World Tennis Tournament: Tsitsipas survives opening round scare
SECOND seed and top 10 player, Stefanos Tsitsipas has survived an early scare to post a three-set win over Poland youngster, Hubert Hurkacz in the first round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
Tsitsipas won last year’s ATP Finals series and is tipped to head into the top five sooner rather than later, but the talented Hurkacz did not give it to him easily. In a match that lasted two hours and seven minutes, the world number six got up once he got going, overpowering the Polish talent with an 81 per cent first serve points rate, and breaking six times across the final two sets, while saving both break point opportunities from his opponent. He was back to his best after the early hiccup, winning 60 per cent of Hurkacz’s second serve, and winning more than half of the points from his own second serve.
It was a good day for Russians in Rotterdam as its in-form duo of seventh seed, Andrey Rublev and unseeded Karen Khachanov won through to the second round rather easily. Rublev rolled on past Georgian, Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-2 6-3 to book a spot in the Round of 16, while Khachanov continued Italian, Fabio Fognini‘s shaky start to the year with a straight-sets win over the fifth seed. After his compatriot went down yesterday, it was better news for 19-year-old Canadian, Felix Auger-Aliassime who defeated German, Jan-Lennard Struff in three sets, while Aljaz Bedene handed Benoit Paire his third straight loss with a 6-2 6-4 win in the opening round. In the other results, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik got past French qualifier, Gregoire Barrere in a struggle, while Serbian Filip Krajinovic defeated Dutch wildcard, Tallon Griekspoor.
Round of 32 Results:
[2] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 6-7 6-3 6-1
Karen Khachanov (RUS) defeated [5] Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-3 6-3
[7] Andrey Rublev (RUS) defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-2 6-3
Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) defeated Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 6-3 1-6 6-3
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) defeated [Q] Gregoire Barrere (FRA) 6-3 6-7 6-4
Alijaz Bedene (SLO) defeated Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-2 6-4
Filip Krajinovic (SRB) defeated [WC] Tallon Griekspoor (NED) 6-4 6-1
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