-3
Anna Schmiedlova def. No. 2 Irina Begu; 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Recap
Sara Errani continued her roll through the main draw, bouncing back from a testing quarterfinals match to defeat fifth-seeded Johanna Larsson in straight sets. The opening frame proved tough, but Errani held firm and closed out the second set with ease 6-3.
Errani's improbable final opponent in the title match will be Anna Schmiedlova. The 20-year-old Slovakian has been on a magical run in Rio, with second-seeded Irina Begu serving as her latest victim in the semifinals.
Despite not being seeded in this tournament and her young age, Schmiedlova can't be overlooked. In 2014, she defeated Venus Williams in the second round of the French Open and ran all the way to the girls' singles final at Wimbledon, per ESPN.com.
But it would be quite a shock to see Errani fall. She has been the favorite from the beginning as the top overall seed, though her resolve will likely be tested by the precocious Schmiedlova in Sunday's final.
Men's Recap Day 5
5 of 14
Men's Singles: Quarterfinals
No. 2 David Ferrer def. Juan Monaco 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Andreas Haider-Maurer def. Joao Souza 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-4
No. 4 Fabio Fognini def. Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-7(10), 7-6(9)
No. 1 Rafael Nadal def. Pablo Cuevas 4-6, 7-5, 6-0
Things were interesting on the men's side in the quarterfinals, as David Ferrer had a rocky match against Juan Monaco before pulling through in the third set.
After the win, Ferrer told reporters (h/t ATP World Tour) that he tried to play more out front than usual but will do whatever it takes to make the final:
"(Monaco) played very aggressive… I tried to be focused on every point and I took my chances,” said Ferrer. “I will try my best to be in the final.”
Fortunately for the No. 2 seed Ferrer, he was able to pull through thanks in large part to winning 67 percent of his second serve points. That was the only category in which he had any kind of separation from Monaco, otherwise it was a closely contested battle.
In the only quarterfinal battle between two unranked players, Andreas Haider-Maurer got a trip to the semifinals with a close three-set in over Joao Souza. The Austrian had five fewer aces (12-7) and one more double-fault (5-4) than his Brazilian counterpart, yet somehow pulled a rabbit out of his hat.
Haider-Maurer is searching for his first career title after five years on the ATP Tour.
In Day 5's longest match, the ninth time was the charm for Fabio Fognini, who put Federico Delbonis away after three grueling sets. According to Josh Meiseles of ATPWorldTour.com, the match dragged on for three hours and 12 minutes, which was the longest of Fognini's career.
The Italian finally pulled through after converting on what was his ninth match point.
Top seed Rafael Nadal nearly had a scare, dropping the first set 4-6 to Pablo Cuevas and then nearly falling in the second before rebounding and taking the set 7-5. From there, he cruised in the third set, taking the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-0.
Nadal spoke about his victory, per ATPWorldTour.com:
"It was a complicated time at the beginning, the second set was tough, too, but on the second set I felt better. I felt with better control in the match even though I could not break him until 6-5. I'm happy because this was an important victory for me, to be able to be on a semi-final. It's a great result, it gives me points, confidence and the opportunity to play tomorrow. I hope I'm recovered.
"
The match was a true battle of wills, with battle dragging well into the night in Rio de Janeiro. According to Sports Illustrated, it wasn't until 3:19 a.m. local time that Nadal sealed the win.
Women's Recap Day 5
6 of 14
Women's Singles: Quarterfinals
No. 1 Sara Errani def. Beatriz Haddad Maia 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 3-0 (Retired)
No. 2 Irina Begu def. Julia Glushko 6-1, 6-2
No. 5 Johanna Larsson def. Dinah Pfizenmaier 6-4, 5-0 (Retired)
No. 6 Anna Schmiedlova def. Veronica Cepede Royg 6-3, 6-1
It seemed like there was going to be an upset in the women's quarterfinals, with Sara Errani struggling early against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the first two sets. The No. 1 seed caught a break in the third set after her opponent retired, reportedly due to cramping, though Errani seemed to be on her way to a win in the final set.
For Errani, this is her first quarterfinal in a tournament since last year's U.S. Open.
After Errani's scare, all the drama was taken out of the quarterfinals. Irinia Begu and Johanna Larsson held up their end of the bargain, only dropping seven combined games in the two matches. Errani will take on Larsson in the semifinals.
