Davis Cup Day 1 Review: France, Czech Republic and Russia All Take Commanding Leads

Day one action of the first-round of the 2010 Davis Cup World Group began on Friday throughout the seven respective venues around the world.  With the exception of the Chile-Israel tie, which was postponed one day due to earthquake in Chile last week, Friday’s Davis Cup action saw its quantity of high flying action.

France vs. Germany

The French tandem of Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gave their country a commanding 2-0 lead by dismissing Philipp Kohlschreiber and Benjamin Becker in singles competition.

Monfils, who had never won a Davis Cup singles match prior to defeating Kohlschreiber 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (5) on Friday, struck 15 aces while winning 77 percent of his first serve points during the two hour and 45 minute encounter.

Playing perhaps the best match of his career, let alone his season, Monfils told reporters that he was elated to give his squad a 1-0 lead.

“It was one of my best matches of the season, I’m very happy with the way I moved on the court and the way I controlled the match, and of course very happy to bring the point for France for the first time,” Monfils said.

Second up in the Toulon arena saw France’s No. 1 ranked player Tsonga persevere through a third set hiccup to defeat Becker 6-2, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3.

Leading 3-1 in the third set, Tsonga became visibly concerned with the tension in his racket. Spraying balls left and right, Tsonga continued to lose his momentum while Becker increased his first serve percentage and took his chances when returning.

Tsonga would quickly regain his focus while employing his monster serve and forehand combination to race to a decisive 3-0, fourth set lead. Needing five match points to oust Becker, Tsonga gave team captain Guy Forget a reason to smile.

“I’m proud of the team today, but I’m especially proud of Gael for playing one of his best matches of the year,” said Forget during the on-court interview.

“We are in a good position now.”

Saturday’s doubles tie will feature Michael Llodra and Julien Benneteau vs. Christopher Kas and Kohlschreiber.

The Russian team and Czech Republic squad also took commanding 2-0 leads on Friday, battling past India and Belgium.

Russia vs. India

Igor Kunitsyn, who was a late substitute for an injured Igor Andreev, survived a competitive match over Somdev Devvarman 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4.

Needing three hours and 35 minutes to defeat Devvarman, Kunitsyn told reporters that he was surprised with his performance considering his late notice of participation.

“It was a surprise for me and there is no way you can prepare yourself with just an hour to go before your match. We are used to having at least one day, or 12 hours to prepare,” said the Russian.

The day’s second match saw Mikhail Youzhny continue his stellar 2010 season with a victory over Rohan Bopanna 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Winning 84 percent of his first serve points, Youzhny improved to 11-10 in Davis Cup singles action.

Despite his straight set victory, Youzhny confessed that his win was difficult.

“He started well and his serve was very good. He was hitting a lot of winners and it’s difficult to play against such opponents as you never know what they are going to do next.”

Saturday’s doubles action will feature Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi vs. Teimuraz Gabashvili and Kunitsyn.

Bopanna gave full praise to his doubles teammates, believing that they would gain a point on Saturday.

“These guys are on a 23-game unbeaten streak, so we know we can get that point and stay alive for Sunday’s reverse singles matches.

Czech Republic vs. Belgium

Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych gave defending finalists the Czech Republic a commanding 2-0 lead heading into Saturday’s doubles competition.

Stepanek, or “Steps” as he’s known on Tour, defeated Xavier Malisse 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3) in two hours and 16 minutes. Breaking serve on six occasions, Stepanek utilized his formidable serve and volley game to offset the rhythm of Malisse.

Berdych’s day on court was far easier than his teammate, routing Belgium’s No. 1 ranked player Oliver Rochus 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in two hours, 21 minutes earlier in the day.

Berdych overwhelmed his diminutive opponent with 11 aces and six breaks of serve. Improving to 14-8 in Davis Cup singles competition, Berdych will now have a day off on Saturday while Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek take on Steve Darcis and Oliver Rochus for a clean sweep of the weekend.

