4-Time Defending Champ Nishikori Abandons Memphis for ATP Buenos Aires; Previews

MEMPHIS OPEN
Memphis, Tenn., USA; surface: indoor hard
ADHEREL
Seeds: Ivo Karlovic, John Isner, Sam Querrey, Steve Johnson, Bernard Tomic, Adrian Mannarino, Steve Darcis, Lu Yen-hsun

Floaters: Taylor Fritz

Notes: No Top 10ers in the field, but plenty of middling American players fans are used to such as John Isner, Sam Querrey, and Steve Johnson…Not a lot of floating quality in the field either, but a first-round match to watch for is young American and last year’s surprise finalist Taylor Fritz vs. (8) Lu…The all-Americna wildcard slate went to Jared Donaldson, Reilly Opelka and Frances Tiafoe (Opelka and Donaldson start against each other)…Brit Daniel Evans withdrew from the field…The event apparently didn’t have the cash to lure defending champ Kei Nishikori back?…The New York-based financial management company GF Capital owns the event — does that explain the odd doubles wildcards to Belgium’s Cedric De Zutter and Brit Connor Glennon, and Ireland’s David O’Hare and Brit Joe Salisbury? Do they have GF Capital accounts?…Nishikori, the absent four-time defending champion, in last year’s final stopped the run of the upstart Fritz…Former champs in the field are Querrey (2010) and Steve Darcis (2008).

ARGENTINA OPEN
Buenos Aires, Argentina; surface: clay

Seeds: Kei Nishikori, Pablo Cuevas, David Ferrer, Pablo Carreno Busta, Albert Ramos Vinolas, Joao Sousa, Fabio Fognini, Paolo Lorenzi

Floaters: Tommy Robredo

Notes: The 20th anniversary of the tournament sees Kei Nishikori collecting the appearance fee as the top seed instead of seeking a fifth consecutive title at Memphis…Nishikori the lone Top 10 player…Not a lot of floating threats in the field…(7) Fognini starts against the former Top 10er and former champion Robredo…Wildcards went to Argentines Carlos Berlocq and Leo Mayer, and Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic…Dominic Thiem, playing in Rotterdam this week, won Buenos Aires last year, topping Nicolas Almagro in the final…Former champs in the field are Ferrer (2014-12) and Robredo (2009).

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