Ricky’s Rotterdam Daily • Tennis 10sBalls • ATP Stan Wawrinka Ousts Raonic, Nishikori vs. Gulbis On Thursday

Swiss Stan Wawrinka in action during his match against Canadian Milos Raonic at the ABN AMRO Tennis tournament in Rotterdam, Wednesday 13 February 2019. EPA-EFE/KOEN VAN WEEL

 

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Stan Wawrinka avenged a recent Australian Open loss to Milos Raonic with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory in round two of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament on Wednesday night. Wawrinka, a former champion of this 500-point event, won 91 percent of his first-serve points and saved the only break point he faced. The Swiss is joined in the quarterfinals by Denis Shapovalov, who scored an impressive 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Tomas Berdych.

 

In doubles, an upset-riddled tournament continued with the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds exiting. Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin knocked off the second-seeded duo of Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic in a super-tiebreaker. Wesley Koolhof and Jurgen Melzer dismissed No. 3 seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus 6-4, 6-4.

 

Ricky takes a look at the draw, the seeds, and Day 4:

Draw

(1) Kei Nishikori…..defeated Herbert
(LL) Ernests Gulbis…..defeated Copil

Marton Fucsovics…..defeated Klizan
(9) Nikoloz Basilashvili…..defeated Chung

(WC) Stan Wawrinka…..defeated Paire…..defeated Wawrinka
(10) Denis Shapovalov…..defeated Skugor…..defeated Berdych

Gael Monfils…..defeated Goffin…..defeated Seppi

Mikhail Kukushkin…..defeated Haase
Damir Dzumhur…..defeated Tsitsipas

(5) Daniil Medvedev…..defeated Chardy
Fernando Verdasco…..defeated Ebden

(PR) Jo-WIlfried Tsonga…..defeated Fabbiano
(WC) Tallon Griekspoor…..defeated Khachanov

 

Seeds

1) Kei Nishikori: R2 vs. Gulbis

2) Karen Khachanov: lost R1 to Griekspoor

3) Stefanos Tsitsipas: lost R1 to Dzumhur

4) Milos Raonic: lost R2 to Wawrinka

5) Daniil Medvedev: R2 vs. Verdasco

6) Lucas Pouille: WITHDREW

7) Roberto Bautista Agut: WITHDREW

8) David Goffin: lost R1 to Monfils

9) Nikoloz Basilashvili: R2 vs. Fucsovics

10) Denis Shapovalov: QF vs. Wawrinka

 

Day 4

(1) Kei Nishikori vs. (LL) Ernests Gulbis

Nishikori is without question playing some of the best tennis in the world right now. The world No. 7 from Japan is 9-1 this season with a title in Brisbane, a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open, and a first-round victory at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament over Pierre-Hugues Herbert.Up next for the top seed on Thursday in Rotterdam is a third career contest against Gulbis, who trails the head-to-head series 2-0.

 

(5) Daniil Medvedev vs. Fernando Verdasco

Medvedev and Verdasco will also be squaring off for the third time in their careers. The head-to-head series is tied up at one win apiece, with Medvedev cruising 6-3, 6-3 on the indoor hard courts of Montpellier in 2017 before Verdasco got the job done 6-4, 6-1 on the grass of ‘s-Hertogenbosch last summer. Medvedev is the obvious favorite this time around, as he captured three titles in 2018 and has been one of the best players on tour this year. The 16th-ranked Russian is an awesome 12-2 with a runner-up performance in Brisbane and a triumph this past week in Sofia.

 

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