MONTPELLIER
With players straggling in from Davis Cup, action was slow on the ATP on Monday. Only one main draw match was scheduled, with Paul-Henri Mathieu beating Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 3-0 when Mahut retired with influenza in a poor day of play for any ticketholders.
No. 140 Mathieu, the 2002 champion here when it was played in Lyon, next faces Richard Gasquet and goes into the test having won two of their last three matches. He is playing a main draw for the first time since a Basel quarter-final last October.
ZAGREB
The pullout-plagued indoor event limped off to a start with fifth seed Marin Cilic, winner of three of the last four editions, reaching the second round over fellow Croatian Mate Delic 6-4, 6-4. German Benjamin Becker started with a win over Dutchman Jesse Huta Galung 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(6) with the winner saving seven match points in a struggle lasting nearly two and a half hours.
Cilic hammered 14 aces and lost just nine points on serve. “It was really solid, my serve was working really well today. It always feels great playing here in Zagreb; it always raises my form. I hope this week is going to help me improve my game and get confidence for the upcoming tournaments.” The top Croatian stands 18-4 at his home event as he aims for a 10th ATP title.
VINA DEL MAR
Argentine Leo Mayer began the week with a defeat of Austria’s Andreas Haider-Maurer 7-5, 7-5 in the only singles match on court. Last year, Rafael Nadal made a stir as he returned to action at the tournament after his seven-month knee injury absence. It’s calmer this year, with Nicolas Almagro – coming back from injury himself – Fabio Fognini and Tommy Robredo the only top 20 players in the field.
Topics: 10sballs, Atp, Benjamin Becker, Fabio Fognini, Marin Cilic, Nicolas Almagro, Nicolas Mahut, Paul Henri Mathieu, Rafael Nadal, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Tommy Robredo