The Czech Republic lost to Spain in last year’s final.

Quotes courtesy of daviscup.com, and Associated Press.

Monfils Withdraws From Acapulco

Defending finalist Gael Monfils will skip next week’s Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico in order to prepare for France’s first-round Davis Cup tie in early March.

Monfils, who is participating as the No. 3 seed at the Open 13 in Marseille, France this week, will remain in his home country before hosting Germany in Toulon.

Losing to Nicolas Almagro in last year’s championship match in Acapulco, Monfils will lose 300 ATP World Tour points for his withdrawal.

Tournament Previews, and Day 1 Review: Memphis, Marseille, and Argentina

Week three of the North American and European hard-court swing continues to dominate the ATP World Tour, while Buenos Aries, Argentina will host the third consecutive tournament in South America.

February is usually a month of rest for the world’s best players, who recharge their bodies and mental focus for the upcoming Masters 1000 month in March. This week on Tour will feature three top 10 players participating throughout three respective events—two in Marseille and one in Memphis.

The Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis will feature top seed and defending champion Andy Roddick bidding for his third title at the 500 point ATP World Tour indoor event. Roddick will be joined by recent San Jose champion, No. 2 seed Fernando Verdasco, and defending finalist No. 3 seed Radek Stepanek. Losing to Verdasco in a three set final last week in California, Roddick will be keen on a potential finals rematch with the Spaniard.

No. 4 seed Tommy Haas will attempt to win his fourth title in Memphis this week (W-’07, 06, 99), while capturing his first title since Halle, Germany last year. Haas will battle good friend Xavier Malisse in first-round action. The German, who recently acquired American citizenship, holds a 28-8 record at the event.

Other notable players to watch out for in Memphis will include: No 6 seed John Isner, No. 8 seed Sam Querrey, and unseeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic.

The highlighted first-round match of the event will feature Roddick vs. Davis Cup teammate James Blake.

Off to Europe and the Open 13 in France. Recent Rotterdam champion Robin Soderling will head the 28-man field, which will feature 250 ATP World Tour points. Soderling not only recorded his first title of the year last week in The Netherlands, he also captured his first Tour win of the season by defeating Florent Serra in first-round action.

Seemingly through his January slump, Soderling will be joined in Marseille by No. 2 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, No. 3 seed Gael Monfils and No. 4 seed Tommy Robredo. Defending champion Tsonga, along with the other top four seeds will receive a first-round bye.

No. 5 seed Gilles Simon will make his first appearance of the year on Tour after sustaining a right knee injury from the US Open. The 2007 winner will battle tough Belgium player Oliver Rochus in first-round action.

A potential darkhorse in the event could see No. 7 seed Marcos Baghdatis continue his fine form on Tour. Baghdatis has won two title since November, while recording a 9-3 record on the season. Baghdatis was a losing finalist to Simon in 2007.

The final stop on Tour this week will take the ATP boys to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 32-man field at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club will boast four former champions, highlighted by the return of hometown hero David Nalbandian. Competing as an unseeded player this week, Nalbandian will see his first Tour level action since May of last year. Nalbandian will face Potito Starace in first-round action.

Other former champions in the draw will include: Carlos Moya (W-’06, 03, 95), Gaston Gaudio (W-’95), and Juan Monaco (W-’07).

Spaniard David Ferrer will lead the field this week as the tournament top seed, followed by No. 2 seed and recent Brazil champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 3 seed Nicolas Almagro, and No. 4 seed Monaco.

Other notables players in the draw will include: Richard Gasquet, recent Brazil finalist Lukasz Kubot, and No. 8 seed Horacio Zeballos.

Kubot and Monaco could provide the best first-round match of the event.

Defending champ Robredo opted to miss the clay-court swing this year in order to work on his hard-court skills. As mentioned, the Spaniard will be taking part in the Marseille event.

