DPA/Barcelona
Kei Nishikori began his clay season a week late yesterday as the defending champion defeated Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the third round at the Barcelona Open.
World number five Nishikori skipped last week’s European start in Monte Carlo - traditional first step to Roland Garros - remaining at his Florida base until the last minute. “It’s always tough to play for me in Monte Carlo and it’s hard for the body to play five tournaments in a row,” said Nishikori. “I don’t have any place in Europe where I could relax and decided not to play this year in Monte Carlo. The goal is to prepare and play well at Roland Garros.”
The top seed’s work ethic in Barcelona was in evidence in his 68-minute win; he will now wait for an opponent from Joao Sousa and Colombian 15th seed Santiago Giraldo. Sousa beat Kenny de Schepper 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Nishikori is playing Barcelona for a fifth years, standing 11-3 at the venue. The US Open finalist improved to 22-5 this season, with a trophy in Memphis. “I’m really motivated; this is one of my favorite tournaments. I love Spain, am really happy to come here after such a great week last year,” he said. “It’s my first clay of the season and it’s not going to be easy, but I have been playing well,”
World junior champion Andrey Rublev of Russia knocked uot 2010 champion Fernando Verdasco of Spain 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in the opening round. The 31-year-old Verdasco, who won the title five years ago at the Real Club de Tenis and played a semi-final in 2012, went down in 97 minutes to the 17-year-old who won the Roland Garros junior title in 2014.
Rublev, ranked 329, and cramping at the end, needed six match points to go through to a match against Italian 13th seed Fabio Fognini. The contest was the first on clay at the ATP level for Rublev.
The 37th-ranked Verdasco was playing Barcelona for the 11th year in succession. He lost with 31 winners and 36 unforced errors compared to 22 and 21 for the young winner. Victor Estrella Burgos defeated Dominic Thiem 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), leaving the Austrian standing 0-2 on clay after his opening loss of the pre-Roland Garros season in Monte Carlo. Turk Marsel Ilhan dispatched British qualifier James Ward 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 6-1. Spaniard Albert Montanes overcame Richard Berankis 1-6, 6-4, 7-5; Argentine Juan Monaco beat Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia 7-5, 6-1.
Kei Nishikori in action at the Barcelona Open
