T14: Houston, Marrakesz 2020

[Art]

06.04.2020 - 12.04.2020

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GRAND PRIX HASSAN II



Strona internetowa turnieju
Profil turnieju na oficjalnej stronie ATP

Nazwa turnieju: GRAND PRIX HASSAN II
Miejsce rozgrywania turnieju: Marakesz, Maroko
Czas rozgrywania turnieju: 06.04.2020 - 12.04.2020
Drabinka: Singiel - 28 osób, Debel - 16 par
Nawierzchnia: Mączka
Pula nagród pieniężnych: €540,310
Zwycięzca singla 2019: - Benoit Paire
Zwycięzcy debla 2019: - Jurgen Melzer /Franko Skugor

[Art]

06.04.2020 - 12.04.2020

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FAYEZ SAROFIM & CO US MEN'S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP



Strona internetowa turnieju
Profil turnieju na oficjalnej stronie ATP

Nazwa turnieju: US MEN'S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP
Miejsce rozgrywania turnieju: Houston, Teksas, USA
Czas rozgrywania turnieju: 06.04.2020 - 12.04.2020
Drabinka: Singiel - 28 osób, Debel - 16 par
Nawierzchnia: Mączka
Pula nagród pieniężnych: $600,345
Zwycięzca singla 2019: - Christian Garin
Zwycięzcy debla 2019: - Santiago Gonzalez / Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi

[Art]

FAYEZ SAROFIM & CO US MEN'S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP



Lista graczy:

Cristian Garin 18
John Isner 20
Grigor Dimitrov 22
Taylor Fritz 35
Casper Ruud 38
Reilly Opelka 39
Sam Querrey 41
Adrian Mannarino 42
Feliciano Lopez 52
Tennys Sandgren 55
Cameron Norrie 58
Pablo Cuevas 60
Jordan Thompson 64
Tommy Paul 66
Steve Johnson 73
Soonwoo Kwon 76
Frances Tiafoe 82
James Duckworth 83
Andreas Seppi 86
(WC)
(WC)
(WC)
(SE)
(SE)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)

Rezerwowi:
1 Thiago Monteiro 88
2 Yasutaka Uchiyama 99
3 Federico Coria 104
4 Jaume Munar 105
5 Denis Kudla 106
6 Damir Dzumhur 109
7 Taro Daniel 110
8 Leonardo Mayer 111
9 Pedro Martinez 113
10 Marcos Giron 115
11 Peter Gojowczyk 117
12 Jason Jung 119
13 Jack Sock 119 (PR)
14 Jozef Kovalik 120
15 Paolo Lorenzi 121
16 Kevin Anderson 122
17 Ivo Karlovic 124
18 Bradley Klahn 125
19 Federico Gaio 126
20 Sumit Nagal 127

[Art]

GRAND PRIX HASSAN II



Lista graczy:

Benoit Paire 21
Jan-Lennard Struff 34
John Millman 40
Kyle Edmund 44
Albert Ramos-Vinolas 45
Lorenzo Sonego 46
Alexander Bublik 47
Gilles Simon 53
Pablo Andujar 54
Richard Gasquet 56
Jeremy Chardy 59
Juan Ignacio Londero 63
Egor Gerasimov 65
Laslo Djere 67
Joao Sousa 68
Jiri Vesely 71
Gianluca Mager 77
Pierre-Hugues Herbert 78
Attila Balazs 79
Philipp Kohlschreiber 80
Stefano Travaglia 84
Federico Delbonis 85
Gregoire Barrere 90
(WC)
(WC)
(WC)
(SE)
(SE)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)

Rezerwowi:
1 Hugo Dellien 94
2 Andrej Martin 95
3 Dennis Novak 96
4 Roberto Carballes Baena 97
5 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 98
6 Salvatore Caruso 100
7 Alexei Popyrin 101
8 Norbert Gombos 103
9 Jaume Munar 105
10 Kamil Majchrzak 107
11 Pedro Sousa 108
12 Damir Dzumhur 109
13 Taro Daniel 110
14 Leonardo Mayer 111
15 Marco Cecchinato 112
16 Pedro Martinez 113
17 Peter Gojowczyk 117
18 Jozef Kovalik 120
19 Paolo Lorenzi 121
20 Federico Gaio 126

[Art]

FAYEZ SAROFIM & CO US MEN'S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP



Lista graczy do kwalifikacji:

[Art]

GRAND PRIX HASSAN II



Lista graczy do kwalifikacji:

[jaccol55]

Houston19 F: Garin d. Ruud

[Mario]

Marrakech19 F: Paire d. Andujar

[DUN I LOVE]

Czas na rozbiegówkę przed RG20.

