Gael Monfils bounced back from a first-round defeat at last week’s tournament in Montpellier by beating qualifier Ernests Gulbis 6-4 6-4 at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam . Monfils, who reached the quarter finals at this year’s Australian Open, broke serve once in each set and fended off the only break point he faced. Gulbis hit 25 winners to 20 unforced errors. The Frenchman will face Croatian teenager Borna Coric.
“I served great. That was the key for me. Gulbis has a good service and a strong backhand but I think I did well. I definitely put pressure on his forehand and tried to be alert. We know Ernests can give you one, two, three points in a row. I tried to be ready for anything he was willing to give me. The match against Coric is going to be a tough one. He is a young player, strong from the baseline and runs well. It’s tough to hit winners on the court, so tomorrow I am expecting long rallies. I will try to dictate with my forehand and to serve good, move him around the court”, said Monfils.
Gilles Muller rallied from a set down and fired 19 aces en route to his 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 win over Andreas Seppi. The player from Luxemburg will take on 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic. Muller won 80 percent of his first serve points.
Seppi started well breaking serve to 30 in the third game of the opening set. Both players held their service games until Seppi led 5-4. As Seppi was serving for the set, Muller earned two break points at 4-5 15-40 but the Italian player saved them. Seppi sealed the first set on his second set point after 37 minutes.
There was not much to separate both players who went on serve until 4-4 in the second set. Seppi earned a break point in the ninth game but Muller saved it with a service winner to take a 5-4 lead. The set came down to the tie-break. Muller got two mini-break to race to a 5-0 lead en route to winning the tie-break 7-2.
Seppi saved two break points at 2-2. Seppi dropped his serve to love in the seventh game but broke straight back in the next game as Muller made a double fault. Muller got another break in the next game. At 4-5 Seppi earned a break point in the 10th game but Muller saved it with a serve and volley before serving for the match. Muller scored his first win over Seppi in four head-to-head matches.
In the evening match Martin Klizan overcame Tommy Robredo 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-3. Klizan fended off all the six break points he faced.
Klizan got an early break but was forced to save four break points to hold his service game in the next game. Klizan, who reached the semifinals last week in Sofia, got a double break to race out to a 4-0 lead en route to winning the first set 6-2. Robredo bounced back winning the second set at the tie-break. Klizan broke early in the third set and held his service games to take the decider 6-3 setting up a second round match against Marcos Baghdatis who beat David Goffin.
South Korean 19-year-old Hyeong Chung rallied from a set down to edge past Guillermo Garcia Lopez 5-7 6-4 6-4. Chung will face either Viktor Troicki or qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov. Chung got an early break in the first set but Garcia Lopez broke back. The Spanish player broke again to win the opening set 7-5. Chung bounced back winning the second and the third set with a double 6-4. Garcia Lopez earned 21 break points.
Phillip Kohlschreiber beat Julien Benneteau 6-4 6-4 to extend his unbeaten streak against the French player to six wins. Kohlschreiber set up a second round match against Ivan Dodig. Benneteau is coming back from an elbow injury that sidelined him from the tour for nine months.
Top-seed Richard Gasquet, who won his third Montpellier title last week, withdrew from the Rotterdam tournament because of illness and a groin injury.
