TENNIS FROM ROTTERDAM ABN/AMRO – THE GREAT TENNIS TALENT GAEL MONFILS BEATS THE TALENTED & MERCURIAL ERNESTS GULBIS

Monfils beats Gulbis to temporarily halt seed exodus in Rotterdam

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

It all started when Roger Federer withdrew from the tournament. Nick Kyrgios did the same. The trend continued when top seed Richard Gasquet pulled out on Tuesday because of both an illness and a groin injury. No. 7 seed Benoit Paire lost his first-round match on Monday. Seemingly with each passing hour, the ABN/AMRO World Tennis Tournament draw is depleted.

 

Marcos Baghdatis added to seeded players’ woes when he upset David Goffin 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(5). Baghdatis won the last five points of the match after trailing 5-2 in the final-set tiebreaker.

 

Gael Monfils, however, would have none of it. The fifth-seeded Frenchman turned in a no-nonsense performance on Tuesday to defeat qualifier Ernests Gulbis 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 12 minutes. Monfils held all 10 of his service games and did not face a single break point until the final game at 5-4 in the second set.

 

“I served great,” said Monfils, who fired six aces and put in 72 percent of his first deliveries. “That was the key for me…. I definitely put pressure on his forehand and tried to be alert. We know Ernests can give you one, two, three points in a row. I tried to be ready for anything he was willing to give me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up next for the Australian Open quarterfinalist is a first career meeting with Borna Coric on Wednesday. The 38th-ranked Croat saved 10 set points in the opening frame before holding on to beat Thiemo De Bakker 7-6(9), 4-6, 6-3 on Monday. Thus ended a four-match losing streak for Coric dating back to the Chennai final against Stan Wawrinka. The 19-year-old also fell to Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Australian Open and to Michael Berrer in Montpellier.

 

Another intriguing Wednesday showdown, this one in the first round, pits Vasek Pospisil against Alexander Zverev. The relatively late start for the two players is a result of Zverev coming off a long week in Montpellier. The 18-year-old German reached his second career ATP singles semifinal (lost to Paul-Henri Mathieu) and also finished runner-up in doubles with his brother. Zverev is up to a best-ever ranking of 70th.

 

Aside from a thrilling run to the 2015 Wimbledon quarterfinals, Pospisil has mostly fared better in doubles than in singles. This season has been the same. The 41st-ranked Canadian, whose singles record is a disappointing 1-3, advanced to the Australian Open quarters with Jack Sock.

 

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

 

Editors Note: 10sBalls knows that the Great Tournament Director and 1996 Wimbledon Champion Richard Krajicek always puts on amazing event. Richard is a great host. His tennis players have a great time. His tennis patrons always have a great tournament and see plenty of great tennis no matter whose playing.

And Richard certainly knows about Knee surgeries. He would still be playing if his knees had held up his big frame. I can’t remember how many knee ops he had ? Everyone’s gonna miss Roger Federer. It’s hard to imagine he would try his fixed knee on the abrasive hard courts of the Coachella Valley. Just saying…..

 

RESULTS – TUESDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 2016

 

Singles – First Round

M. Baghdatis (CYP) d [4] D. Goffin (BEL) 61 57 76(5)

[5] G. Monfils (FRA) d [Q] E. Gulbis (LAT) 64 64

H. Chung (KOR) d G. Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 57 64 64

M. Klizan (SVK) d T. Robredo (ESP) 62 67(5) 63

P. Kohlschreiber (GER) d [PR] J. Benneteau (FRA) 64 64

G. Muller (LUX) d A. Seppi (ITA) 46 76(2) 64

 

Doubles – First Round

[1] J. Rojer (NED) / H. Tecau (ROU) d G. Garcia-Lopez (ESP) / V. Troicki (SRB) 63 62

P. Petzschner (GER) / A. Peya (AUT) d [3] J. Murray (GBR) / D. Nestor (CAN) 62 57 10-8

[4] R. Bopanna (IND) / F. Mergea (ROU) d L. Kubot (POL) / M. Matkowski (POL) 67(7) 63 10-7

G. Muller (LUX) / N. Zimonjic (SRB) d [WC] T. de Bakker (NED) / R. Haase (NED) 63 64

D. Inglot (GBR) / R. Lindstedt (SWE) d [Q] M. Draganja (CRO) / L. Rosol (CZE) 57 62 10-5

N. Mahut (FRA) / V. Pospisil (CAN) d A. Seppi (ITA) / J. Sousa (POR) 63 76(3)

 

SCHEDULE – WEDNESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 2016

 

CENTRE COURT start 11:00 am

J. Sousa (POR) vs [6] R. Bautista Agut (ESP)

G. Muller (LUX) vs [2] M. Cilic (CRO)

V. Pospisil (CAN) vs [WC] A. Zverev (GER)

[WC] J. Huta Galung (NED) / B. Van Den Berg (NED) vs [2] I. Dodig (CRO) / M. Melo (BRA)

Not Before 7:30 pm

[WC] R. Haase (NED) vs [3] G. Simon (FRA)

[5] G. Monfils (FRA) vs B. Coric (CRO)

 

COURT 1 start 11:00 am

[Q] I. Dodig (CRO) vs P. Kohlschreiber (GER)

[LL] E. Donskoy (RUS) vs J. Chardy (FRA)

[Q] A. Kuznetsov (RUS) vs [8] V. Troicki (SRB)

 

Topics: 10sballs.com, ABN Amro tennis, Atp World Tour, Gael Monfils, Ricky Dimon, Rotterdam, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News

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