Paris: Unseeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco sent German ninth-seed Alexander Zverev packing in a first round men’s singles match at the French Open here Tuesday. The German, who had astounded the world by beating Novak Djokovic in the final of the Rome Masters, failed to sustain the momentum against Rafael Nadal’s hitting partner. Verdasco stopped Zverev 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a rain-interrupted match that lasted four minutes shy of three hours.
Meanwhile third seed Stan Wawrinka launched his bid for a second French Open title with a slow start, toiling to find his rhythm before ultimately beating Slovak qualifier Jozef Kovalik 6-2, 7-6(8-6) 6-3.
The 2015 champion struggled to time the ball on an overcast Court Suzanne Lenglen, frequently spraying his trademark backhand drive long or into the net as he looked to keep the points short against 152nd-ranked Kovalik, who was making his Roland Garros debut.
But the Swiss did enough to win the rallies that mattered, extricating himself from a deep hole in the second set tie-break, taking the last five points after trailing 3-6.
“It wasn’t particularly easy after Geneva… but I feel good,” Wawrinka said courtside. “I hope to go deep (into the tournament) this year. I am feeling very positive after winning the title at Geneva, Saturday.”
The Swiss will next play Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov who beat Carlos Berlocq 7-5, 6-3, 6-4.
Meanwhile top seed Andy Murray survived a second set scare against Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov before winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. “I started to play better as the match went on,” Murray said afterwards. “Overall it was satisfying to win in four sets.”
Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro also started on a winning note after a four-year hiatus from the French Open. A doubtful starter because of knee problem, Delpo, as his friends call him, quashed the challenge of countryman Guido Pella 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.
“It’s nice to be back,” the lumbering giant said. “I don’t know how long I will last in Paris, but I wish to enjoy each and every moment here.”
Australian Nick Kyrgios also shrugged off injury concerns and kept his emotions in check to outclass Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 7-6(7-4), 6-3 to book his spot in the second round.
The 22-year-old, considered among the most gifted players of his generation, fired 20 aces, including six in the first set, which he claimed in 30 minutes.
“There were a lot of questions about how I would perform today (Tuesday),” Kyrgios told reporters. “I did not play many matches on clay and was not feeling that confident. I thought it would be tough. But I served really well at important times of the match.”
Agencies
