As the opening match, spectators at the Nice Open were treated to quite a show! The match featured Adrian Mannarino, the top French player of the tournament and ranked 54th in the world, against Somdev Devvarman, the Indian player ranked 68th. The Frenchman managed to get the better of his opponent with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (7).
The match began slowly. Adrian Mannarino dominated his game but couldn’t show it on the scoreboard. Somdev Devvarman defended his ground to perfection. Moving from tie to tie, the players were at a standstill, unable to pull ahead. At 4-3, Adrian got several break points. The fifth was converted. With a follow-up serve, the first set was quickly concluded at 6-3.
The second set started off with a bang! The player from Soisy-sous-Montmorency continued his momentum from the first set. He broke serve in the very first game. The Indian player was overwhelmed and soon found himself trailing 4-1. He woke up and took control of his fate, coming back to tie at 4-4. Time passed, and the ties continued, leading up to a decisive game.
Devvarman pushed his defensive play to its peak and managed to thwart the Frenchman’s attacks. Trailing 4 points to 2, Adrian Mannarino then ramped up his offensive play. He was able to win the set and the match.
Other results of the day include Alexandr Dolgopolov’s victory, 7-5, 6-3, against Filippo Volandri. Benoît Paire, who defeated Benjamin Balleret (7-6, 5-7, 6-0), and Guillaume Rufin, who won against Nicolas Renavand (6-2, 6-1), completed the final draw. They will face Victor Hanescu and Pere Riba, respectively, tomorrow.