[Damian]

Houston - pierwsze zgłoszenia:
Grigor Dimitrov
Casper Ruud,
Frances Tiafoe,
Sam Querrey
Bob & Mike Bryan

[Damian]

FAYEZ SAROFIM & CO US MEN'S CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIP



Lista graczy:

Cristian Garin 18
John Isner 20
Grigor Dimitrov 22
Taylor Fritz 35
Casper Ruud 38
Reilly Opelka 39
Sam Querrey 41
Adrian Mannarino 42
Feliciano Lopez 52
Tennys Sandgren 55
Cameron Norrie 58
Pablo Cuevas 60
Jordan Thompson 64
Tommy Paul 66
Steve Johnson 73
Soonwoo Kwon 76
Frances Tiafoe 82
James Duckworth 83
Andreas Seppi 86
(WC)
(WC)
(WC)
(SE)
(SE)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)

Rezerwowi:
1 Thiago Monteiro 88
2 Yasutaka Uchiyama 99
3 Federico Coria 104
4 Jaume Munar 105
5 Denis Kudla 106
6 Damir Dzumhur 109
7 Taro Daniel 110
8 Leonardo Mayer 111
9 Pedro Martinez 113
10 Marcos Giron 115
11 Peter Gojowczyk 117
12 Jason Jung 119
13 Jack Sock 119 (PR)
14 Jozef Kovalik 120
15 Paolo Lorenzi 121
16 Kevin Anderson 122
17 Ivo Karlovic 124
18 Bradley Klahn 125
19 Federico Gaio 126
20 Sumit Nagal 127

[Damian]

GRAND PRIX HASSAN II



Lista graczy:

Benoit Paire 21
Jan-Lennard Struff 34
John Millman 40
Kyle Edmund 44
Albert Ramos-Vinolas 45
Lorenzo Sonego 46
Alexander Bublik 47
Gilles Simon 53
Pablo Andujar 54
Richard Gasquet 56
Jeremy Chardy 59
Juan Ignacio Londero 63
Egor Gerasimov 65
Laslo Djere 67
Joao Sousa 68
Jiri Vesely 71
Gianluca Mager 77
Pierre-Hugues Herbert 78
Attila Balazs 79
Philipp Kohlschreiber 80
Stefano Travaglia 84
Federico Delbonis 85
Gregoire Barrere 90
(WC)
(WC)
(WC)
(SE)
(SE)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)
(Q)

Rezerwowi:
1 Hugo Dellien 94
2 Andrej Martin 95
3 Dennis Novak 96
4 Roberto Carballes Baena 97
5 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 98
6 Salvatore Caruso 100
7 Alexei Popyrin 101
8 Norbert Gombos 103
9 Jaume Munar 105
10 Kamil Majchrzak 107
11 Pedro Sousa 108
12 Damir Dzumhur 109
13 Taro Daniel 110
14 Leonardo Mayer 111
15 Marco Cecchinato 112
16 Pedro Martinez 113
17 Peter Gojowczyk 117
18 Jozef Kovalik 120
19 Paolo Lorenzi 121
20 Federico Gaio 126

[Damian]

Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship



Houston - informacje techniczne:

Struktura turnieju głównego:
(19DA + 3WC+ 4Q+ 2SE)

Struktura turnieju kwalifikacji:
(14 DA + 2 WC)

Nawierzchnia: Red Clay
Elektroniczny system sprawdzania piłek: -
Oficjalne piłki: Dunlop ATP Regular Duty
Naciąg rakiet: Randy Gibson
Dyrektor turnieju: Bronwyn Greer
Supervisor: Tom Barnes
Dyrektor zarządzający: Denis Zivkovic
Fizjoterapeuci: Mauricio Elizondo, Clay Sniteman

