The favorites John Isner and Diego Schwartzman, ninth and twelfth seeds, respectively, were eliminated in the first round of the Cincinnati tennis tournament, included in the 1000 Masters of the ATP circuit.
The American lost to compatriot Sam Querrey by 6-4, 6-7 (5) and 7-6 (5), while the Argentine was defeated by Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka by 6-2, 4-6 and 6-3. .
On the other hand, the Serbian Novak Djokovic won the American Steve Johnson 6-4 and 7-6 (4), although he had to work hard against a rival who managed to save up to eight match balls before giving up.
Spaniard Pablo Carreño Busta (13) and Frenchman Lucas Pouille (16) made it to the next round after beating Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 and British Andy Murray 6-1. , 1-6 and 6-4, respectively.
The Spaniards ran a mixed race on this first day, and thus, with the Carreño classification, came the elimination of David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco.
The tennis player from Jávea, weighed down by the low efficiency with the serve, was not a rival for the French Benoit Paire, who solved the commitment with a double 6-2 and will face in the second round the winner of the clash between the Belgian David Goffin, eleventh favorite, and the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, finalist in Toronto.
The French Jeremy Chardy alighted from the Cincinnati tournament to Verdasco (6-1 and 6-2), unable to find the formula to face his rival and prolong his stay in the tournament.
Chardy, who resolved the match in 54 minutes, will be the rival of South African Kevin Anderson, eighth seed.
They also passed the Japanese Kei Nishikori, who won the Russian Andrey Rublev (7-5 and 6-3); and the German Peter Gojowczyk, who knocked down Portuguese Joao Sousa’s options (2-6, 6-4 and 7-5) to be the rival of Roger Federer, second seed and seven times champion.
The Spanish Rafael Nadal, who this Sunday won the Masters 1,000 Toronto, justified his absence in Cincinnati by the need for “rest.”
The Masters 1000 of Cincinnati distributes 5.7 million dollars in prizes, according to the official website of the ATP circuit.
= Results of the day:
- Male individual. First round:
Kei Nishikori (JPN) to Andrey Rublev (RUS) for 7-5 and 6-3.
Lucas Pouille (FRA, 16) to Andy Murray (GBR), 6-1, 1-6 and 6-4.
Pablo Carreño Busta (ESP, 13) to Richard Gasquet (FRA) by 6-3, 2-6 and 6-3.
Denis Shapovalov (CAN) to Frances Tiafoe (USA) for 7-6 (6), 3-6 and 7-5.
Peter Gojowczyk (GER) to Joao Sousa (POR), 2-6, 6-4 and 7-5.
Leonardo Mayer (ARG) to Michael Mmoh (USA) for 6-4, 1-6 and 6-4.
Bradley Klahn (USA) to Maximilian Marterer (GER), by 7-6 (1) and 6-4.
Benoit Paire (FRA) to David Ferrer (ESP), 6-2 and 6-2.
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) to Fernando Verdasco (ESP), 6-1 and 6-2.
Sam Querrey (USA) to John Isner (USA, 9) for 6-4, 6-7 (5) and 7-6 (5).
Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) to Diego Schwartzman (ARG, 12) by 6-2, 4-6 and 6-3.
Novak Djokovic (SRB, 10) to Steve Johnson (USA). by 6-4 and 7-6 (4).
