Sixth seed Gael Monfils fought back from a set down to edge past Brazilian Thomas Bellucci with 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4. to advance to the second round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. Monfils had to fend off six of the eight break points he faced. Monfils has made a come-back from a seven-week lay-off due to lower back problems which forced him to withdraw from the first round at the US Open.
The first set started with 11 break points in the first five games. The match was marked by a lot of breaks and a series of spectacular rallies. Monfils went up 5-3 in the first set but Bellucci rallied to force the first set to the tie-break. After nine mini.breaks in 12 points Bellucci won the tie-break with 7-5.
The second set went on serve in the first five games. Monfils was forced to save four break points in the fifth game. Monfils got the break on the next game to win the second set with 6-3.
Monfils got another break of serve in the decider to seal the win Monfils entertained the crowd with a spectacular baseline jumping forehand smash winner
“I am happy to come back with a win. It’s been a long time since I was on a court. I was not able to do anything for six weeks. I have had just five or six days of practice. I lost a bit of a rhythm in the first set and that turned into a long match. We will see how I will pull up in the nnext match”, said Monfils
The Frenchman will take on World Number 71 Paolo Lorenzi. The Italian fought back from a set down to beat US Rajeev Ram 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4. Ram fired 16 aces but was broken four times.
Third seed John Isner fired 16 aces to battle past Frenchman Kenny De Schepper after two tie-breaks with 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-5).
The first set went on serve without any break points until the tie-break where Isner won with 7-4.
There were no break points until the sixth game of the second set when De Schepper was forced to save three break points. Isner did not face any break points but could not convert a break point on match point at 4-5 30-40 on De Schepper’s serve in the second set. The US player missed a match ppint at 6-5 but closed out on his second opportunity with 7-5 at the tie-break after 1 hour and 43 minutes setting up a second round match against Ernests Gulbis who ended a five-match losing streak .
“The match came down to a few points, which I was able to win. I am happy with my performance. My goal is to try and make London but David Ferreri s so many points ahead. It’s not a problemi f I don’t make it, at least I will have tried my best”, said Isner
David Ferrer rallied from one set down to edge past Albert Ramos Vinolas with 1-6 6-3 6-4. Ferrer won just two points on Ramos’ serve in the first set where he dropped his serve three times. He fought back in the second set earning a break point which Ramos Vinolas saved, Ferrer fended four break points at 3-2 down in the second set. The Valencia player broke serve twice in the seventh and in the ninth games to win the second set with 6-3. The third set went on serve until 5.4 when Ferrer clinched the decisive break. Ferrer will face his compatriot Guillermo Gracia Lopez who beat Santiago Giraldo 6-4 6-3
Jerzy Janowicz came back from a set down to overcome local favourite Dominic Thiem with 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. Thiem got a double break for 2-1 and 4-1 en route to winning the first set with 6-2.
Janowicz went up a break in the second set but Thiem broke back forcing the second set to the tie-break The young Austrian made two errors at 5-5 to lose the tie.break with 5-7. Janowicz got an earky break at the start of the third set The Polish player did not face any break points in the third set en route to winning the match with 6-4.
“I made a bad error in the tie-break. It was not a bad match for me but he deserved to win. In the third set he served better and played better”, said Thiem
Andreas Haider Maurer will carry the hopes of the local fans tomorrow when he plays against South African Kevin Anderson
Sergiy Stakhovskiy cruised past Jan Lennart Struff 6-4 6-4 to set up a second round against ace record holder Ivo Karlovic who beat Italian Andreas Seppi yesterday.
Steve Johnson overcame a second-set loss to edge past Aleksander Dolgopolov with 6-3 4-6 6-2. After losing the first set with 6-3 Dolgopolov dropped his serve at the start of the second set but he broke back to draw level before winning the second set. Johnson broke in the third set en route to closing out the match with 6-2.