Ceremonia losowania drabinki głównej: Piątek (3 kwietnia) - 22:00
Start kwalifikacji: Sobota 16:00; Niedziela 17:00
Start turnieju głównego: Poniedziałek 21:00; Wtorek-Piątek 18:00, Sobota 19:00, Niedziela (finał singla) 20:00

[Damian]

Grand Prix Hassan II



Marrakesz - informacje techniczne:

Struktura turnieju głównego:
(23DA + 4Q + 3WC + 2SE)

Struktura turnieju kwalifikacji:
(14 DA + 2 WC)

Nawierzchnia: Clay
Elektroniczny system sprawdzania piłek: -
Oficjalne piłki: Head Tour
Naciąg rakiet: Tecnifibre
Dyrektor turnieju: Hicham Araz
Supervisor: Lars Graff
Dyrektor zarządzający: Arnau Brugues
Fizjoterapeuci: David Pires, Graham Anderson

Ceremonia losowania drabinki głównej: -
Start kwalifikacji: 11:00
Start turnieju głównego: Poniedziałek-Piątek 11:00, Sobota 12:00, Niedziela (finał singla) 14:00

[Damian]

ATP Suspends Tour For Six Weeks Due To Public Health & Safety Issues Over COVID-19

Spoiler:

Suspension across ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour events

The ATP has announced a six-week suspension of the men’s professional tennis tour due to escalating health and safety issues arising from the global outbreak of COVID-19. The suspension means all ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour events scheduled up to and inclusive of the week of April 20 will not take place.

Following the recent cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the affected ATP Tour events are the Miami Open presented by Itau, the Fayez Sarofim & Co U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston, the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, and the Hungarian Open in Budapest.

The six-week suspension comes in the wake of the World Health Organization’s declaration on Wednesday that COVID-19 constitutes a global pandemic and the 30-day travel restriction announced by the United States for foreign nationals from 26 European countries. The suspension follows numerous local government orders on restrictions, bans or cancellations of public gatherings or events. The ATP has been closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation related to COVID-19, taking advice from medical experts and travel advisors and consulting with all local regulatory authorities, and will continuously review the feasibility of subsequent events in the calendar.

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, said: “This is not a decision that was taken lightly and it represents a great loss for our tournaments, players, and fans worldwide. However we believe this is the responsible action needed at this time in order to protect the health and safety of our players, staff, the wider tennis community and general public health in the face of this global pandemic. The worldwide nature of our sport and the international travel required presents significant risks and challenges in today’s circumstances, as do the increasingly restrictive directives issued by local authorities. We continue to monitor this on a daily basis and we look forward to the Tour resuming when the situation improves. In the meantime, our thoughts and well-wishes are with all those that have been affected by the virus.”

The suspension of ATP events takes place with immediate effect, meaning this week’s ATP Challenger tournaments in Nur Saltan, Kazhakstan, and Potchefstroom, South Africa, are not able to be completed.

The ATP is carefully reviewing the broad impact of this evolving situation related to FedEx ATP Rankings points, and any decisions will be announced in due course. In addition, in full collaboration with the ITF, FedEx ATP Rankings points will not be available at any ITF World Tennis Tour events during the suspension period.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/atp-tou ... n-decision

[Barty]

[Damian]

Five Things To Know About Houston

Spoiler:

Learn more about the event that began in 1910
The Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship is a historic event, dating back to 1910 in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the only North American clay-court tournament on the ATP Tour.
From memorable moments to charitable giving, ATPTour.com looks at five things to know about the ATP 250, which has been held in Houston since 2001.
Isner Struck His 10,000th Ace In Houston
John Isner hit his 10,000th ace in the quarter-finals of the 2018 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship, blasting a 138 mile-per-hour missile down the T past good friend Steve Johnson to start the fourth game of the deciding set (1-2).
"Ten thousand aces is an incredible achievement," said Isner after losing the match, despite hitting 28 aces. "It is bittersweet to hit it in a loss tonight, but that’s just how it goes sometimes."
The ace made Isner the fourth player in history to join the 10,000-ace club, and he is now second on the all-time list with 12,266 aces. After the history-making ace, there was a slight delay as the ball was passed to chair umpire Simon Cannavan for safekeeping. Isner eventually signed the ball and labelled it ‘10K’, and it was sent to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island to be put on display.
Isner
Unforgettable Players’ Party & More Fun
A staple of the The Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship is its players’ party. Every year, players, tournament staff and supporters gather at a thrilling party in which the dress code is all-white. Some players even pack a special outfit for the trip, and others go shopping once in Houston to make sure they fulfill the requirements.
It is a good opportunity for everyone to unwind before the action begins, with players mingling with those who will be out watching the matches throughout the week. The dancing and musical performances are always a hit.
“We are rocking everything head to toe white. It’s what makes this tournament so fun, events like this,” said John Isner in 2016. “People are so engaged and it promotes our tournament so well. All these people are going to be out watching us all week, so it’s great to see.”
That’s not all the players have enjoyed at the event, though. Sam Querrey, who played Houston each year from 2007-19 — has become a stalwart in the annual fashion show, Steve Johnson threw out the first pitch at a Houston Astros game last year, and Frances Tiafoe went to a Houston Rockets game last year and was thrilled to take a picture with an oversized head of superstar James Harden, who is known for his massive beard.