Let’s now take a look at Monday’s day one review.

Regions Morgan Keegan Championships—Memphis, USA

Monday’s light day of action in Memphis will feature three singles matches on the schedule.

Last year’s finalist Radek Stepanek will begin his march to another finals spot when he takes on under-the-radar Kevin Anderson of South Africa. The 6′7″ Anderson has had mediocre results on Tour thus far, after posting a successful college career. Anderson’s big serve could cause Stepanek some adversity, considering the Czech is not in top form. Stepanek was ousted from the first-round of San Jose last week after claiming the title a year ago.

Elsewhere, the American component will continue to reign supreme on day one action when No. 6 seed John Isner battles Ryan Harrison, and Taylor Dent faces Philipp Petzchner.

Isner began the year in scintillating form by winning the Auckland event and reaching the fourth-round at the Australian Open. Harrison, who continues to search for a breakthrough, remains a promising star for the United States.

Dent, who recently became a father, will attempt to fine-tune his groundstrokes against his German opponent. Holding a 2-4 record on the season, Dent is currently ranked No. 78 in the world.

Open 13—Marseille, France

Entertaining Cypriot and No. 7 seed Marcos Baghdatis will begin his Open 13 journey on Monday against Daniel Brands of Germany. Considering France his home away from home, Baghdatis has historically posted fine results in the  European country.

Brands’ towering serve may give Baghdatis trouble to begin the match, but the German’s suspect groundstrokes are not at the level of the No. 7 seed. Look for Baghdatis to gain momentum heading into next month’s Masters 1000 events.

French fans will have two players to root for on day one action when David Guez battles Mischa Zverev, and Igor Kunitsyn takes on Florent Serra.

Guez’s diminutive game may not have enough power to bother Zverev, while Serra appears the favorite ahead of his match with Kunitsyn. Serra was the only player last week to take a set off of Robin Soderling along his road to the title.

By contrast, Kunitysn has seen his ranking drop from No. 43 this time last year, to its current position of No. 90.

Copa Telmex—Buenos Aires, Argentina

Monday’s action in Argentina will feature the return of David Nalbandian. Sidelined for nearly a year with hip injuries, the former Wimbledon finalist will entertain fans against Italian Potito Starace. Nalbandian appears to be fitter than years past, and his willingness to compete at the highest level remains in tact.

The day’s remaining quality matches will feature:

No. 3 seed Nicolas Almagro vs. Daniel Gimeno-Traver, No. 8 seed Horacio Zeballos vs. Gaston Gaudio, No. 7 seed Victor Hanescu vs. Eduardo Schwank, and Peter Luczak vs. Frederico Gil.

Their will undoubtedly be a lot of hype around Nalbandian’s return.

For live-scoring of all the day’s matches, please check the TennisConnected livescores section, or Tourney Tracker on the home page. Talk soon.

Monfils Injuries Knee In Johannesburg

Top seed Gael Monfils aggravated a chronic knee injury while losing in three sets to Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1) on Saturday.

Suffering from a shoulder injury to begin the season, Monfils struggled with knee tendentious throughout last year.

Apparently, the flamboyant Frenchman forget to get his knee’s taped before taking the court. Monfils remains entered in next week’s Rotterdam event.

Day 6 Review: Johannesburg, Zagreb, and Santiago

SA Tennis Open—Johannesburg, South Africa

No. 8 seed Stephane Robert stunned No. 2 seed David Ferrer 7-5, 6-4 in the semifinals of the SA Tennis Open on Saturday.

Converting on four of five break-point opportunities throughout his straight-set victory, the 29-year-old Frenchman advanced to his first career ATP World Tour final. Previously winning one Tour-level match prior to 2010, Robert used his flat ground game and well placed serve to offset the rhythm of Ferrer.

Ferrer, who had lost at the same stage of the event last year to Jeremy Chardy, fell to 4-3 on the season. Losing to a player ranked 82 places lower than him the rankings will also not bode well for the Spaniard’s confidence. Robert is currently ranked No. 100 on the ATP World Tour.

