Seeds Lukas Rosol and Dusan Lajovic faced contrasting outcomes in their respective first-round matches at the ATP Generali Open in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
While fifth-seeded Rosol’s poor form continued with a 6-4 7-6 loss to Nikoloz Basilashvili, the sixth-seeded Lajovic produced a solid performance on serve to clinch a 7-6 6-1 win over Rogerio Dutra Silva.
This was the 79th-ranked Rosol’s fifth consecutive defeat on tour (bar the recent triumph at Davis Cup). Lajovic, on the contrary, lost just four points on serve to end his four-match losing streak.
Elsewhere, eighth seed Jan-Lennard Struff needed just 52 minutes to make light work of 19-year-old Akira Santillan, winning 6-2 6-2 to set up a date with Daniel Munoz De Na Lava in the second round.
It also turned out to be a successful day for crowd-favorite sibling duo of and Jurgen and Gerard Melzer.
Jurgen, playing in just his third match of the season after undergoing a shoulder surgery, overcame a rusty performance to pull off a 6-4 7-6 conquest of Taro Daniel.
Gerald had a rather tough day in the office, as he rallied from a one-set deficit to prevail 5-7 7-5 6-4 against Albert Montanes in a grueling encounter that lasted two hours and 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Wednesday’s play will see top seeds Dominic Thiem and Philipp Kohlschreiber taking the courts among the other matches.