Begu is coming off a successful 2014 season, in which she won three tournaments, and has gone 6-1 in matches dating back to the Australian Open. She will take on unranked Anna Schmiedlove in the semifinals.
Schmiedlova's run to the semifinals easily marks her best result so far this year, having lost in the second round at the Shenzhen Open and Australian Open.
Men's Recap Day 4
7 of 14
Men's Singles: Round 2
No. 1 Rafael Nadal def. Pablo Carreno Busta, 7-5, 6-3
No. 4 Fabio Fognini def. Pablo Andujar, 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 Pablo Cuevas def. Albert Montanes, 6-2, 6-2
Federico Delbonis def. Martin Klizan, 6-2, 6-1
The top seeds in action all survived on Thursday, led by top-seed Rafael Nadal, who had a bit of a scare in the first set against Pablo Carreno Busta before dispatching of him without much issue in the second.
"Tough conditions, a difficult, young opponent and I'm just content to be in the quarterfinals," Nadal told The Associated Press, via ESPN. "For me every victory is important, and even more so on clay."
And the King of Clay didn't disappoint, even if he wasn't quite at his best in this contest. The difference in this match was Nadal's 66 percent conversion rate on his second-serve points and the fact that he only allowed Carreno Busta three break points and saved two of them.
Nadal will next face Cuevas, who steamrolled Albert Montanes in two sets. Poor Cuevas is likely to face the same fate against Nadal, the top player on clay in the world and the man who seems destined to meet David Ferrer in the final.
Meanwhile, Fabio Fognini and Federico Delbonis will meet in the other quarterfinal on the top half of the bracket after each handling their business on Thursday without much issue.
Women's Recap Day 4
8 of 14
Women's Singles: Round 2
No. 1 Sara Errani def. Lourdes Dominguez Lino, 6-0, 7-5
No. 6 Anna Schmiedlova def. Paula Ormaechea, 6-0, 6-2
Beatriz Haddad Maia def. No. 7 Polona Hercog, 6-1, 6-2
Veronica Cepede Royg def. No. 3 Roberta Vinci, 6-2, 6-3
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for the seeded players. While No. 1 Sara Errani and No. 6 Anna Schmiedlova didn't run into too many issues in straight-set victories—Errani did need a 7-5 win in the second set—No. 3 Roberta Vinci and No. 7 Polona Hercog both fell on Thursday.
Despite her win, Errani was already looking ahead to another competition in Rio, per The Associated Press via ESPN:
"Errani is already thinking of next year's Olympic tennis in Rio, probably in a partnership with Roberta Vinci.
"We hope to arrive in Rio in top shape," said Errani who, with Vinci, lost in the quarterfinals of the London Olympics to Serena and Venus Williams. "We'll come here looking to get a medal, knowing of course it won't be easy."
"
Vinci, on the other hand, was probably think of her disappointing straight-sets loss to Veronica Cepede Royg. Her return game let her down on the day, as she won just 23 percent of her total return points. It's little wonder she only created two break points and only won one of them.
Men's Day 3 Recap
9 of 14
Men's Singles: Round 2
No. 2 David Ferrer def. Thiemo De Bakker 7-6 (10-8), 2-0 (Retired)
Andreas Haider-Maurer def. No. 3 Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-2
Juan Monaco def. Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
Joao Souza def. Blaz Rola 6-4, 6-7 (9-11), 6-4
In the first singles match of the day, Andreas Haider-Maurer pulled off a stunning upset of No. 3 Tommy Robredo. The Austrian star lost five games in two sets and dominated on first serve points won with 26 of 30 going his way.
Robredo is not having a strong start to this year. He lost his first match at the Australian Open and Brasil Open, came back with a win over Elias Ymer in the first round at the Rio Open before falling to Haider-Maurer. The 32-year-old is currently ranked 18th in the ATP standings, but doesn't seem likely to stay in the top 20 much longer.
Speaking of players who have struggled in 2015, Juan Monaco is having a great time in Rio. He hadn't won a singles or doubles match in five tries this season before this tournament. Now, the 30-year-old has two wins and a spot in the quarterfinals waiting after defeating Jarkko Nieminen.
In a marathon match, Joao Souza got into the quarterfinals with a three-set win over Blaz Rola. The 26-year-old Brazilian has been trending in the right direction after making it to the semifinals at the Brasil Open and now with two wins in Rio.
