2011 Australian Open: Gael Monfils moves into the second round alongside Lukasz Kubot and Kei Nishikori
The first Grand Slam of the tennis calendar kicks off in Melbourne today as players hit Melbourne Park for the Australian Open 2011. With some of the first round matches
already completed, we already see pros progressing in the draw.
Winning his first round match at the Hisense Arena, French icon Gael Monfils progressed into the second round of the event. Although the Frenchman has not played on the
ATP Tour this year, he comes from the exhibition event at Kooyong where he enjoyed a final run after doing away with defending champion Fernando Verdasco in the first round and then Jurgen Melzer in the semis. However, he failed to clinch the championship,
losing to local Lleyton Hewitt.
Seeded twelfth in the main draw of the Grand Slam, Monfils drew against world number forty, Dutch Thiemo de Bakker. Given the disparity in the ranking, it came as much surprise
when resistance from the Dutch forced the match into five sets.
Opening serve, Monfils clinched the first game though he had de Bakker following closely at his heels. In a neck to neck run, de Bakker forced the first set into a tiebreaker
ultimately winning it 7-5 after much effort. Coming into the second set, de Bakker maintained his form and rushed into the lead securing a comfortable 6-2 victory. Going into the third set, de Bakker enjoyed a 2-0 set score and needed to win only one more
set to progress forward. However, determined to make it through to the next round, Monfils bounced back after surviving a 5-4 scare in the third set. Winning three successive games Monfils bagged the third set 7-5. The Frenchman had finally regained his form
and managed to overpower his opponent to dominate the courts. Enjoying a 6-2 victory in the fourth set, Monfils tied the set score 2-2 bringing the match down to the deciding fifth set. Maintaining his dominance on the court, Monfils sailed into the lead and
without allowing the Dutch room to recover, secured a breadstick win.
Monfils moves into the second round where he will face either Frederico Gil or Pablo Cuevas.
Joining Monfils in the second round is the rising Japanese star Kei Nishikori. Coming from a quarterfinal run at the 2011 Aircel Chennai Open, Nishikori started the year
on the highest note, ousting defending champion Marin Cilic at the event.
Unseeded at the Grand Slam, Nishikori drew against Italian Fabio Fognini. Although the Italian ranks much higher in the world, Nishikori managed to oust the former with
a loss of only one set. Securing a breadstick win in the first set, Nishikori managed to go 2-0 in the set score with a 6-4 win in the second set. Facing resistance from the Italian in the third set, Nishikori lost his chance at a straight set victory losing
the third set tiebreaker 4-7. Bouncing back in the fourth set, Nishikori obtained a 6-4 victory to move ahead in the event.
Nishikori moves ahead to meet either twenty third seed Nikolay Davydenko or Florian Mayer.
Also moving ahead in the event was the Pole, Lukasz Kubot. After a hard fought battle with eighteenth seed Sam Querry, Kubot prevailed 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6. Ousting the
seed Kubot moves ahead and will now face Sergiy Stakhovsky in the second round.
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