Ricky’s Rotterdam Daily: ATP Tennis News • Wawrinka Advances, Nishikori And Monfils To Play

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland in action against Benoit Paire of France during their first round match at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, 11 February 2019. EPA-EFE/ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN

 

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Stan Wawrinka advanced at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Monday, defeating good friend and familiar foe Benoit Paire 7-6(4), 6-1. Paire served for the first set and even had a set point while serving at 5-4, but he could not convert and it was downhill from there for the Frenchman. Wawrinka is joined in the second round by Nikoloz Basilashvili, Andreas Seppi, and Mikhail Kukushkin.

 

In doubles, an impressive draw got underway with the teams of Jeremy Chardy/Henri Kontinen and Philipp Kohlschreiber/Fernando Verdasco picking up wins. No. 2 seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo will be in action on Tuesday.

 

Ricky takes a look at the draw, the seeds, and Day 2:

 

Draw

(1) Kei Nishikori vs.
(SE) Pierre-Hugues Herbert

(LL) Marius Copil vs.
(LL) Ernests Gulbis

Martin Klizan vs.
Marton Fucsovics

(9) Nikoloz Basilashvili…..defeated Chung

(4) Milos Raonic vs.
Philipp Kohlschreiber

(WC) Stan Wawrinka…..defeated Paire

(Q) Gilles Simon vs.
(WC) Tomas Berdych

(Q) Franko Skugor vs.
(10) Denis Shapovalov

(8) David Goffin vs.
Gael Monfils

Andreas Seppi…..defeated Gojowyvz…..vs. Kukushkin
Mikhail Kukushkin…..defeated Haase…..vs. Seppi

Damir Dzumhur vs.
(3) Stefanos Tsitsipas

(5) Daniil Medvedev vs.
Jeremy Chardy

Matthew Ebden vs.
Fernando Verdasco

(PR) Jo-WIlfried Tsonga vs.
(Q) Thomas Fabbiano

(WC) Tallon Griekspoor vs.
(2) Karen Khachanov

 

Seeds

1) Kei Nishikori: R1 vs. Herbert
2) Karen Khachanov: R1 vs. Griekspoor
3) Stefanos Tsitsipas: R1 vs. Dzumhur
4) Milos Raonic: R1 vs. Kohlshcreiber
5) Daniil Medvedev: R1 vs. Chardy
6) Lucas Pouille: WITHDREW
7) Roberto Bautista Agut: WITHDREW
8) David Goffin: R1 vs. Monfils
9) Nikoloz Basilashvili: R2 vs. either Klizan over Fucsovics
10) Denis Shapovalov: R1 vs. Skugor

 

Day 2

(8) David Goffin vs. Gael Monfils

Goffin and Monfils will be facing each other for the fifth time in their careers. The head-to-head series stands at 3-1 in favor of Goffin, who is 2-1 against Monfils on hard courts–although three of their showdowns have required final sets (including at last year’s French Open) and the only exception was a retirement by the Frenchman at the 2017 U.S. Open. Monfils is making a quick turnaround following a semifinal result in Sofia, where he upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarters before falling to eventual champion Daniil Medvedev.

 

(1) Kei Nishikori vs. (SE) Pierre-Hugues Herbert

Herbert is even less-rested than Monfils, coming off a runner-up showing in Montpellier that has him up to a career-high ranking of No. 36. He has won multiple matches at three straight events to begin the season, also advancing to the Doha quarterfinals and the Aussie Open third round. Nishikori has been outstanding in 2019, sporting an 8-1 record that includes a title in Brisbane and a quarterfinal performance in Melbourne.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand. You can follow him on twitter at @Dimonator.