In the final match of the evening, No. 2 seed David Ferrer needed a lot of resolve in the first set with a 10-8 tiebreak before Thiemo De Bakker retired after losing the first two games in the second set.
Ferrer, despite being 32, is still finding his footing this year. He won the Exxon Mobil Open to start the year, then lost to Kei Nishikori in the fourth round of the Australian Open. He's been fine against players ranked lower than him, which is a good sign heading into the quarterfinals with two unranked stars advancing today.
Women's Day 3 Recap
10 of 14
Women's Singles: Round 2
No. 2 Irina Begu def. Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-4
Dinah Pfizenmaier def. No. 4 Madison Brengle 7-5, 0-6, 7-5
No. 5 Johanna Larsson def. Gabriela Co 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
Julia Glushko def. Grace Min 6-3, 6-1
Things got off to a dramatic start for the women on Wednesday. No. 4 seed Madison Brengle, who advanced to the second round after Ana Bogdan was forced to withdraw, was knocked out in three very different sets by unranked Dinah Pfizenmaier.
After losing a close first set, Brengle dominated the second set and seemed poised to take control of the match. Pfizenmaier kept her resolve in the final set, earning a 7-5 win and trip to the quarterfinals.
In the other two matches featuring ranked players, chalk held with Irina Begu and Johanna Larsson winning in straight sets. Begu is coming off one of her most successful seasons as a professional, winning three tournaments in 2014 and reaching the fourth round of this year's Australian Open for the first time.
Larsson hasn't won an event since 2012 and just once in the past four years. This is already her best singles performance of 2015, having failed to make it past the second round in her previous three events.
In the only match featuring two unranked players, Julia Glushko had no problems defeating Grace Min by dropping only four games in two sets.
Men's Day 2 Recap
11 of 14
Men's Singles: Round 1
No. 1 Rafael Nadal def Thomaz Bellucci 6-4, 6-1
Pablo Carreno Busta def Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-0
Albert Montanes def Maximo Gonzalez 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
No. 6 Pablo Cuevas def Nicolas Almagro 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 4 Fabio Fognini def Jiri Vesely 1-6, 7-6(7), 6-1
Pablo Andujar def Paolo Lorenzi 3-6, 6-0, 6-3
Federico Delbonis def Diego Schwartzman 6-7(8), 7-6(6), 2-1 (Retirement)
No. 8 Martin Klizan def Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 0-6, 6-4
Blaz Rola def No. 5 Leonardo Mayer 4-6, 7-6(3), 4-1 (Retirement)
Joao Souza def Facundo Arguello 6-2, 6-1
Juan Monaco def No. 7 Santiago Giraldo 6-3, 3-0 (Retirement)
No. 2 David Ferrer def Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-4, 6-3
So far, so good for Rafael Nadal.
The World No. 3 needed just 90 minutes to dispose of Thomaz Bellucci. After giving up his first break to make it 4-4 in the first set, Nadal took it into another gear and proceeded to win six straight games to push his lead to 6-4, 4-0 and put the match away.
Nadal's compatriot and tournament No. 2 seed, David Ferrer, advanced with similar ease in straight sets, but the other seeded players had a bit of trouble.
No. 4 Fabio Fognini survived a wild roller-coaster of a match against Jiri Vesely, falling flat in the first set, winning three match points to help ultimately take the second-set tiebreak and finally dominating in the third set. No. 8 Martin Klizan, meanwhile, overcame a second-set bagel to beat a tough Dusan Lajovic.
Five-seed Leonardo Mayer and seven-seed Santiago Giraldo weren't nearly as fortunate, as they both retired while trailing in the third set.
Women's Day 2 Recap
12 of 14
Women's Singles: Round 1
No. 1 Sara Errani def Teliana Pereira 6-3, 6-3
Beatriz Haddad Maia def Maria Irigoyen 6-1, 6-1
Dinah Pfizenmaier def Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4
Paula Ormaechea def Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-4, 6-4
Veronica Cepede Royg def Paula Cristina Goncalves 6-2, 7-5
No. 3 Roberta Vinci def Lucie Hradecka 7-6(4), 6-3
Julia Glushko def Andreea Mitu 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4
Bethanie Mattek-Sands def Danka Kovinic 6-4, 6-3
Recap
The tournament's top seed, Sara Errani, had no trouble in her first match, defeating Teliana Pereira in straight sets. The Italian controlled every facet of the match, but she was especially effective on defense, winning more than half of her return points and earning five breaks in just nine return games.