In Sunday’s final, Robert will battle serve-and-volley Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. Lopez, who had not reached a final since Dubai in 2008, defeated top seed Gael Monfils in a barnburner semifinal clash.

Prevailing 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1), Lopez withstood 19 aces from Monfils during the one hour and 32 minute affair. Using his tricky slice backhand and stellar net play, Lopez captured two breaks of serve in the second set to seize momentum of the match. Although the third set would remain on serve, Lopez would be the benefactor of holding his service games in routine fashion.

The match-ending tiebreak was completely dominated by Lopez, who gained an early 1-0 mini-break lead and never looked back. Improving to 6-2 on the season, Lopez will be bidding for his second career title against Robert on Sunday. Never facing the Frenchman on Tour, Lopez will be the odds on favorite on Sunday.

Lopez remains 1-5 in ATP World Tour finals during his 13-year career.

PBZ Zagreb Indoors—Croatia

Top seed Marin Cilic will look to continue his stellar start to the 2010 season by advancing to his second straight final in Zagreb.

Attempting to improve his record to 12-1 on the year, Cilic will battle No. 3 seed Jurgen Melzer for a place in the semifinals. Melzer, who defeated Illya Marchenko in 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 on Friday, trails Cilic 3-1 in head-to-head meetings. Cilic prevailed in straight sets on Friday by ousting hard-serving compatriot Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (6), 6-4.

Recently moving into the top 10 for the first time in his career, Cilic began the season by winning in Chennai, India, and reaching the semifinals at the Australian Open. The lanky 6′6″ Monte Carlo resident will be the heavy favorite against Melzer.

The day’s second semifinal will feature Michael Berrer taking on Philipp Petzchner in a first career meeting. Both players will contest their first semifinal of the season on Saturday.

Berrer currently stands at 6-2 on the year, while Petzchner holds a 3-2 record on the season. Petzchner had lost his first two matches of the year coming into Zagreb. Berrer’s confidence and formidable serve should make the difference against his German countryman.

Movistar Open—Santiago, Chile

Chilean fans will be out in full force on Saturday to support their man Fernando Gonzalez in the day’s second semifinal match. Battling past consistent Spaniard Marcel Granollers 7-6 (8), 7-6 (9) on Friday, Gonzalez kept his hopes alive of capturing his fifth title on home soil.

Having not lost a set in the event thus far, Gonzalez will battle No. 3 seed Thomaz Bellucci for a place in Sunday’s final. Bellucci, who is widely known as a dangerous clay-court player, defeated Eduardo Schwank 6-4, 6-4 on Friday. Bidding to reach his second Tour-level final after capturing his first in Gstaad last summer, Bellucci could provide Gonzalez with a stern test.

The day’s first semifinal will feature Mr. Principality Juan Monaco taking on Brazilian qualifier Joao Souza for the first time. Defeating Peter Luczak in three sets on Friday, Monaco improved his year-to-date record to 6-2. Using a well constructed blend of topspin serves and well-placed backhands, Monaco will be tough opponent for the first time Tour semifinalist Souza. Capturing the first ATP World Tour main draw win of his career in Santiago, Souza will be the significant underdog against Monaco.

As always, please check the TennisConnected live scores section for up to the second scoring of all the day’s matches. Talk soon.

Day Five Review: Johannesburg, Zagreb, and Santiago

SA Tennis Open—Johannesburg, South Africa

Second seed David Ferrer raced into the semifinals of the SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg on Friday, defeating Somdev Devarrman 6-1, 6-3.

Ferrer, who made the semifinals in first trip to the event last year, dominated the one hour and six minute contest with his two-handed backhand. Striking four aces while winning 80 percent of his first-serve points, Ferrer improved to 4-2 on the year. The former world No. 4 and tournament No. 2 seed will next meet No. 8 seed Stephane Robert.

