Alexander Bublik had a successful start in Rotterdam, defeating Borna Coric with a score of 6-3, 6-4 in a match that lasted an hour and 51 minutes. The Kazakh player utilized his serves effectively, defending against all five break points and maintaining pressure on his opponent. Coric, on the other hand, struggled to hold his serves, losing once in each set and ultimately ending up on the losing side. Bublik showcased his skills with 31 unreturned serves and displayed good control with 28 winners and 27 unforced errors. Although Coric had an advantage in mid-range exchanges, he struggled in more advanced rallies.
In the fourth game, Coric managed to deny a break point but faced difficulties at 2-3 from 40-15. A poorly executed volley at the net on the third break point caused him to lose serve and fall behind. Bublik had an opportunity to win the set in the eighth game but failed to capitalize on a set point during the return. However, he served for the set at 5-3, resulting in a thrilling game where he squandered seven game points and faced a break point. Coric’s mistake on a break chance allowed Bublik to secure the set on his eighth set point with a service winner.
The second set saw Coric struggle once again, making a loose smash on a game point in the fifth game and netting a forehand that put him 3-2 behind. Bublik faced a challenging sixth game, defending against three break points and successfully denying them to solidify his lead and move closer to victory. Coric managed to hold off two break points in the seventh game with winners, keeping the deficit to just one break. Bublik served for the win at 5-4 and saved a break point with a forced error. He ultimately converted the first match point with a service winner, securing the win and advancing to the second round.
In another match, Alex de Minaur defeated Sebastian Korda with a score of 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 22 minutes. De Minaur’s dominant first serve allowed him to save all four break points at the start of the match, putting pressure on Korda. Although Korda faced challenging service games in the opener, he ultimately got broken in the tenth game and suffered another break in the sixth game of the second set, leading to his defeat. Korda missed a game point at 4-5 in the first set and made a loose forehand that resulted in a dropped serve and falling behind. In the sixth game of the second set, Korda netted a forehand and faced a break at 15, bringing him closer to elimination. De Minaur held his serve at 15 in the seventh game with a service winner and sealed the match with another on a match point, starting his tournament with a victory.
The 2021 champion, Andrey Rublev, secured a win against Zizou Bergs with a score of 7-5, 6-3 in an hour and 22 minutes. Rublev showcased his strength behind the second serve, saving all three break chances and converting two out of three opportunities on the return to win in straight sets. While Bergs managed to keep up with Rublev in shorter exchanges, Rublev gained the advantage in more advanced rallies, ultimately securing a late break in the opener and winning the final three games to emerge victorious. The first eight games were evenly matched, with Bergs leveling the score at 4-4 with a volley winner. However, Rublev made a backhand error in the ninth game and offered Bergs a break chance, which he successfully defended with a service winner. Rublev held his serve and secured the set at 5-4. Bergs served to stay in the set at 5-6 but failed to do so, committing a costly double fault that gave Rublev a set point. Rublev capitalized on Bergs’ forehand error and won the set 7-5 after 44 minutes. In the second set, Rublev faced two break points at 2-2 after a double fault but managed to save them. He secured the seventh game after a lengthy exchange and created two break points in the next game. Bergs made a forehand error on the second break point, falling 5-3 behind and allowing Rublev to serve for the win. Rublev sealed the victory with a service winner, holding his serve at 15 and advancing to the second round.
Jan-Lennard Struff triumphed over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina with a score of 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 in a match that lasted two hours and 25 minutes. Struff faced the possibility of defeat three times, being just two points away from losing, but managed to come out on top.
Davidovich Fokina displayed solid tennis skills in his matches, successfully defending two out of three break points and maintaining pressure on his opponent. The German player lost his serve twice out of nine opportunities given to the Spaniard, minimizing the damage and ultimately triumphing in crucial moments, finishing with a slight advantage over his rival.
In the first set, Alejandro took an early lead by breaking his opponent’s serve and held on to win it with a score of 5-4. The second set saw no break opportunities for either player, resulting in a 5-5 tie break. With no room for mistakes, Struff emerged victorious with a score of 7-5, forcing a decisive third set and extending his chances of winning.
Jan-Lennard initially held a 4-2 lead in the final set, but Alejandro managed to break back in the eighth game, leading to even more suspense. They proceeded to play a tie break to determine the winner, with Struff ultimately prevailing with a score of 7-4. This victory secured his triumph and propelled him to the top.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org