ATP Doha: Tomas Berdych, Andrey Rublev and Fernando Verdasco reach R2
The world no. 68 Andrey Rublev is off to a great start of the new season, ousting Andreas Seppi 7-5, 6-1 in an hour and 15 minutes for the best possible start of the event where he played in the final 12 months ago. Serving at only 51%, the young Russian blasted 10 aces and saving three out of five break points and winning half of the return points to seal the deal in straight sets after a challenging opening set. The Italian drew first blood in the fifth game when Rublev netted a backhand but he stayed in front only for a few minutes, losing serve in the very next game to keep Andrey in contention.
The youngster had to dig deep in the seventh game before he repelled two break points and Seppi did the same next time he served for a 4-4, breaking Rublev for the second time in the ninth game to move a game away from the opening set. He had a set point on own serve after saving three break points but it wasn't to be for him, netting a forehand to drop serve and give Andrey the second chance for a positive result. The Russian needed no second invitation, holding at love in game 11 with an ace and stealing Andreas' serve with a break at love for a 7-5 after 52 minutes.
Carried by this momentum, Rublev sailed through his service games in set number two and Seppi couldn't follow that pace, blasting a backhand cross court winner in game two to forge a handful lead. A return winner gave Rublev another break in game four and he sealed the deal with three winners in game seven to secure the place in the second round and set the Nikoloz Basilashvili clash. The 33-year-old Tomas Berdych played in the final in Doha in 2015 and he chooses this tournament to make a comeback, playing for the first time since June and Queen's before he missed the rest of the season due to a back injury.
In his 11th match against Philipp Kohlschreiber, Tomas grabbed the ninth win after a 6-4, 7-6 triumph in an hour and 42 minutes, winning six points more than the German and facing just two break points in the entire match. Philipp broke him once but that wasn't enough for at least a set, losing the edge in the closing stages of both sets to suffer the fourth loss in the last five matches. Berdych had to play from a break down right from the start after a backhand error, finding the rhythm after that and erasing the deficit in the sixth game after a volley winner that gave him the confidence before the rest of the encounter.
Serving to stay in the set at 4-5, Kohlschreiber netted a forehand to give his serve away for the second time and Tomas was on a good course to score the first win in half a year. Both players saved one break point in set number two to reach the tie break and Berdych won it 7-5 with three mini-breaks, clinching the win with a service winner to set an interesting duel against Fernando Verdasco. A qualifier Maximilian Marterer played on a very high level in an all-German clash against Peter Gojowczyk, notching a 6-1, 6-4 win in just 55 minutes for the rock solid start of the year.
Serving at 71%, Maximilian controlled the pace in his games and he saved both break points he faced to keep the pressure on Peter who failed to match those numbers, losing serve three times from seven chances he offered to Marterer to hit the exit door in less than an hour. Maximilian was the dominant figure on the court in the opening set, securing breaks in games two and six for a 6-1 in just 20 minutes. Peter stayed in touch in set number two and he even had a chance to move ahead in game eight when he created two break points. Marterer stayed focused to repel them, earning a break in the game that followed and crossing the finish line with a hold at love in game 10 to reach the last 16.
First round results:
Andrey Rublev (RUS) vs Andreas Seppi (ITA) 7-5 6-1 [5]Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) vs Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) 6-1 1-6 6-1 Nicolas Jarry (CHI) vs Robin Haase (NED) 6-7(7) 6-4 7-6(4) [7]Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) vs Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 6-1 6-4 [8]Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs [LL]Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3 6-4 [WC]Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4 7-6(5) [Q]Maximilian Marterer (GER) vs Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 6-1 6-4
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2ApClCl
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