The unheralded Frenchman ended the surprising run of Jamaican player Dustin Brown, defeating the world No. 141 7-6 (5), 6-3. Robert, who came into the event ranked No. 100, will face Ferrer for the first time. Brown had entered the quarterfinals as the first Jamaican player to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP World Tour event since 1989.

Robert, who recently entered the top 100 in world, won his fifth match of the season.

Elsewhere, high-flying Spaniard Feliciano Lopez advanced to his first semifinal of the year by defeating Rajeev Ram 7-6 (3), 6-3. Capturing the lone break of the match in the second set, Lopez prevailed in the servers’ duel in one hour and 35 minutes. Both players had 12 aces.

The final match of the day will feature top seed Gael Monfils against Yen-Hsun Lu. Monfils, who is currently ranked No. 13 in the world, remains adamant on rejoining the world’s top 10. Not losing a set in the event thus far, the 23-year-old Paris native will be the strong favorite heading into his clash with Lu.

PBZ Zagreb Indoors—Croatia

No. 4 seed Viktor Troicki suffered a shocking defeat on Friday in Zagreb, falling to world No. 65 Michael Berrer 6-4, 6-3.

Possessing on of the hardest serves on the circuit, Troicki quickly found the tricky serve of his strong opponent the day’s major concern. Winning 84 percent of his first serve points, Berrer broke the serve of Troicki on two occasions, while saving the lone break point chance on his serve. Serving out the match after one hour and 23 minutes, Berrer improved to 6-3 on the year. Reaching his first semifinal since 2007 (Kremlin Cup), Berrer will next face countryman Philipp Petzchner.

Petzchner won a slightly more complicated affair earlier in the day over Lucas Lacko 6-7 (1), 6-2, 6-2. Striking 11 aces while winning 76 percent of his first serve points, Petzchner used his risky return-of-serve skills to break Lacko on six of 12 occasions.

Reaching his first Tour-level semifinal since winning in Vienna, Austria in 2008, Petzchner improved to 3-2 on the year. The German had started the year 0-2.

Matches that are still to come on day five action will include:

No. 1 seed Marin Cilic taking on hard-serving countryman Ivo Karlovic, and No. 3 seed Jurgen Melzer facing Illya Marchenko.

Movistar Open—Santiago, Chile

Day five action in Santiago will feature three potential French Open darkhorses in action.

First up, No. 1 seed Fernando Gonzalez will battle clay-court comfortable Marcel Granollers for a place in Saturday’s semifinals. Gonzalez, who owns four titles in his home event, has not dropped a set all week. Granollers, who won his lone career title in Houston in 2008, defeated Robin Soderling in the first-round of the Australian Open.

No. 2 seed Juan Monaco will also be in action on Friday, taking on veteran Australian Peter Luczak. Monaco has always possessed a great game on the dirt, but has never advanced deep at any major clay-court tournament. Could this be his year?

The final two matches of the day will feature:

No. 3 seed Thomaz Bellucci, who is another player to watchout for on clay, taking on Eduardo Schwank of Argentina. Schwank career highlights have included making the third-round of the 2008 French Open, while briefly hosting a top 50 ranking in Feb. 2009.

Bellucci has improved his ranking every season, currently standing at No. 35. His career highlights include winning his maiden ATP World Tour title in Gstaad in 2009.

Spanish veteran Alberto Martin will also be on the schedule on Friday, taking on Brazilian Joao Souza. Martin currently holds the No. 129 position in the world, while Souza is ranked No. 208.

As always, please check TennisConnected’s live score section located on the top menu for live results of today’s matches. Talk soon.

Day 4 Review: Johannesburg, Zagreb, and Santiago

SA Tennis Open—Johannesburg, South Africa

Last year’s semifinalist David Ferrer advanced to the quarterfinals in South Africa on Thursday, defeating Filip Prpic 6-3, 6-4.

