Kei Nishikori, Pere Riba through to the second round qualifier of
Internazionali BNL d'Italia
Kei Nishikori defeats Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 7-6
World number 46 Kei Nishikori of Japan prevailed over world number 82 Maximo Gonzalez of Argentina in straight sets 6-3, 7-5 in the opening round of the qualifying draw at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome on Saturday. Nishikori
took an hour and 46 minutes to beat his opponent.
Gonzalez took the lead at the start of the first set as he broke Nishikori in the opening game and held his serve in the next game to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Japanese fought back and broke the Argentinean in the sixth game
to tie the score at 3-3. After that, Nishikori clinched three games in a row to claim the set 6-3. The right-handed hit two aces and 82 percent of the first serves in the opening set.
Nishikori was broken in the second game of the second set, trailing 0-2. But, the Japanese responded quickly as he broke back immediately and held his next service game to tie the score at 2-2. The 21-year-old broke again in the
11thgame and served out the set at 6-5.
The Japanese will be meeting either Federico Del Bonis of Argentina or Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili in the second round.
Pere Riba beats Alessio Di Mauro 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
Spaniard Pere Riba came back from one set down to battle past Alessio Di Mauro of Italy in three sets 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 into the second round.
Riba was outclassed by Di Mauro in the first set, getting broken twice and losing the set 2-6. The Spaniard delivered 58 percent of the first serves in the opening set.
The right handed needed a single break of serve in the second set to win it 6-3. Riba hit 60 percent of the first serves in the second set.
The Spaniard crushed his opponent in the final set as he dropped only one game and broke the Italian thrice to capture it 6-1.
Riba will take on either Marcel Granollers or Albert Ramos in the second round.
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