NIKOLOZ Basilashvili has shown that he has the potential to go all the way in the 2020 ATP Estoril Open fantasy tennis tournament after the unseeded Georgian took down the red-hot Kevin Anderson in the opening round. Basilashvili won in a come-from-behind performance, 4-6 6-2 6-1 against the 106th ranked South African, fresh off a victory in Budapest last week. Basilashvili himself has had some success in 2020 with a win in Houston earlier in the year.

Other in-form winners included seventh seeded Filip Krajinovic with the Hungarian Open runner-up and Marrakech Open winner booking his spot in the Round of 16 with a smashing 6-0 6-3 win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka. He was one of three seeds to make it through the first round with fifth seed Fabio Fognini and sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov who won against Dusan Lajovic and Pablo Cuevas respectively. Fognini in particular was lucky to escape with the win after facing two match points in a come-from-behind win 5-7 7-6 6-2.

The one seed to fall out of contention was eighth seed Australian Alex de Minaur, going down to Japan’s Kei Nishikori in straight sets, 7-5 6-1. It was a mixed bag for Australia on day one, with qualifier Jordan Thompson bowing out at the hands of United States’ Sam Querrey, 6-4 6-3. It was better news for Nick Kyrgios and John Millman who both got through the first round unscathed, picking up wins over Vasek Pospisil and Mikael Ymer respectively.

In the remaining results, Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta defeated the out-of-sorts Frances Tiafoe 6-3 6-0, French qualifier Jeremy Chardy won against Borna Coric 6-3 6-3, and Chardy’s compatriot Richard Gasquet knocked off Spanish qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 7-6.

In tomorrow’s matches, the top four seeds enter the fray, with Carreno Busta up against top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Gasquet taking on compatriot and second seed Gael Monfils. Belgium’s David Goffin and Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka play their first games of the tournament against Kyrgios and Opelka respectively.

ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[5] Fabio Fognini (ITA) defeated Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 5-7 7-6 6-2
[6] Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) defeated Pablo Cuevas (URU) 6-1 6-3
[7] Filip Krajinovic (SBR) defeated Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 6-0 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN) defeated [8] Alex de Minaur (AUS) 7-5 6-1
Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP) defeated [Q] Frances Tiafoe (USA) 6-3 6-0
[Q] Jeremy Chardy (FRA) defeated Borna Coric (CRO) 6-3 6-3
Sam Querrey (USA) defeated [Q] Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-4 6-3
Nick Kyrgios (AUS) defeated Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-2 6-2
Reilly Opelka (USA) defeated [WC] Joao Sousa (POR) 4-6 6-1 6-1
John Millman (AUS) defeated Mikael Ymer (SWE) 6-4 6-3
Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) defeated [WC] Kevin Anderson (RSA) 4-6 6-2 6-1
Richard Gasquet (FRA) defeated [Q] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) 6-3 7-6