Hitting three aces while breaking the serve of his opponent on three occasions, Ferrer improved his record on the season to 3-2. The former world No. 4 had this to say after his win.

“I played well in the second set, but did struggle on my serve as I was a little nervous,” said Ferrer. “It isn’t easy to play here. I was fortunate to win before the rain arrived. I am happy to relax now. The club and hotel is close by, so that helps the players relax.”

Ferrer will be forced to continue his high first serve percentage in the quarterfinals when he battles former NCAA champion Somdev Devverman.

Devverman was sensational during his second-round match victory over Thiago Alves 6-4, 6-1. The 67-minute affair featured six aces by Devvarman to go along with 81 percent of his first serve points won and three breaks of serve.

The 24-year-old, who currently stands at the No. 162 rank in the world had this to say after his win.

“I really like playing here, my opponent was not as healthy as he wanted to be, but even then I played a good match and am happy to pull through,” said Devvarman. “He admitted it was jetlag and that he had not slept until 6 a.m. this morning. The tiredness seemed to hit him towards the end of the first set. I’m really excited to be playing another match.”

Elsewhere, Yen-Hsun Lu ousted Raven Klaasen 6-4, 7-5. Lu will await the winner of the day’s final match between top seed Gael Monfils and unseeded Frenchman Josselin Ouanna.

PBZ Zagreb Indoors—Croatia

Recent top 10 entree and top seed Marin Cilic made quick work of his second straight opponent in Zagreb this week, dismissing Daniel Koellerer 6-2, 6-1.

Needing a mere 61-minutes to oust Koellerer, Cilic won 93 percent of his first serve points (25-27), while placing 12 aces past his opponent.

The lanky 21-year-old will next face Ivo Karlovic or Alexandre Sidorenko in the quarterfinals.

Elsewhere, 2006 champion and two-time runner-up Ivan Ljubicic was ousted from the event by Lukas Lacko 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-6(5) in two hours and 39 minutes. Withstanding 18 aces from Ljubicic, Lacko pounded 12 aces of his own to defeat the No. 2 seed.

Lacko will next face Philipp Petzchner, who went the distance to defeat Benjamin Becker 1-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(6). Petzchner won 75 percent of his first serve points to capture his second win of the season. The German had arrived in Croatia winless on the year.

The final result of the day saw Michael Berrer dash the hopes of local favorite Petar Jelenic. Defeating the 22-year-old 6-4, 6-3, Berrer captured his fifth win of the season. Jelenic, who is currently ranked No. 544 in the world, was playing in his first main Tour match of the season.

Movistar Open—Santiago, Chile

No. 2 seed Juan Monaco will look to follow the lead of top seed Fernando Gonzalez by reaching the quarterfinal stage of the Movistar Open on Thursday.

Facing Juan Ignacio Chela in second-round action, Monaco will look to capture his fifth win of the season. Holding a great game for clay-courts, the 25-year-old Tandil native will have to add some variety to his game if he’s to challenge for the bigger titles on the dirt.

Top seed Gonzalez will next see action on Friday in Chile. The four-time champion destroyed his second straight opponent in the event on Wednesday, defeating Oscar Hernandez 6-2, 6-1. Gonzalez had this to say after his victory.

“I think I played a better match today,” said Gonzalez, who is now unbeaten in 11 straight matches at Chile’s ATP World Tour 250 tournament. “Yesterday the points were shorter and today I had to work harder for them.”

Other matches on day four action in Santiago will include:

No. 3 seed Thomaz Bellucci vs. Paul Capdeville, Eduardo Schwank vs. No. 6 seed Jose Acasuso, and Peter Luczak vs. David Marrero.

As always, please check TennisConnected’s live score section for up to the second results on all the day’s matches. Talk soon.

Day 2 Review: Johannesburg, Zagreb, and Santiago

SA Tennis Open—Johannesburg, South Africa

Top seed Gael Monfils will begin his title campaign in South Africa on Tuesday, facing tour veteran Dominik Hrbaty.

