Juan Carlos Ferrero, Feliciano Lopez proceed to the second round of Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell
Juan Carlos Ferrero defeats Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-2
Former world number 1, Spanish Juan Carlos Ferrero made a winning comeback to the Association of Tennis Players (ATP) World Tour as he cruised past world number 47 Xavier Malisse of Belgium in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 in the opening round at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Tuesday.
The Spaniard is playing his first tournament after the 2010 US Open, where he lost to Jurgen Melzer in the third round. The 31-year-old had undergone right wrist and left knee surgeries to get rid of his injuries in October last year.
Ferrero broke his Belgian opponent in the seventh game of the first set, winning it 6-4. The Spaniard fired 79 percent of the first serves, converting 65 percent of them into points in the opening set. The clay court specialist converted two of the four break points he received in the first set.
The Spaniard thrashed his opponent in the second set as he broke the Belgian twice to win the second set 6-2. Ferrero delivered two aces and 76 percent of the first serves in the second set. The right-handed saved both break points he faced in the second set.
Ferrero will take on world number 105 Mischa Zverev of Germany in the second round.
Feliciano Lopez beats Mikhail Kukushkin 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-4
Spaniard Feliciano Lopez joined his compatriot Ferrero in the second round as he battled past world number 65 Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in three sets 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-4 in another opening round match. It took Lopez two hours and 27 minutes to undo his opponent in a tough contest.
Lopez thrashed Kukushkin in the opening set, breaking him twice to win the set 6-2. The Spaniard served brilliantly as he fired five aces and 76 percent of the first serves in the opening set. Lopez did not face any break point in the first set. The Spaniard capitalized on two of the three break points he received in the opening set.
In the second set, Lopez and Kukushkin broke each other twice in the first twelve games, taking the set to a tie-break. Kukushkin hit a forehand winner to claim a mini-break late in the tie-break, winning it 9-7. The Kazakh managed to save 13 of the 15 break points he faced in the second set.
Lopez needed a single break of serve in the deciding set to clinch it 6-4. The Spaniard delivered 40 percent of the first serves and won an incredible 90 percent of the points on them in the final set.
The 29-year-old will play his compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the second round.
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