Gerry Weber Open 2015: Tuesday Tennis Scores, Results and Updated Draw Schedule
Kei Nishikori and Tomas Berdych, seeded second and third, respectively, were the big winners on Tuesday at the Gerry Weber Open, overcoming obdurate opponents.
Both men were made to work hard in their Round 1 matches, but they will still fancy their chances of challenging pre-tournament favourite Roger Federer for the title after he was pushed hard by Philipp Kohlschreiber during his first match in Halle, Germany.
Here’s a recap of the results from another absorbing day in this competition, as some of the most illustrious names in the men’s game continue their preparations for Wimbledon.
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| K. Nishikori (2) | 7-6(4) 7-5 | D. Thiem |
| S. Johnson | 6-3, 7-6(4) | B.Tomic |
| E. Gulbis | 6-4, 7-6(3) | S. Stakhovsky |
| M. Kukushkin | 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-5 | J. Vesely |
| G. Monfils (4) | 6-3, 6-4 | L. Rosol |
| A. Seppi | 7-5, 6-2 | T. Haas |
| J. Janowicz | 6-3, 6-4 | P. Cuevas (6) |
| T. Berdych (3) | 7-5, 6-3 | V. Estrella Burgos |
| T. Robredo (5) | 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(1) | R. Berankis |
Nishikori Surges Past Thiem
One player who will be desperate to clinch his first major title at Wimbledon will be Nishikori, and the popular Japanese star started his buildup to SW19 with a determined performance against Dominic Thiem.
The Austrian pushed Nishikori, but the second seed was eventually able to emerge a 7-6(4), 7-5 winner. As noted by the ATP World Tour Twitter account, the Japanese had to dig deep to book his place in the second round:
Thiem deserves credit for his display here. Nishikori wasn’t able to dominate the early stages with his patented control and clinical hitting, as the Austrian chased down any loose balls and forced his illustrious opponent into long rallies.
As such, it was no surprise when the first set went to a tiebreak, forced by a Thiem break with the second seed serving for the opening stanza. But Nishikori’s superior temperament eventually told, as he took the first set.
The second set followed a similar pattern, but again it was the Japanese who stepped up when it mattered. He broke Thiem late on to take the set, showcasing his quality in the precarious moments of this tight match.
Indeed, as we can see here, courtesy of Sky Sports Tennis, there wasn’t too much between the players:
Nishikori will be delighted he found a way to win. The first match of any tournament can be testing, and it was clear he was still familiarising himself with the change from clay to grass courts. As such, expect the second seed to improve as the tournament rolls on, beginning with his Round 2 tie with Dustin Brown.
Berdych Too Good For Burgos
Berdych gave us a reminder of his undeniable quality on grass, battling past Victor Estrella Burgos in straight sets. The 7-5, 6-3 winning scoreline was emblematic of the towering Czech’s eventual dominance, as he bludgeoned his way into Round 2.
As we can see here, speaking ahead of this encounter, Berdych has happy memories of this tournament, having won the title in Halle back in 2007:
Burgos just didn’t have enough to contain the third seed. The Dominican failed to make much of an impression in his attempts to break, allowing the 2007 champion to dictate points at will. While the world No. 49 clung on for long spells in the first set, the Czech eventually won through 7-5.
In the second set, Berdych’s quality eventually told. He was beginning to grind down the diligent Dominican with his superior shot-making in general play and was eventually able to clinch the match with a swagger. The 2010 Wimbledon runner-up will play Borna Coric in his next match and will be hoping to preserve the momentum he built up at the end of this match.
Results courtesy of the ATP World Tour website.
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