Hrbaty, who contemplated retirement in 2008, continues to battle away on tour as a 32-year-old. Holding a 2-2 career head-to-head record with Monfils, Hrbaty will be the heavy underdog going in.

Elsewhere, No. 3 seed Feliciano Lopez was made to work in his first round win over qualifier Benjamin Ballerat. Defeating the Monaco native, 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3, Lopez will next face Blaz Kavcic in second round action.

Striking four aces and winning 85 percent of his first serve points, Lopez captured his third win of the season.

“It was a really hot day and I found it difficult to keep up the intensity,” Lopez said. “I was really feeling tired and three double-faults and a few loose shots cost me the second-set tiebreaker. Still, I fought back in the third set when I served well.”

Joesslin Ouanna defeated Harel Levy 7-6 (4), 6-2; Dustin Brown from Jamaica captured the biggest win of his career by ousting No. 4 seed Marco Chiudinelli 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Somdev Devvarman defeated No. 6 seed Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-2; No. 7 seed Yen-Hsun Lu breezed past Jarrko Nieminen 6-3, 6-2; Izak Van Der Merwe delighted the hometown crowd by dismissing Noam Okun 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2); Raven Klassen defeated David Guez 6-4, 6-3; Bjorn Phau defeated Fritz Wolmarans 6-4, 7-5, and Filip Prpic ousted Ivan Navarro 6-3, 7-5.

Matches that are still to come on Tuesday will feature:

No. 2 seed David Ferrer vs. Karol Beck, and Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. vs. Thiago Alves. Watch out for the youngster Dolgopolov Jr. He’s a heavy hitter from the Ukraine, who possesses a monster serve and powerful forehand.

PBZ Zagreb Indoors—Croatia

Day 2 action in Zagreb began with big-serving German Benjamin Becker winning his first-ever match in Croatia over Andreas Vinciguerra 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4).

Centering his game around his first serve, Becker pounded 13 aces and won 75 percent of his first serve points during the one hour and 45 minute match. Improving to 4-3 on the season, Becker will next face Philipp Petzchner, who defeated Christophe Rochus 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1. Petzchner fired 21 aces during his two hour and one minute victory.

Elsewhere, Lukas Lacko progressed to the second round when his opponent Denis Istomin retired with a right hamstring injury. Istomin was trailing 6-2, 2-2 when he called for the trainer.

Daniel Koellerer fought past 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, and Petar Jelenic won a tight affair against IIija Bozoljac 7-6 (8), 7-5.

Matches that are still to come on Tuesday will include:

No. 5 seed Janko Tipsarevic vs. Michael Berrer, and Alexandre Sidorenko vs. Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium.

Movistar Open—Santiago, Chile

A late scheduled start at the Movistar Open has resulted in no completed matches thus far.

When play begins on center court, the hometown crowd will be treated hero and four-time champion Fernando Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is making his 10th appearance on homesoil and will face clay court specialist Oscar Hernandez in his first match. Holding a 1-0 head-to-head lead over Hernandez, Gonzalez will be vying for his 12th career title this week.

A full schedule of play on Tuesday will feature the following matches:

No. 3 seed Thomaz Bellucci vs. Nicolas Lapentii, Ricardo Mello vs. No. 4 seed Pablo Cuevas, No. 4 seed Horacio Zeballos vs. Lukasz Kubot, No. 6 seed Jose Acasuso vs. Hans Podlipnik-Castillo, No. 7 seed Simon Greul vs. Joao Souza, Eduardo Schwank vs. Paolo Lorenzi, Santiago Ventura vs. Pere Riba, Paul Capdeville vs. Cristobal Saavedra-Corvalan, David Marrero vs. Juan-Martin Aranguren, and Victor Crivoi vs. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo or Spain.

As always, please check out our live score section located on the menu options for up to the minute scoring of all the day’s results. Talk soon.

