Top-seeded Taylor Fritz, playing his first match since losing in the third round of the Australian Open, cruised to a first-round win at the Dallas Open on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Californian needed just 66 minutes to dispatch France’s Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-2. Fritz finished with an 11-5 edge in aces and never faced a break point.
Two of the other three U.S. players in action also advanced. Qualifier Michael Mmoh edged Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, and Reilly Opelka topped Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko 7-6 (3), 6-4. Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka downed Brandon Nakashima 6-4, 7-6 (6).
Sixth-seeded Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic routed Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-2, 6-2, and Spain’s Jaume Munar eliminated China’s Yunchaokete Bu 7-5, 6-2.
ABN AMRO Open
Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci registered the best win of his ATP career, stunning second-seeded Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 in the second round at Rotterdam, Netherlands.
It was the first time that Bellucci, 23, beat a player ranked in the world’s top 10. Bellucci had a match point at 5-6 in the second-set tiebreaker, but Medvedev extended the match that ultimately lasted 2 hours, 54 minutes.
Seventh-seeded Arthur Fils slipped past qualifier Constant Lestienne 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1 in an all-French matchup. Eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland led 7-5, 2-0 when the Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka retired because of a leg injury.
Other first-round winners were the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, Germany’s Daniel Altmaier and Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
–Field Level Media
