DESPITE a scare from home nation hero Jan-Lennard Struff, Russian seventh seed Karen Khachanov has won through to the second round of the ATP 500 event in Hamburg. As the next week of tournaments kicked off across four tournaments, Khachanov was the sole seeded winner in the men’s singles draw in Hamburg, winning against Struff, 3-6 6-3 7-6.

Khachanov dropped the first set against the former Top 30 player who received a wildcard into the event, as the German did not drop a first serve point and won 18 of his 23 service points, Remarkably, he was still broken with four of those five points coming in the one game. Luckily for Stuff, he broke Khachanov twice, and withstood five aces from the Russian. Despite losing the first set, Khachanov was still looking strong, and it showed in the second set when he won 6-3 thanks to only dropping four points on serve and producing three aces.

At a set apiece, the players went toe-for-toe in the deciding set, with almost identical stats of 67 and 50 per cent first and second serve points won respectively. Both players could only scrape one break off the opposition, but Khachanov stood up in the third set tiebreak, winning 7-2 for the overall 3-6 6-3 7-6 in two hours and 17 minutes to book his spot in the Round of 16. Khachanov will take on the winner of Aljaz Bedene and Fabio Fognini in the next round.

In other result at Hamburg, Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina knocked off fifth seed Dutchman Botic Van de Zandschulp in straight sets, 6-4 6-4. Slovakian qualifier Jozef Kovalik had to battle past German wildcard Max Hans Rehberg in three sets, while fellow Slovakian Alex Molcan and Italian Lorenzo Musetti both booked their spots in the Round of 16.

In the women’s singles draw at Hamburg, nine matches took place to make inroads into the first round draw. Top seeds Barbora Krejcikova, Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Andrea Petkovic all moved through to the Round of 16 with straight sets wins. All the results largely went to plan, though Argentinian qualifier Maria Carle upset German wildcard Eva Lys who impressed last start.

It was a similar case at Palermo, with the three seeds all advancing through to the Round of 16. Third seed Shuai Zhang, fourth seed Sara Sorribes Tormo and sixth seed Irina-Camelia Begu were able to move through to the next stage, albeit with the latter two needing three sets to get it done. French qualifier Leolia Jeajean had another good victory and joined compatriot Oceane Dodin in the Round of 16, while home nation hope Jasmine Paolini won through to the second round as well.

In Gstaad, just the four matches were played in the ATP 250 draw, with fifth seed Petro Martinez winning in straight sets against Spanish compatriot Carlos Taberner. In the other three matches, Swiss wildcard Alexander Ritschard upset Portuguese eighth seed Joao Sousa, while Federico Delbonis knocked off Swedish talent Mikael Ymer, while Czech Jiri Lehecka got the better of Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry.

AROUND THE TOUR RESULTS:

Hamburg – ATP 500 | Clay

Round of 32:

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) defeated [5] Botic Van de Zandschulp (NED) 6-4 6-4
[7] Karen Khachanov (RUS) defeated [WC] Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 3-6 6-3 7-6
[Q] Jozef Kovalik (SVK) defeated [WC] Max Hans Rehberg (GER) 3-6 7-5 6-1
Alex Molcan (SVK) defeated [Q] Marko Topo (GER) 7-5 6-3
Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) defeated Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-7 7-6 6-3

Gstaad – ATP 250 | Clay

Round of 32:

[5] Pedro Martinez (ESP) defeated Carlos Taberner (ESP) 6-4 6-3
[WC] Alexander Ritschard (SUI) defeated [8] Joao Sousa (POR) 6-3 6-3
Federico Delbonis (ARG) defeated Mikael Ymer (SWE) 6-4 7-5
Jiri Lehecka (CZE) defeated Tomas Etcheverry (ARG) 6-1 6-3

Hamburg – WTA 250 | Clay

Round of 32:

[3] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) defeated [LL] Suzan Lamens (NED) 6-2 6-4
[4] Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) defeated [WC] Natasja Schunk (GER) 6-1 6-4
[8] Andrea Petkovic (GER) defeated Tamara Korpatsch (GER) 6-3 6-3
Anastasia Potapova (RUS) defeated Varvara Gracheva (RUS) 7-5 6-3
Rebecca Peterson (SWE) defeated [LL] Kateryna Baindl (UKR) 6-3 6-0
Magdalena Frech (POL) defeated Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-1 RET
Misaki Doi (JPN) defeated [Q] Oksana Selekhmeteva (RUS) 7-6 6-0
[Q] Maria Carle (ARG) defeated [WC] Eva Lys (GER) 7-5 3-6 6-2
[Q] Alexandra Cadantu-Ignatik (ROU) defeated [Q] Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-3 2-6 6-2

Palermo – WTA 250 | Clay

Round of 32:

[3] Shuai Zhang (CHN) defeated [Q] Rebeka Masarova (ESP) 7-6 7-6
[4] Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) defeated Ana Bogdan (ROU) 2-6 6-4 6-2
[6] Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) defeated [Q] Marina Bassols Ribera (ESP) 6-3 4-6 6-3
Oceane Dodin (FRA) defeated [Q] Matilde Paoletti (ITA) 6-4 7-5
[Q] Leolia Jeanjean (FRA) defeated Ylena In-Albon (SUI) 6-2 6-4
Jasmine Paolini (ITA) defeated Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-3 6-1