Bryan Brothers’ Have Enjoyed Plenty Of Success
From 1969 through 2008, only two teams lifted the Houston doubles title in consecutive years: Kevin Curren/Steve Denton (1980-81) and Ken Flach/Robert Seguso (1984-85). No duo had triumphed in three consecutive years.
But Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan accomplished the feat from 2009-2011, and they have won a tournament record six titles. The Bryan Brothers or the team they have lost to has won the Houston title in each of their past 12 appearances (2006-07, 2009-11, 2013-19).
"There's no better place to do it than in Houston, where we've enjoyed so much success and had unbelievable fan support. Thanks to the River Oaks Country Club and its members for another fantastic tournament."
The Bryan Brothers, known not just for their tennis, but their musical talents, perform an annual concert poolside after play on Thursday at the tournament, thrilling fans on and off the court.

Seven Champions Reached World No. 1
In the Open Era, seven champions of this event have reached the top of the FedEx ATP Rankings. That list of titlists includes Jimmy Connors, who holds the record for most titles at the event during the Open Era with four.
The other World No. 1s to triumph are Andre Agassi (1988, 2003), Jim Courier (1998), Lleyton Hewitt (2009), Ivan Lendl (1985), Andy Roddick (2001-02, 2005) and Mats Wilander (1987). Michael Chang (1997), Tommy Haas (2004), Magnus Norman (1999) and Manuel Orantes (1973, 1975, 1977) are all former World No. 2s who lifted the trophy at the only American clay-court event held at tour-level.
Watch over 165 classic ATP Tour matches from the 90s
Sportsmanship First: The Langston Trophy
The Langston Trophy, named in honour of Ernest Langston, who was the general chairman of the River Oaks tennis tournament for eight years, is annually awarded to a player or players who exemplify great sportsmanship.
In 2018, the trophy was awarded to seven players: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey, Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. The Americans made personal donations toward resurfacing the two tennis courts at Sunnyside Park, which were affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Other players who have received the Langston Trophy are Boris Becker, Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver and Pete Sampras. The 2019 recipient was doubles champion Santiago Gonzalez.

More stories like this in:

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/five-th ... ut-houston

[Barty]

ATP ACES For Charity: Houston

Spoiler:

Learn how Houston gives back to its community
The Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship arrived in Houston in 2001 — moving to its current location at River Oaks Country Club in 2008 — and the clay-court event has proven a philanthropic presence in the community ever since.

The ATP 250 this year received a $15,000 ATP ACES For Charity grant to provide funds to help continue the initiative of resurfacing an NJTL site and offer programs so that the kids and families in the community can have a safer, more enjoyable place to play tennis. But the Houston tournament has long been supportive of its city.

The event’s partnership with the Houston Tennis Association’s NJTL began a few years ago with volunteer support at some of the signature events of the summer—the NJTL Regional Rally, NJTL Reading Rally and the NJTL Kids’ Day— and in 2017, HTA NJTL became an official charity of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.

In 2018, the clay-court tournament coordinated a special effort to benefit the NJTL. When Hurricane Harvey hit the city of Houston in August 2017, there was much devastation. Many of the ATP pros who played the tournament contacted Tournament Director Bronwyn Greer to see how they might help.