Video: Monfils Fancy Soccer Footwork

Here is a short video of the ultra-athletic Frenchman Gael Monfils at the Soccer City stadium in Soweto on Monday. The stadium will house the World Cup later on this summer and Monfils was showing off some off his fancy footwork off the tennis court.

Le Monf is the No.1 seed going into the event in South Africa this week.

Preview and Day 1 Review for Johannesburg, Zagreb, and Santiago

With the year’s first Major ending on Sunday, the world’s best players will continue their global trek throughout the three tournaments this week.

First up on Tour, the second SA Open will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, featuring Gael Monfils and David Ferrer as the tournament’s top two seeds. Defending champ Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will not be taking part in the event.

Next up, Marin Cilic will attempt to defend his title in Zagreb, Croatia, against a field which includes Ivan Ljubicic and Viktor Troicki. Cilic, who made the semifinals in Australia, recently broke into the top 10 this week. That lanky Croat will be joined by fellow Davis Cup players, Ljubicic and Ivo Karlovic.

The final event of the week will feature Chilean sensation Fernando Gonzalez bidding for his fifth title in his hometown of Santiago, Chile. The defending champ will have to fend off a slew of clay-courters which will feature: Juan Monaco, Potito Starace and Thomaz Bellucci.

Let’s now take a look at Monday’s first round action.

SA Tennis Open—Johannesburg, South Africa

Monday’s schedule of play at the SA Open was severely hampered by continuing torrential rain. First-round qualifying matches have not been completed, leaving tournament organizers with the daunting challenge of bringing the draw up to speed. When, and if the rain lets up on Monday, hometown favorite Rik de Voest will battle No. 5 seed Rajeev Ram, No. 8 seed Stephane Robert will face Brendan Evans, Steve Darcis vs. Laurent Recouderc, and Blaz Kavcic will take on Thierry Asicone.

Top seed Gael Monfils, who is making his first trip to South Africa, visited Nelson Mandela’s house during the pre-tournament festivities. The 23-year-old Paris native was moved by the experience.

“Tennis is a sport, but this is history,” said Monfils. I do like the Nelson Mandela story and what he came from and what he made, so for me it was one of my biggest experiences in my small life, and I wish maybe one day I will come back with my parents to show them exactly this, because this is very good.”

Monfils will play Domink Hrbaty in first-round action.

PBZ Zagreb Indoors—Croatia

Unorthodox left-hander Jurgen Melzer stormed into the second-round on Monday in Zagreb, defeating Daniel Brands in a servers duel 6-3, 6-3. Both men pounded seven aces, but it was Melzer’s better return game that allowed for a straight-set victory. Melzer will next face Oliver Rochus in round two after the diminutive Belgium defeated Igor Kunitsyn 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Elsewhere, No. 4 seed Viktor Troicki defeated Rainer Schuettler 6-3, 6-3, Ivan Dodig ousted No. 8 seed Evgeny Korolev 7-6 (9), 6-4, Illya Marchenko breezed past Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-4, and Mikhail Kukushkin defeated Mischa Zverev 6-4, 6-3.

Tuesday’s action in Zargreb will feature: Janko Tipsarevic vs. Michael Berrer, and Benjamin Becker vs. Andreas Vinciguerra.

Movistar Open—Santiago, Chile

A late start to Monday’s order of play will feature five singles matches taking place during the first day of the four-week South American clay-court swing.

Olympic hero Nicolas Massu will have a tough assignment against No. 2 seed Juan Monaco, while No. 8 seed Potito Starace battles Peter Luczak of Australia.

Massu, who has dropped to No. 98 in the world, made the finals in his home event in 2006, and 2007.

Elsewhere, Marcos Daniel will take on Alberto Martin, Martin Vassallo Arguello will battle Marcel Granollers, and Jorge Aguilar will face Juan Ignacio Chela.

Next Page »