Gerry Weber Open 2015: Thursday Tennis Scores, Results and Updated Draw Schedule
Kei Nishikori and Gael Monfils both advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2015 Gerry Weber Open on Thursday, winning their respective matches in straight sets. The Japanese star in particular looked in fine form as he attempts to prove his recent success can carry over on the grass courts.
The Gerry Weber Open serves as a great form gauge ahead of Wimbledon, and the likes of Nishikori and Monfils have done nothing so far to suggest they won't be at their best when the legendary Grand Slam kicks off later this summer.
Here are the full results from Thursday:
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| Jerzy Janowicz | 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 | (Q) Alejandro Falla |
| (2) Kei Nishikori | 7-5, 6-1 | (W) Dustin Brown |
| Andreas Seppi | 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 | (5) Tommy Robredo |
| (4) Gael Monfils | 7-6 (1), 6-4 | Mikhail Kukushkin |
For the updated draw of the 2015 Gerry Weber Open, visit the ATP World Tour's official website by clicking here.
Kei Nishikori defeats Dustin Brown
Nishikori started slow against German wild card Dustin Brown before increasing the pace of the match, and the Japanese star comfortably advanced in straight sets, winning 7-5, 6-1. He'll meet Jerzy Janowicz in the quarter-finals.
Brown, a tall and powerful server whose game translates well to the grass surface at Halle, was expected to give Nishikori a tough challenge on Thursday, and he managed to stay in the match with relative ease until 5-5 in he first set.
A double fault gave Nishikori two break points, however, and an unforced error during the next point saw Nishikori break serve and set up a comfortable win in the first set.
During the second, Nishikori started taking more risks in the return game and dominating the rallies, and before long, the match was over. Record's Jose Morgado was shocked with his dominance in the open exchanges:
On paper, Nishikori's playing style is far from ideal for the faster rallies the European grass courts provide, but his excellent return game has served him well so far in Halle. Janowicz looked far from perfect in his three-set win over Alejandro Falla, so the 25-year-old may not be finished yet.
He told reporters (h/t The Tennis Island) he was trying to be patient against Brown, and those tactics served him well on Thursday:
A semi-final finish in Halle―or perhaps even better―would be an excellent result for Nishikori and the perfect preparation for Wimbledon, where he'll be looking to advance past the fourth round for the first time in his career.
Gael Monfils defeats Mikhail Kukushkin
Mikhail Kukushkin didn't make life easy on Monfils, who suffered two minor injuries during their match, but the French star rallied to beat his opponent in straight sets, winning 7-6 (1), 6-4.
Monfils' experience ultimately made the difference, as both players were evenly matched throughout both sets and had almost identical stats in the rallies and return game.
The Frenchman's quarter-final opponent will be Italy's Andreas Seppi. The New York Times' Ben Rothenberg shared the full draw for the quarter-finals:
As ever, inconsistency was Monfils' greatest enemy, and while he did well to save 75 percent of Kukushkin's break chances, his only double-fault came at the most inopportune time in the match, right when Kukushkin was closing in on a break. The ball also managed to bounce twice before it even reached the net.
He also allowed far too many good looks on his second serve, which all but negated the advantage he had in that department, and someone like Seppi will punish such sloppy play when the two meet in the quarter-finals.
That said, Monfils managed to pull himself together when it mattered the most to continue the strong run of results he's achieved over the past few months. Seppi is no grass specialist, so a spot in the semi-finals isn't out of the question for Monfils.
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