Mischa Zverev dispatched Mikhail Youzhny 7-6, 6-3 in the first round of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, setting up a clash with Roger Federer.
The 30-year-old German will hope to reverse past form against the 20-time Grand Slam champion, who has won all five meetings — including two on grass last year — without dropping a set.
It was Zverev, however, who looked most comfortable on Monday, using his trademark serve-and-volley style effectively in his first grass-court match of the season. He faced just one break point all match and won all but three points on his first serve, helped by nine aces and no double faults.
The opening set exemplified grass court tennis with just one break point and two deuce games before Zverev took the tiebreak, but the 35-year-old Russian, who had to come through qualifying, began to fade in the second. He fended off three break points at 1-2 but succumbed after a 0-40 hole at 2-3, then couldn’t convert his own break chances later in the set. Zverev served out the match at love, making the third German winner of the day alongside 17-year-old Rudolf Molleker — who won his first main draw tour match — and Florian Mayer.
Fifth seed Denis Shapovalov was scheduled to open play against Indian qualifier Prajnesh Gunneswaran, but rain pushed the match to Tuesday. Milos Raonic, Philip Kohlschreiber and Feliciano Lopez are also slated to play Tuesday.
In Hertogenbosch, Robin Haase outlasted Ivo Karlovic on home grass, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 in a match with just one break of serve. The two combined to lose just seven service points the entire first set before Haase took control in the tiebreak. Karlovic was forced to save a pair of break points midway through the second set, but found his way to another tiebreak and took control by winning the first four points.
Haase, the No. 6 seed, then converted his only break opportunity in the third set and closed out the match to reach the second round, where he awaits Bernard Tomic or Marcos Baghdatis.
Also Monday, No. 7 seed Yuichi Sugita throttled Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-2, in just over an hoursaving all three break points and winning 76 percent of points on his serve. Sugita next faces Marius Copil, who outlasted Aljaz Bedene in a three-set match that featured just one break of serve.