When the event rolled around in April 2018, seven top American players made personal donations toward resurfacing the two tennis courts at Sunnyside Park: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan, John Isner, Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey, Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. Isner, Querrey, the Bryan Brothers, Frances Tiafoe and Steve Johnson made a visit to Sunnyside Park, where they met and hit tennis balls with the NJTL kids.

“It's bigger than tennis,” Tiafoe said. “Terrible things happen everywhere, and it's always good to give back, and that's what sports are about, togetherness. It brings people together.”

The visit was especially meaningful to the 20-year-old American, who grew up playing in public parks and visited similar grassroots programs in Maryland.

“It reminds me of where I started, very humble beginnings,” Tiafoe said. “I do my best every day to try to become someone to be able to give back. Because I was given so much, I was very fortunate, very lucky.”


Last year, Taylor Fritz and Reilly Opelka visited local courts that were being refurbished for use by the HTA NJTL. They were excited to see how enthusiastic the kids and their coaches were.

“These kids were great. They were actually really engaged. You can tell they are here on a consistent basis, because you don’t get to be that good without putting in time and effort,” Opelka said. “With a nicer surface and everything, I’m sure [the courts] will get tons of great use.”


The event runs a ticket turnback program to support the Trauma and Emergency Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Fans are encouraged to return tickets for any session they cannot attend so they may be re-sold, with the entire purchase price being donated to the hospital. The program has raised more than $265,000 for charity.

The tournament has supported a plethora of charitable programs over the years, but one thing to note is that the event has become the presenting sponsor of its Kids’ Day, which brings together 750-1,000 students who meet attendance requirements during the summer. The event is a highlight with the kids receiving bus transportation, t-shirts and snacks to participate in a day full of music, art, tennis lessons and special guests — including ATP Tour players — on that day.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/houston-charity-feature

[Damian]

Flashback: The Emotional Houston Moment Johnson Will Never Forget

Spoiler:

Relive when the American lifted the Houston trophy for the second straight year
Two years ago, American Steve Johnson made history at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship, defeating Tennys Sandgren to become only the second player since Jose-Luis Clerc in 1980-81 to retain the Houston title. The only other man to do so was Andy Roddick — who later reached World No. 1 — in 2001-02.
“My hands were on my knees as I stood bent over behind the baseline… I was choking back tears,” Johnson recalled in a My Point first-person essay. “I looked to the sky and pumped my fist as I walked to the net to embrace my opponent... a first-time finalist, who I knew wanted to win his first trophy badly. When I put my head down on his chest, Tennys said something I will never forget: ‘I know our Dads are watching in the crowd.’”
Johnson wasn’t the first player to retain an ATP Tour trophy, not even in Houston, but his victory had plenty of emotional strings attached.

The American won his first title on home soil in 2017, when he triumphed in Houston. Twenty-five days later his father, Steve Johnson Sr., passed away in his sleep. Returning to Houston and winning the title again led to plenty of emotions.
“I was doing my best to hold it together. But when Tennys, who lost his father a number of years ago, said that, I let it all out,” Johnson said. “I had just fulfilled a dream we shared — earning a trophy in the United States. But that was the last match he ever saw me play. Suddenly, Dad was gone.”
Johnson Sr. was there in-person when his son won his first ATP Tour title at 2016 Nottingham, but he wasn’t in Houston in April 2017. However, they spoke on the phone after that match.
“He was just so excited. He's somebody that I'd still like to call today,” Johnson said after retaining his crown. “He'd tell me he was proud of me and be ready for [my] wedding next weekend.”
You May Also Like: Watch: Emotional Johnson Repeats In Houston
It hasn’t all been easy for Johnson since his father’s passing. The World No. 63 has been open about the anxiety that has come with being a professional tennis player while trying to grieve the loss of his father. But in that championship match against Sandgren at the River Oaks Country Club, he found something special.
“Through the toughest moments, I’ve found a sense of unity. In Houston, I know it couldn’t have been easy for Tennys to lose his first final in front of his fantastic Mom, brothers, and others close to him. But he knew how I was feeling,” Johnson wrote. “I’m forever thankful that he was there for me that day.”
Johnson has won two of his four ATP Tour titles in Houston, where he owns an 11-5 record. The home favourite has won 50 per cent of his tour-level clay-court matches, but that would drop down to 42.9 per cent without his Houston success.
Besides Roddick and Johnson, only two other Americans have won multiple titles at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship: Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi, both of whom have climbed to No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/johnson ... 20-feature

