ROME: Eighth seed Tomas Berdych saved all eight break points he faced on Tuesday to beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-4 for a place in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia third round.
Berdych’s best result in Rome came in 2013 when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. He will next play No. 12 seed David Goffin or Jack Sock.
Sixth seed Kei Nishikori rallied from a set down to beat Viktor Troicki 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. The Japanese lost serve in the 12th game to concede the opening set, but rebounded to break his Serbian opponent four times and claim victory in just under two hours.
The 26-year-old Nishikori claimed his 27th win of the season, highlighted by victory in Memphis and runner-up showings in Miami and Barcelona.
In first-round action, ninth seed David Ferrer was forced to work hard against fellow 34-year-old Filippo Volandri in a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Ferrer, who finished as runner-up in 2010 (to Nadal), now faces Spanish compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Volandri was appearing at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the 15 time. He is now 8-23 lifetime against Top 10 opponents.
Nicolas Mahut beat this year’s Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo titlist, Pablo Cuevas, 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-5 in two hours and 13 minutes for a meeting against Thomaz Bellucci. In a clash between two qualifiers, Stephane Robert edged Aljaz Bedene 7-6(3), 7-6(8) to earn a chance against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile, recent Munich champion Philipp Kohlschreiber set a clash with Nadal as he dismissed Inigo Cervantes 6-4, 6-2 and Jeremy Chardy beat Damir Dzumhur 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Madrid champion Simona Halep hopes to trade further on her Spanish success this week in Rome, with the sixth seed confirming on Tuesday her confidence is high for the WTA Italian Open.
Halep owns two semifinals at the Foro Italico, with losses to Carla Suarez Navarro a year ago and to Serena Williams in 2013.
But Romania’s top player is currently bursting with confidence after beating Dominika Cibulkova for the Madrid title on clay at the weekend.
Halep has turned her season prospects around after a poor start to 2016.
“I didn’t play the same at the beginning of the year, it was a tough period for me as I started the year a bit sick. I couldn’t train like I do now.
“But I came back very strong, in my opinion, and played good tennis in Madrid. I have more confidence — I believe in my game.
“I’ve started to work much more than before, so I’m all good. I feel good. The most important thing: I don’t have injuries. I’m able to practice, I’m able to play matches.
“That makes me feel more confident on court.”
Halep played the 2014 Roland Garros final but lost in a second-round disappointment at the ensuing edition.
She is hoping to change that scenario in a few weeks in Paris through continued hard work.
“It’s tough to stay at the top, but now I’m used to being there, I’ve been almost three years to be in the top 10.
“But I have to keep working every day the same. It’s different tennis. I have to get used to it. I just need few days.
“I have to play and to get better on these conditions, because they are similar to the French Open.”
In the women’s first round, ninth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russian beat France’s Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-4 while unseeded former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard advanced over Serbia’s former number one Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
Briton Johanna Konta put out Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-2.
Berdych’s best result in Rome came in 2013 when he lost to Rafael Nadal in the semifinals. He will next play No. 12 seed David Goffin or Jack Sock.
Sixth seed Kei Nishikori rallied from a set down to beat Viktor Troicki 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. The Japanese lost serve in the 12th game to concede the opening set, but rebounded to break his Serbian opponent four times and claim victory in just under two hours.
The 26-year-old Nishikori claimed his 27th win of the season, highlighted by victory in Memphis and runner-up showings in Miami and Barcelona.
In first-round action, ninth seed David Ferrer was forced to work hard against fellow 34-year-old Filippo Volandri in a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. Ferrer, who finished as runner-up in 2010 (to Nadal), now faces Spanish compatriot Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Volandri was appearing at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the 15 time. He is now 8-23 lifetime against Top 10 opponents.
Nicolas Mahut beat this year’s Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo titlist, Pablo Cuevas, 7-6(6), 2-6, 7-5 in two hours and 13 minutes for a meeting against Thomaz Bellucci. In a clash between two qualifiers, Stephane Robert edged Aljaz Bedene 7-6(3), 7-6(8) to earn a chance against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile, recent Munich champion Philipp Kohlschreiber set a clash with Nadal as he dismissed Inigo Cervantes 6-4, 6-2 and Jeremy Chardy beat Damir Dzumhur 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Madrid champion Simona Halep hopes to trade further on her Spanish success this week in Rome, with the sixth seed confirming on Tuesday her confidence is high for the WTA Italian Open.
Halep owns two semifinals at the Foro Italico, with losses to Carla Suarez Navarro a year ago and to Serena Williams in 2013.
But Romania’s top player is currently bursting with confidence after beating Dominika Cibulkova for the Madrid title on clay at the weekend.
Halep has turned her season prospects around after a poor start to 2016.
“I didn’t play the same at the beginning of the year, it was a tough period for me as I started the year a bit sick. I couldn’t train like I do now.
“But I came back very strong, in my opinion, and played good tennis in Madrid. I have more confidence — I believe in my game.
“I’ve started to work much more than before, so I’m all good. I feel good. The most important thing: I don’t have injuries. I’m able to practice, I’m able to play matches.
“That makes me feel more confident on court.”
Halep played the 2014 Roland Garros final but lost in a second-round disappointment at the ensuing edition.
She is hoping to change that scenario in a few weeks in Paris through continued hard work.
“It’s tough to stay at the top, but now I’m used to being there, I’ve been almost three years to be in the top 10.
“But I have to keep working every day the same. It’s different tennis. I have to get used to it. I just need few days.
“I have to play and to get better on these conditions, because they are similar to the French Open.”
In the women’s first round, ninth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russian beat France’s Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-4 while unseeded former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard advanced over Serbia’s former number one Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.
Briton Johanna Konta put out Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-1, 6-2.
