Shenzhen Open 2015: Monday Tennis Scores, Results and Updated Draw Schedule
John Millman and Austin Krajicek were the first two winners in Round 1 at the Shenzhen Open, as the tournament started in earnest on Monday.
Millman progressed at the expense of Ernests Gulbis in the final match of the day, with the latter retiring injured, while Krajicek rallied from a set down to get the better of 23-year-old Australian James Duckworth. Takuto Niki, Zhizhen Zhang, Matthew Ebden and Hiroki Moriya also booked their places in the main draw with wins in the qualifying stages.
Here’s a look back at the results from the singles draw on Monday and how the main bracket’s first two matches panned out.
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| Round 1 | Austin Krajicek bt. James Duckworth | 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-1 |
| Round 1 | John Millman bt. Ernests Gulbis | 7-6 (7), 2-0 (ret) |
| Qualifying | Takuto Niki bt. Fajing Sun | 6-1, 6-4 |
| Qualifying | Zhizhen Zhang bt. Sergey Betov | 6-2, 6-3 |
| Qualifying | Matthew Ebden bt. Michael Venus | 6-2, 6-2 |
| Qualifying | Hiroki Moriya bt. Johan Tatlot | 7-5, 6-3 |
Full results and the updated draw are available via the ATP website.
Millman and Krajicek Set Up Tough Round 2 Clashes
In what was a relatively low-key beginning to the tournament, Gulbis, a former top-10 player, was the biggest name on show. But the Latvian pulled out of his clash with Millman early in the second set.
The Australian was one set ahead after a gripping opening stanza, and the two players traded heavy blows throughout, with Gulbis eventually conjuring a chance to serve for the set. But Millman clung on to force a tiebreak and, after surrendering a two-point lead to the Latvian, eventually came through 9-7.
Gulbis was noticeably disappointed to have let the opener slip, so it was no surprise to see Millman break early on and take a 2-0 lead in the second set. As noted by Trade Shark, it was a pretty desperate spell of play for the Latvian:
Millman didn't get the chance to finish off his opponent, as Gulbis withdrew from the match. Former U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic will be next up for Millman, in what is likely to be a much tougher assignment for the 26-year-old Australian.
Earlier in the day, Krajicek showed both quality and resolve to hold off Duckworth. The burgeoning Aussie, who reached the quarter-finals of the Brisbane Open earlier this year, showed why he broke into the top 100 this season, taking the opening set 7-5 in classy fashion.
But Krajicek, ranked 76 in the world, came back in the second, clinging on against Duckworth and forcing what was always going to be a vital tiebreak. The American was the man who dug deepest, though, taking it 8-6 and giving himself a massive dose of momentum going into the decisive third set.
That much was apparent, as Krajicek dominated the decider. Clearly jaded by his loss in the tiebreak, Duckworth was unable to keep pace with the American, who ran out a 6-1 winner in the last stanza. Krajicek’s reward for his excellent win will be a clash with the tournament’s top seed and world No. 5, Tomas Berdych.
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