Tipsarevic Returns to Bangkok with Easy Win
Former world No 8 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia overcame an injury concern to get rid of Jurgen Zopp of Estonia 6-4 6-1 in the opening round of the US$50,000 Bangkok Challenger 1 at Rama Gardens Hotel on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old from Belgrade, now at No 144, called for an injury time-out for his foot at 3-0 in the second set but showed no sign of problems as he came back to take three of the next four games to win the encounter in one hour and 43 minutes.
Returning to the capital for the first time since 2012 where he reached the ATP Thailand Open semi-finals, the four-time ATP winner was out of the circuit for 17 months between 2014-15 to undergo and recover from a foot injury. The fifth seed will play German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe in round two.
Top seed Yuichi Sugita of Japan, who won two Challenger trophies in Bangkok and Hua Hin in 2015, survived a scary threat in the first two sets from German qualifier Nils Langer to successfully advanced with a 7-6 (7-5) 5-7 6-0 win.
Christian Garin
Second seed Denis Istomi of Uzbekistan, another former top 40 in Bangkok this week, routed out local wildcard holder Congsup Congcar 6-0 6-1. His next opponent is former world junior No 4 Christian Garin of Chile who ousted Aslan Karatsev of Russia 6-3 6-3
Fourth seed Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland had no problem advancing by defeating American Sekou Bangoura 6-4 6-2 while sixth seed Wu Di of China wasted just a game to vanquish local wildcard player Chayanon Kaewsuto 6-0 6-1.
Blaz Kavcic
Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia, who won two Challengers in Bangkok, upset eighth seed Yanink Reuter of Belgium 6-2 6-1. German rising star Maximilian Marterer easily trounced South Korean qualifier Soon Woo Kwon 6-4 6-0. He joined countryman Jeremy Jahn, who eliminated, Akira Santillan of Japan 7-5 6-3.
Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan, who reached No 77 in 2015, stemmed the run of Dmitry Popko of Kazakhstan, winner of Thailand Futures 6 in Hua Hin last Saturday, with a three setter 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win. Amir Weintraub of Israel beat Yuya KIbi of Japan 6-3 6-4.
Maximilian Marterer
In the doubles first round, second seed Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana beat American John Paul Fruttero and Peng Hsien-Yin of Taiwan 6-4 6-4
