19-year-old Norwegian Casper Ruud outlasted fellow youngster Jaume Munar in three sets in Båstad on Monday on a day light of action among the top players.
That left the two wild cards, part of the ATP’s branding effort to promote future stars, to take center court. They impressed through two tough sets, but injuries eventually caught up to Munar as the Norwegian earned a 6-7, 6-4, 6-0 victory in more than two and a half hours.
The match turned on Munar’s second leg injury, this time his right, midway through the second set. He injured it midway through his 3-3 service game and was subsequently broken. Ruud then battered the restricted Spaniard to reach a deciding frame.
Munar had suffered an injury to his left leg earlier in the set, for which he saw the trainer. That came after he saved four break points, reminiscent of a first set in which each player whiffed on several break chances.
The 21-year-old beneficiary of Rafael Nadal’s academy eventually converted it. But he had few opportunities in the second set, and was hapless in the third as Ruud needed just 24 minutes to finish off his victory.
Also in Båstad, Matteo Berrettini upset No. 6 seed Leo Mayer 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 despite putting a poor 47 percent of first serves in play. Still, he won two-thirds of points on his serve and saved six of the eight break points he faced. After a pair of straightforward one-break sets, Berrettini pounced at 4-4 in the decider and then crisply served out the victory.
Across Europe in Umag, Laslo Djere notched a mild upset against Pablo Cuevas, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. The Uruguayan rolled through the second set and held an early break in the third, but could not consolidate it and smashed a short forehand into the net at 3-4. Djere then served out the victory with ease.
Guido Pella stormed from a set and a break down to defeat Taro Daniel 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the only other main draw match in Croatia. The Argentine won the last four games of the second set, then broke twice — including a forehand smashed off the line on match point — in the decider.
Off the court, top seed Kyle Edmund withdrew after being slotted into the draw; no reason was given. Albert Ramos-Vinolas took his first round bye spot.
Some bigger names, like Fernando Verdasco and Robin Haase, will take to the European clay on Tuesday.
