The top stars of tennis gather at the Nice Open today! David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Nicolas Almagro, and also our last two French players: Julien Benneteau and Adrian Mannarino. They faced Pablo Andujar and Tomas Berdych, respectively. Against such formidable opponents, the French players were no match!
The day starts well for the Spaniards! Nicolas Almagro, ranked 12th in the world, triumphs over Carlos Berlocq, ranked 68th. It was not a foregone conclusion! The Spaniard, struggling against the Argentine, like during the drop shot at the end of the first set, managed to turn things around at the start of the second set. He ultimately wins in three sets 6-7 6-4 6-3.
Continuing the positive momentum, David Ferrer, ranked 7th in the world, easily wins his match against Italian Andreas Seppi, ranked 51st, with a score of 6-3 6-2. He claims to feel very good in both the tournament and the city, where he particularly enjoys the atmosphere.
Disappointing Day
As for the French players, they did not last long. Julien Benneteau was the first. Up against Pablo Andujar, he was never able to resist. Throughout the match, he lacked solutions, committed far too many unforced errors, and played too defensively. Don’t they say that the best defense is a good offense? Clearly, the Frenchman is not yet able to apply this saying. With Roland Garros in sight, training is his only chance for success. As for Pablo Andujar, one thing is certain: he handles the forehand/backhand perfectly. His shot depth and accuracy greatly aided him. He deservedly wins the match, with a logical score of 6-3 6-4.
Adrian Mannarino, ranked 53rd in the world, concludes this disappointing day for the French side. Facing Tomas Berdych, ranked 6th in the world, he was dominated in every aspect of the game. Whether serving or returning, he struggled to score points. He loses the first set 6-1.
The second set offers a glimmer of hope for the spectators. Tomas Berdych lowers his level of play by making more errors. Meanwhile, the Frenchman starts to believe. He wins most of his service games. Unfortunately, he cannot keep the ball in the court. Errors during crucial points cost him the match. He eventually loses 6-1 6-4.
Other results of the day:
Alexandr Dolgopolov – Pere Riba: 7-6 (5) 7-6 (5).
Robin Haase – Sergiy Stakhovsky: 6-2 6-4.
Victor Hanescu – Michaël Russell: 7-5 6-2.
Ernests Gulbis – Denis Istomin: 6-3 4-6 6-3.
Scheduled for tomorrow:
Center Court:
At 11 am: Victor Hanescu – Robin Haase.
Not before 12:50 pm: Pablo Andujar – Nicolas Almagro followed by David Ferrer – Alexandr Dolgopolov.
Not before 5:50 pm: Ernests Gulbis – Tomas Berdych.
Court 1:
At 12 pm: Arnaud Clément/Adrian Mannarino – Frantisek Cermak/Filip Polasek.
Not before 4 pm: Marcelo Melo/Bruno Soares – Santiago Gonzales/David Marrero.
