The 2017 Brisbane International is here. The 2017 tennis season is officially beginning next week with host of tournaments, including Brisbane International in the lead up to the Australian Open. Roger Federer participated for three consecutive years but will be missing from the action this year. It doesn’t mean we are shy on stars cast and rivalries. Milos Raonic leads the strong field but Rafael Nadal will remain the central attraction.
The competition in the 32-player main draw begins on Sunday, January 1.
Event Details
Event: Brisbane International
Category: ATP 250 Series
Date: January 1-8, 2017
Location: Queensland Tennis Centre – Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
The 2017 Brisbane International is one of a few ways ATP players prepare for the Australian Open. Other options are the Hopman Cup and other exhibitions in the weeks before action begins in Melbourne.
With a prize money allotment of $461,330, this is an above-average amount of money for an ATP 250 tournament. The field is also above-average for an ATP 250. Players want to play and work on their games at the start of a very long season.
The points structure in a 250-point tournament offers 250 points towards the winner’s ranking. A runner-up finish is worth 150 points. A semifinal result is 90 points, and a quarterfinal appearance offers 45 points.
Former Champions and Results
Year Champion Runner-up Score
2016: Milos Raonic d. Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4
2015: Roger Federer d. Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-7(2-7), 6-4
2014: Lleyton Hewitt d. Roger Federer 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
2013: Andy Murray d. Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(7-0), 6-4
2012: Andy Murray d. Alexandr Dolgoplov 6-1, 6-3
Player Info:
Milos Raonic took giant strides in 2016 and it all started in Brisbane, where he swept aside Roger Federer in straight sets and avenged his heartbreaking three-set loss to the Swiss a year before. Injury kept him from beating Andy Murray in the semifinals in the Australian Open, but his greatest triumph wasn’t far away. At Wimbledon, Raonic reached his first ever final by defeating Federer in a come-from-behind five-setter. The Canadian ended the year with a 52-17 record as the third-best player in the world. Raonic is again starting in Brisbane, his lucky charm and where it all began.
After all these years, Stan Wawrinka has finally skipped the Chennai Open and has instead traveled to Queensland for the first time. Maybe, the competitive field has pulled Wawrinka to start his season Down Under.
While many discuss Novak Djokovic, Murray, Federer or Rafael Nadal, Wawrinka quietly goes about his business and now has the same number of major titles as Murray– three. His lack of consistency doesn’t allow him to be tagged as a “Big Five” player, but as Federer said, he’s had a full-blown mega career and doesn’t need to prove much more to anymore. Wawrinka’s early arrival in Brisbane will help him get acclimatized to the conditions and may play a huge role in how he fares in the long Australian summer.
Kei Nishikori is 27 years old (on December 29) but his body is made of glass. He is yet to play a full season thanks to his recurring injury problems. The Japanese star has made several appearances at the Brisbane International but without much success. Nishikori is 11-6 at the Queensland Tennis Centre and is yet to make the finals. The ranking points on offer aren’t a lot, but given there are three top-five players (including Nishikori) contesting the event, each point will be valuable.
Rafael Nadal has recently added Carlos Moya to his entourage and is desperately hoping he gets that extra motivation, that extra push, that extra magic whisper in the ears to come back to the winner’s circle. Nadal has won just five titles in the past 24 months. His last Grand Slam win in 2014 now looks like about 50 years ago. The Spaniard suffered from anxiety problems in 2015 and a wrist injury derailed his beloved French Open campaign and cut short his 2016 season. Nadal will return to competitive tennis in Brisbane, but more than his vicious forehand, his fitness is going to be the talking point.
Dominic Thiem is the youngest member of the top 10 and is without a doubt an heir apparent to the players currently dominating the sport. Thiem boasted a 58-24 record and won four of the six finals he contested in the 2016 season. The Austrian has had victories over Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer on their pet surfaces– clay and grass respectively. Thiem didn’t contend for bigger prizes, but by capturing small titles, he proved to be a steady customer. Also, he showcased his all-around ability to adjust on all surfaces. Going forward in 2017, he could do better with smart scheduling if he is to compete for superior titles. Thiem made the semifinals in Brisbane last year and there is no reason why he can’t go a step or two further.
Queensland Tennis Centre
A sprawling tennis facility with 23 courts and a stadium court with a capacity of 7,000, including auxiliary seats, is more than able to host a dual-gender tournament in which the WTA joins the ATP Tour for a lively and popular event on the tennis calendar, revving up the engines for the Australian Open.
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