Haas, Del Potro and Murray All Advance at ABN AMRO in Rotterdam

February 13, 2014 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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Tommy Haas needed nearly three hours to defeat Fernando Verdasco on Wednesday, 6-7(4), 7-6(1), 7-5, in opening round action at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. Haas will meet Jerzy Janowicz in the second round.

“It’s even better winning a round when you are making your debut at a tournament,” said Haas. “It was a tough match. I had a couple of chances in the first set, up a break and then in the tie-break. I felt I got a little unlucky, when he took it. I did well to recover a break in the third set, so I am pleased that I stayed with him.”

Top-seeded Juan Martin del Potro defeated Gael Monfils to reach the second round with a 7-6(6), 6-3 win. Del Potro will next face French veteran Paul-Henri Mathieu in the second round.

"My left wrist is getting better," del Potro said. "It's improving day by day. I think I played 50 percent slices. For the next match I will try to play more my regular backhand. I don't feel pain at the moment, which is good. I will do my treatment now and hopefully be better for tomorrow."

Also advancing was the number two seed, Andy Murray, with a 6-3, 6-3 first-round win over Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Murray hit 29 winners to 19 unforced errors to set a meeting with 20-year-old Austrian Dominic Thiem.

Fourth-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet rallied from a set down to beat Dutchman Thiemmo de Bakker 6-7(5), 7-6(2), 6-3. A finalist last week in Montpellier, Gasquet is now 8-3 on the year and will next meet German Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Marin Cilic was an upset winner over the fifth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.

Nicolas Mahut hit 13 aces past lucky loser Daniel Brands, losing just three of his first service points in a 7-5, 6-3 victory to set up an encounter with the third-seeded Tomas Berdych.


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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