The Rio Open is a unique event with both the ATP and WTA tour playing on the red clay in the famous city of Rio de Janeiro. The players will battle it out on nine clay courts including the main 6,200 capacity stadium.
So who are the top seeds in the ATP and WTA tour contending for the Rio Open 2015 title?
Men’s Rio Open 2015 Contenders:
Rafael Nadal – The king of clay is back to defend his crown he magnificently won a year ago by defeating Alexandr Dolgopolov in the final in straight sets. Boasting a remarkable 93% win ratio on clay, surely you can’t see anyone lifting this year’s title other than Nadal.
David Ferrer – A semi-finalist last year, Ferrer will be on the opposite side of the draw to Nadal yet again as he looks to continue his impressive form in 2015 which stands at eight wins to 1 loss. The Spaniard has 11 clay court titles to his name so will be wishing for number 12 here in Rio.
Tommy Robredo – Quarter finalist last year, the 32 year old veteran is ranked an impressive 17th in the world and will be the number three seed at this year’s tournament. Tommy played in Sao Paolo in preparation for the Rio Open but he lost in round one to Almagro in straight sets. Having retired at the first round hurdle in Australia, he will be hoping for a change of fortune in Brazil.
Fabio Fognini –Fabio is the character of the men’s tour, whether he is smashing rackets, screaming at himself or arguing with the umpire. He has such potential and can play sublime tennis at times but you never know what to expect when the Italian steps on to court. After a dismal start to the year in singles, he and his partner Bolelli have been in fine form in the doubles tournaments winning their first ever grand slam in Australia.
Leonardo Mayer – The 5th seed will be hoping to go further in this year’s tournament having lost in the opening round 12 months ago. The Argentinian is ranked 30 and a good run here could see Mayer get close to equalling his career high ranking of 25. Mayer won his first round in last week’s Sao Paolo indoor clay event before losing to Souza having been heavy favourite with the bookmakers.
Women’s Rio Open 2015 Contenders:
Sara Errani – The petite Italian has slipped out of the world top ten rankings as of late as it seems she is focusing more on her doubles career with fellow Italian Roberta Vinci. The pair has ended the year as number one ranking for the past two seasons. Errani has lost in the first round in two of the three tournaments she has played this year, but following two impressive wins in Australia she will be hoping to find her singles form for this tournament.
Irina-Camelia Begu – World number 34, Irina-Camelia Begu is at her highest ever ranking playing her best tennis by reaching round four at the Australian Open defeating Angelique Kerber on that fine run. She played here last year as a qualifier winning twice before being knocked out at the quarter-final stage.
Roberta Vinci – Following a first round loss in Auckland, Roberta Vinci has had a mixed start to the year in both her singles and doubles matches. Winning three and losing three shows signs of inconsistency however two of her loses were to higher ranked opponents as the Italian has struggled to stay inside the top 20.
Madison Brengle – The 24 year old American has shot up the world rankings in recent years and now sits an impressive 46th. Her start to 2015 has been anything but lacklustre, qualifying for both warm up events prior to the Australian Open. Brengle reached the round of 16 in Brisbane before following that up with a loss to Britain’s Heather Watson in the final of Hobart, claiming some impressive scalps along the way. In the grand slam she won her first three matches before losing to fellow American Madison Keys. Clay is not her favourite surface however so she may struggle but with the majority of the top women’s seeds choosing to play in Dubai it is another opportunity for Brengle to progress.
Ones to watch:
Pablo Andujar – Pablo lost to Nadal in the quarter finals last year yet impressed by demolishing Tommy Robredo. Andujar loves the clay having won three singles titles on this surface. Despite his poor form, if the draw is kind he could gain serious momentum in Rio making him a dangerous opponent.
Teliana Pereira – Pereira reached the semi-finals here last year winning earnestly over Irina-Camelia Begu and Alexandra Candantu along the way. The world number 110 has been victorious at 21 tournaments on the ITF Women’s circuit but has yet to up her game to compete with conviction in the WTA. Having impressed last year, she is one to watch should the draw be kind to her, especially on her favourite surface in her home country.
With the temperatures in Rio in the mid-thirties and thunderstorms predicted throughout the week, the heat could affect each and every athlete so a few surprising results could be in store.
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