ROTTERDAM, Netherlands: Top seed Marin Cilic battled past temperamental French opponent Benoit Paire 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 for only his second win of the year at the Rotterdam World Tennis on Tuesday.
Cilic, a 2014 finalist, struggled with an out-of-sorts and injured Paire, whose racquet-smashing antics left him flirting with the wrath of the chair umpire in a match lasting more than two hours.
Cilic lost the opening set as Paire, who later suffered a hamstring problem, saved two of set points.
But Cilic slowly began turning the tables in a first-round match in which the Croat committed 39 unforced errors while Paire had 43 and was able to convert only one of 10 break points. “It was a tough match but that is what I expected,” Cilic said. “He is always tricky and difficult, a talented shotmaker - you never know what is coming.
“After I lost the first set I had to keep my level up. I did that, got a break in the second set and things started to roll to my side. “It was good to get into the match after being a set down and winning in the end, It’s good for the confidence, obviously.”
Sixth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was kept guessing by unheralded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas before grinding out a 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) first-round win.
The 19-year-old wildcard entry came onto the court as a complete unknown to Tsonga, who played the Dutch final in 2011, losing to Swede Robin Soderling. Tsonga, returning to the Ahoy stadium for the first time since 2014, led by a set and 5-3 in the second set against the 205th-ranked challenger but was unable to kill off the match.
Holder Martin Klizan of Slovakia began his title defence with a defeat of Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 0-6, 6-1. — AFP
Rotterdam World
Tennis results
First round: Gilles Muller (LUX) bt Tallon Griekspoor (NED) 6-3, 6-2; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x6) bt Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2); Martin Klizan (SVK) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-4, 0-6, 6-1; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x8) 7-5, 6-2; Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Marin Cilic (CRO x1) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
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