IRVING, March 19, 2015
All of the three top seeds were in action on Wednesday for their first round matches at Irving Tennis Classic. Although there were a couple of rain delays throughout the day, all singles matches were played.
The tournament’s number one, Jeremy Chardy, who entered the draw through a wild card, just arrived from Indian Wells, where he lost his second round encounter to Donald Young. The world number 34 from France was more successful in Irving’s night session match beating Italian qualifier Marco Cecchinato 6-3, 6-2 in only 52 minutes without facing a break point.
Second seed Gilles Muller also advanced to the second round as he defeated Spaniard Pablo Andújar winning 7-6, 6-4 in one hour and 35 minutes in their very first Tour meeting.
Third seed Benjamin Becker, who lost in the opening round in Indian Wells to Tim Smyczk, showed a solid performance against Farrukh Dustov. The 28-year-old Uzbek, actually in pretty good shape, cracking the top 100 for the first time after he had captured the ATP Challenger title in Wroclaw in February, was without any chance. Becker, an alum from Baylor University in Texas, won 86% of his first service points, saved the only break point he had to face and eventually sealed victory in 63 minutes winning 6-3, 6-2.
Farrukh Dostov lost his opening encounter in Irving (photo: Tessa Kolodny)
Benjamin Becker captured the NCAA singles title in 2004 (photo: Tessa Kolodny)
Current Baylor student Johannes Schretter from Austria lost his first round encounter to Damir Dzumhur 1-6, 0-6 in only 46 minutes. The 20-year-old Styrian, however, will remember the tournament with happy memories, as he had suffered from mononucleosis before he qualified in Irving for his very first ATP Challenger main draw match.
Two youngsters made it to the next round when 20-year-old Kyle Edmund, who battled through the qualifying, took out Tobias Kamke winning 6-4, 6-4 in 85 minutes. The Brit took revenge for his straight sets defeat to the German in Marseille earlier this year.
Kyle Edmund took the ATP Challenger title in Hong Kong earlier this year (photo: Tessa Kolodny)
Tobias Kamke won only 38% of his first Service Points (photo: Tessa Kolodny)
Only 17-year-old Alexander Zverev, who finished as youngest player inside the top 150 last year, fired ten aces to beat US-American qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo in one of the longest matches on Wednesday winning 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in one hour and 43 minutes. It was the first victory for the German teenager in a main draw match this year.
Alexander Zverev advanced to second round in Irving (photo: Tessa Kolodny)
The longest encounter of the day took place between sixth seed Jerzy Janowicz and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. The Polish world number 51 emerged victorious in one hour and 52 minutes winning 7-6, 1-6, 6-2.
