2020 ATP Hungarian Open fantasy tennis tournament: Young guns and veterans share spoils on opening day
A MIX of youth and experience booked places in the second round of the 2020 ATP Hungarian Open fantasy tennis competition after impressive wins on day one in Budapest. Six matches were completed with the two seeds on court – Australia’s John Millman and France’s Richard Gasquet – both winning their respective matches.
Millman had to fight hard after one of the easier first sets in his career, defeating Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas 6-0 6-7 6-3. After trouncing his opponent in the opening set without dropping a game in just 32 minutes, Millman lost the second in a tiebreaker, with only a vital break in the deciding set being the difference between the players. Gasquet also had to fight hard to win in three sets, downing Millman’s compatriot, James Duckworth in a 3-6 6-4 6-4 come-from-behind win.
Another veteran in Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis knocked out a second Australian with Jordan Thompson exiting the event in a three-set battle. The former top 10 player looked comfortable in the first set to win it 6-1, then dropped the next out in a tiebreaker before winning through to the Round of 16 courtesy of a 6-1 6-7 6-3 victory.
Of the other unseeded players, a couple of young guns booked their place in the second round. American teenager Brandon Nakashima defeated local hope Attila Balazs in straight sets 6-4 6-4. Joining him in the next stage was Next Gen Finals winner Jannik Sinner who knocked off German qualifier Dustin Brown in a come-from-behind 4-6 7-5 6-2 victory. Serbia’s Laslo Djere was the sixth player through to the Round of 16 thanks to a 6-3 6-7 7-5 triumph over Brazilian young gun, Thiago Seyboth Wild.
In tomorrow’s action, the other six Round of 32 matches take place with returning stars and former top 10 players, Kevin Anderson and Juan Martin del Potro taking to the court, while seeds Borna Coric and Vasek Pospisil are also in action on day two.
ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:
[6] John Millman (AUS) defeated Pablo Cuevas (URU) 6-0 6-7 6-3
[8] Richard Gasquet (FRA) defeated James Duckworth (AUS) 3-6 6-4 6-4
Ernests Gulbis (LAT) defeated Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-1 6-7 6-3
Laslo Djere (SRB) defeated Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) 6-3 6-7 7-5
Brandon Nakashima (USA) defeated Attila Balazs (HUN) 6-4 6-4
Jannik Sinner (ITA) defeated [Q] Dustin Brown (GER) 4-6 7-5 6-2
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