Tennis 10sBalls • Ricky’s Rotterdam Daily • Nishikori, Tsonga, Medvedev And More

Japanese Kei Nishikori returns the ball to Ernests Gulbis from Latvia during their match at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 14 February 2019. EPA-EFE/ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN

 

 

By Ricky Dimon

 

Kei Nishikori continued his ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament campaign with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Ernests Gulbis during second-round action on Thursday evening. The red-hot Japanese world No. 7 prevailed after one hour and 14 minutes of play. Nishikori is joined in the quarterfinals by last week’s champions Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Daniil Medvedev.

 

In doubles, Henri Kontinen teamed up with temporary partner Jeremy Chardy to oust No. 2 seeds Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 4-6, 6-2, 11-9 for a spot in the semis.

 

Ricky takes a look at the draw, the seeds, and Day 5:

Draw

(1) Kei Nishikori…..defeated Herbert…..defeated Gulbis
Marton Fucsovics…..defeated Klizan…..defeated Basilashvili

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

Gael Monfils…..defeated Goffin…..defeated Seppi
Damir Dzumhur…..defeated Tsitsipas…..defeated Kukushkin

(5) Daniil Medvedev…..defeated Chardy…..defeated Verdasco
(PR) Jo-WIlfried Tsonga…..defeated Fabbiano…..defeated Griekspoor

 

Seeds

1) Kei Nishikori: QF vs. Fucsovics

2) Karen Khachanov: lost R1 to Griekspoor

3) Stefanos Tsitsipas: lost R1 to Dzumhur

4) Milos Raonic: lost R2 to Wawrinka

5) Daniil Medvedev: QF vs. Tsonga

6) Lucas Pouille: WITHDREW

7) Roberto Bautista Agut: WITHDREW

8) David Goffin: lost R1 to Monfils

9) Nikoloz Basilashvili: lost R2 to Fucsovics

10) Denis Shapovalov: QF vs. Wawrinka

 

Day 5

(WC) Stan Wawrinka vs. (10) Denis Shapovalov

Wawrinka and Shapovalov will be facing each other for the second time in their careers on Friday. Their only previous meeting came last fall in Tokyo, where Shapovalov won 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Wawrinka’s comeback from 2018 physical problems, however, is off and running at this point. The veteran Swiss advanced to the Doha quarterfinals, lost an Australian Open thriller to Milos Raonic in four tiebreakers, beat Benoit Paire in his Rotterdam opener, and then avenged the setback against Raonic by upsetting the Canadian 6-4, 7-6(4) on Wednesday.

 

(5) Daniil Medvedev vs. (PR) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

It will be a showdown between two recent champions when Medvedev and Tsonga meet for the third time in their careers. Medvedev has been one of the best players on the entire tour dating back to last year, when he lifted three ATP winners’ trophies before triumphing again this past week in Sofia. The 16th-ranked Russian has shown no sings of slowing down in Rotterdam, where he earned a place in the quarterfinals by dismissing Jeremy Chardy and Fernando Verdasco in straight sets. Tsonga, the Montpellier winner, has ousted Thomas Fabbiano and Tallon Griekspoor.

 

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

French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returns the ball to Duch Talon Griekspoor during their match at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 14 February 2019. EPA-EFE/ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN