ERNIE GULBIS UPSETS BIG JOHN ISNER IN VIENNA, AND JO-WILLIE TSONGA WINS AGAIN AND MORE TENNIS TIDBITS BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: on 21st October 2015
Erste Bank Open ATP
ERNIE GULBIS UPSETS BIG JOHN ISNER IN VIENNA, AND JO-WILLIE TSONGA WINS AGAIN AND MORE TENNIS TIDBITS BY RICKY DIMON

epa04987094 Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in action against John Isner of US during their second round match of the Erste Bank Open ATP tennis tournament in Vienna, Austria, 21 October 2015. EPA/HERBERT NEUBAUER  |

Ernests Gulbis reached the quarterfinals of the Erste Bank Open by upsetting John Isner 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 on Wednesday. Although it would be a modest result by Gulbis’ highest standards, a win over Isner was the Latvian’s best–based on ranking–in the last 17 months.

 

Stellar performances have been few and far between in 2015 for Gulbis, who has plunged to No. 117 in the world. But it’s safe to say this one was outstanding. He fired 54 winners compared to just 25 unforced errors and out-aced Isner 23-16.

 

Next up for Gulbis is another huge server, Ivo Karlovic. The 6’11” Croat got the best of Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4, 7-5 during second-round action.

 

Shanghai runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga still has one round to go before potentially joining Gulbis and Karlovic in the last eight, but his week got off to a winning start on Wednesday. The 10th-ranked Frenchman held off 37-year-old Tommy Haas 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4.

 

“I don’t really think about it,” Tsonga said when asked about contending for the World Tour Finals. “To be in [London] I maybe have to win this tournament and play a final in Bercy, so for me it’s just being in the moment. I think about my tennis, about me, about trying to get the trophy here. That’s it.”

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in action against Tommy Haas of Germany during their first round match of the Erste Bank Open ATP tennis tournament against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in Vienna, Austria, 21 October 2015 EPA/HERBERT NEUBAUER

 

While a 500-point trophy is up for grabs in Vienna, battles are also being waged for a pair of 250-point titles in Stockholm and Moscow.

 

Among Wednesday’s winners at the If Stockholm Open were Jack Sock, Gilles Simon, and Marcos Baghdatis. Sock outlasted Fernando Verdasco in three sets, while both Simon (d. Leonardo Mayer) and Baghdatis (d. Bernard Tomic) cruised in straights.

 

“I think I played very smart today,” the Cypriot assessed. “I used my slice a lot, I used my brain a lot. It was important to do that against Bernie. You need to be smart on court and not hurry too much and I think I did it very well. It paid off today so I’m very, very happy.”

 

At the Kremlin Cup, Teymuraz Gabashvili ousted No. 3 seed Viktor Troicki and Denis Istomin took care of Aljaz Bedene to set up a meeting with defending champion Marin Cilic.

 

Briefs

* Anderson defeats Haider-Maurer, could regain top 10 spot with Vienna final

* Tsonga beats Haas, can pass Raonic for No. 9 with Vienna title

* Karlovic coasts past Stakhovsky, can remain top 20 with one more win

* Gulbis makes return to top 100 with second-round upset of Isner

* Simon rolls over Mayer, can reach No. 14 with Stockholm title

* Muller mauls Millman, will move into Aussie Open seeding spot with two more wins

* Baghdatis takes out Tomic, can reach top 40 by reaching semifinals

* Bautista Agut eases past Ilhan, can climb into top 20 with Moscow title

* Gabashvili downs Troicki, will advance to top 50 with one more victory

* Pouille gets retirement from Bolelli, almost certain to stay top 70

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

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