Milos Raonic began his quest for a ninth ATP World Tour title on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Denis Istomin at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon. In his fourth straight week on European clay, the World No. 6 lost just five of his first-service points and hit eight aces in the 81-minute encounter against Istomin. Raonic, this year’s Delray Beach and Istanbul runner-up, will now challenge qualifier Gastao Elias, who reached his first ATP World Tour quarter-final of the year when he defeated sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro 7-6(0), 6-4 in one hour and 53 minutes. Elias saved one set point at 5-6, Ad-out in the first set that lasted 67 minutes. Raonic is attempting to lift...
Argentina's Marco Trungelliti started making his way back to the Roland Garros main draw on Tuesday, beating 23rd seed Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round of qualifying in Paris. Trungelliti, No. 161 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, gained the biggest win of his career last year at Roland Garros. After qualifying, the 5'11” right-hander upset then World-No. 10 Marin Cilic in the first round. [ALSO LIKE] Italian Alessandro Giannessi knocked out home hopeful Calvin Hemery of France 7-5, 6-3. German Tobias Kamke converted three of four break points to beat American Rajeev Ram 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. Serbia's Filip Krajinovic advanced past Australia's Sam Groth 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2. Slovakia's Jozef Kovalik, who beat Cilic...
Second seed Kei Nishikori improved to 7-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin on Tuesday, saving both break points to advance 6-4, 6-3 at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open. “Served really well today I think that's why I played very solid. I think everything was good today,” Nishikori said. Nishikori, who accepted a late wild card into the ATP World Tour 250 event, is looking to get his clay season going in Switzerland. The World No. 9 fell to Juan Martin del Potro in the third round last week at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. Before that ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, the Japanese right-hander suffered a right wrist injury that kept him...
Sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro remained perfect this year against opponents ranked outside the Top 6 of the Emirates ATP Rankings on Tuesday at the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon. The Argentine broke lucky loser Quentin Halys of France four times to advance 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 36 minutes. Del Potro was aced 12 times but won 80 per cent of his first-serve points (35/44) and saved three of four break points against the 20-year-old #NextGenATP Frenchman during their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. “He surprised me with his level but I survived, and I am looking forward to playing tomorrow,” said del Potro, who will next face Portuguese qualifier Gastao Elias. “[Lyon] is a magnificent city. I...
More than a handful of #NextGenATP players advanced a step closer to the Roland Garros main draw on Monday during day one of qualifying in Paris. Norwegian Casper Ruud, a semi-finalist in Rio earlier this year, made quick work of Belgian Yannik Reuter, advancing 6-3, 6-2 in 67 minutes. The 18-year-old Ruud is trying to make his Grand Slam debut. American Reilly Opelka, seeking to qualify at Roland Garros for the first time, hit 14 aces to beat Spain's Daniel Munoz de la Nava 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-4. Opelka made his Grand Slam debut earlier this year by qualifying at the Australian Open. [ALSO LIKE] Opelka's countryman 19-year-old Stefan Kozlov also advanced, prevailing against France's Corentin Moutet 2-6, 7-5, 6-4. Greece's...