Roberta Vinci, the other seeded player in action on Tuesday, didn't have it nearly as easy with Lucie Hradecka.
Both ladies struggled immensely to find any rhythm and hold serve. Vinci won just 54 percent of her service points, while Hradecka sat at 47 percent. Of the 21 total games played, there was an astounding 10 breaks.
Ultimately, Vinci was able to calm down after winning the first-set tiebreak to escape what would have been a huge upset loss against the World No. 125.
Men's Day 1 Recap
13 of 14
Men's Singles: First Round
No. 3 Tommy Robredo def. Elias Ymer; 6-4, 6-3
Jarkko Nieminen def. Marco Cecchinato; 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Andreas Haider-Maurer def. Albert Ramos-Vinolas; 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Thiemo de Bakker def. Guilherme Clezar; 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
Recap
Tommy Robredo was the only top seed in action. The Spaniard entered the Rio Open in strong form off a second-round loss at the Brasil Open last week, defeating Elias Ymer with ease 6-4, 6-3.
Although Ymer was somewhat competitive, Robredo broke him on serve five times to overcome his own faults in service games to secure a rather easy win.
Two other unseeded victors managed to overcome losses in their opening sets to pull out their matches. Andreas Haider-Maurer pulled off the trick despite hitting fewer than half his first serves in play, winning an impressive 17 of 29 return points in the third set to knock out Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Marco Cecchinato came out of the gates on fire, serving at 75 percent to take the first serve off of Jarkko Nieminen. However, Cecchinato couldn't keep that up, as Nieminen capitalized on both his break chances in the third set to advance.
Day 2 should be exciting, if for no other reason than Nadal is making his 2015 Rio Open debut. Nadal will take on Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, who will hope to rally the home crowd.
As much support as Bellucci should deservedly garner, this is when Nadal will be locked in most as he gets clay reps in before the French Open rolls around. It should be a dominant showcase for Nadal and the beginning of his serving notice that he's still indeed the King of Clay.
Women's Day 1 Recap
14 of 14
Women's Singles: First Round
No. 2 Irina-Camelia Begu def. Olivia Rogowska; 6-1, 6-3
No. 4 Madison Brengle (USA) def. Ana Bogdan; 6-4, 3-3 (retired)
No. 5 Johanna Larsson def. Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor; 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), 4-2 (retired)
Grace Min def. No. 8 Chanelle Scheepers; 6-2, 6-1
Lourdes Dominguez Lino def. Montserrat Gonzalez; 6-2, 6-2
Gabriela Ce def. Pauline Parmentier; 6-2, 6-7, (7), 6-0
Recap
The heat in Rio de Janeiro made its presence felt in two matches on the women's side. Ana Bogdan had to retire against fourth seed Madison Brengle, while Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor split two tiebreakers with No. 5 Johanna Larsson before retiring in the third set trailing 4-2.
American Grace Min pulled off a dominant upset over eighth seed Chanelle Scheepers, dropping just three games in the entire match. The 20-year-old may be a dangerous threat to make a deep run this week if she can capitalize on her momentum.
Second-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu was the headliner on Day 1 and lived up to that status by disposing of Olivia Rogowska 6-1, 6-3. Begu lost just two of her 26 points on serve and even managed to win 49 percent of overall return points.
It looked as though Gabriela Ce would be in trouble when she dropped a second-set tiebreaker to Pauline Parmentier, but she bounced back to rout her foe in the decisive set 6-0.
Lourdes Dominguez Lino had no trouble eliminating Montserrat Gonzalez with identical sets of 6-2 to advance to the second round.
No. 1 seed Sara Errani will be on the court on Day 2 to face off with Teliana Pereira. As is the case on the men's side, Errani will be the top player facing a native upstart. This should be no problem for Errani given her prowess on clay and immense WTA experience.
Errani's Italian compatriot, Roberta Vinci, should prove to be a factor in this tournament as well. Vinci is slated to face Lucie Hradecka as she gets her start in the event, so the second day of action should see at least a couple of marquee names at the top of their respective games.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