[Damian]

Magic Of Morocco: Arazi & El Aynaoui Recall 'Dream Weeks' In Casablanca

Spoiler:

Morrocan stars remember their title runs
It is a dream of every player to win a title on home soil, and it was in the late 1990s that Morocco had three world-class players: Younes El Aynaoui, Karim Alami and Hicham Arazi, who all experienced unforgettable weeks to reach the Grand Prix Hassan II final.
While El Aynaoui (1993) and Alami (1994) had come close to victory in Casablanca, when the ATP 250 tournament was held there (1990-2015), it was current Tournament Director Arazi who first lifted the silverware in 1997, in front of the King of Morocco, Hassan II.
With chants of “Hicham, Hicham” echoing around the Complexe Al Amal stadium, World No. 56 Arazi beat Argentina’s Franco Squillari 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 for one of the biggest moments of his career.
“It was crazy, a magical week,” Arazi told ATPTour.com. “There were so many people outside waiting to come in, there wasn’t any space in the stadium. When I won match point with a forehand winner, I kissed up to the sky. I was 23, at the beginning of my career, but I was relieved. The most difficult part is to win it. You want to play your best tennis and there is a lot of pressure.
“My confidence started to grow the previous year, when I won three ATP Challenger Tour tournaments. A friend gave me a record of the whole 1997 final just a few days ago, and when I see my face, I was happy, but it was a strange feeling. I enjoy it now, as the Tournament Director [of the Grand Prix Hassan II] for the past five years, because I realise what it meant, more than when I was a player.
“I was not living in Morocco, but I was living in France. I was away 30-35 weeks of the year on Tour, but when I won it was crazy. Everyone recognised me, I enjoyed that night and partied with my friends. It was a strange feeling. I was known, but not considered good enough to win the tournament. It was a big change and from that moment the support of Moroccans hasn’t stopped. Even today, in support of Karim, Younes and myself. They remember.”
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It would take 1993 runner-up El Aynaoui a further nine years of trying, before he was able to capture the Grand Prix Hassan II trophy. His 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over defending champion Guillermo Canas in the 2002 final came during an Indian summer for the 31-year-old. In a two-year period, between 2001 and 2002, El Aynaoui won four ATP Tour titles from eight finals.
“I enjoyed playing in Casablanca, but one of my fondest memories came when I was 400 or 500 in the world and I was granted a wild card,” El Aynaoui told ATPTour.com. “I beat Thomas Muster on an outside court in the [1992] second round. When you have a stop at home, there is nothing better. It was always a special week and very important.
“In the 1993 final against Guillermo Perez-Roldan [lost 6-4, 6-3], I was very nervous and it’s something that always stayed with me. I can say it now, but I did struggle in big matches, like finals. But I made a big push late in my career. It took time to organise and have the correct staff: a physical coach, physio and my whole family were travelling with me. It was a reward for many years of effort, not giving up, and I achieved what I’d been fighting for since the age of 16 or 17.”
You May Also Like: Five Things To Know About Marrakech
“The 2002 final against Willy [Canas] was enormous as there were perhaps 7,000-8,000 people in the stadium. It was three tough sets and a lot of help and energy from the crowd, but it is perhaps the best moment of my career.”
El Aynaoui would rise to a career-high No. 14 in the FedEx ATP Rankings on 11 March 2003, shortly prior to a third Casablanca final (l. to Julien Boutter) appearance in April that year.
Today, El Aynaoui supports young talent, while Arazi has become a highly experienced Tournament Director in Marrakech, where the event has been held since 2016.
“Being a Tournament Director is great,” says Arazi, who would rise to a career-high No. 22 on 5 November 2011. “When you play, you don’t see the work that the Tournament Director and his staff undertake. Tennis is an individual sport, it’s difficult to get to this level and you need to have a very selfish mentality. A tennis player must enjoy the time, because it goes so fast. They should practice as hard as they could. They are lucky to have the experience of travelling around the world.
"When I retired, I started to think how lucky I’d been. Casablanca in 1997 was a magical week.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/arazi-e ... ech-titles