Rotterdam: Early Exit For Ferrer, Easy Progress For Soderling
Nieminem sent Ferrer packing from the Rotterdam tournament
Hardly did the Dutch Open start that world No. 6 David Ferrer was sent packing from Rotterdam. Finnish Jarkki Nieminen ousted the Spaniard, who had come in Rotterdam as third favorite, in straight sets to advance into the second round.
Nieminen managed to take advantage of a poor performance provided by the Spaniard who finished the game committing five double faults and converting just 54 percent of service points. The Finnish eliminated the Spaniard in only one hour and 16 minutes, being expected to meet Viktor Troicki of Serbia in the next term. Nieminen succeeded in the same time to get his revenge against Ferrer who ousted the Finnish from the first round at the 2011 Australian Open. The Spaniard is to pocket 8,075 euros, while Nieminen has just guaranteed a 14,680 euro check and 45 pointes ATP.
Top-seeded Robin Soderling has also reached the second round at the 1,150,000euro Rotterdam tournament. The world No. 4 Swede secured a place into the next term after beating crowd favorite Robin Haase soundly, 6-3, 6-2. Said the Swedish player: “I think first match is always difficult in any tournament, but today it was really good. I played well, solid, served well, returned well, moving well. It was a really good start for me…”
Soderling, who came in Holland to defend his title, will next play Philipp Kohlschreiber. The German eliminated Yen-Hsun Lu in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6. Kohlschreiber needed one hour and 28 minutes plus a 78-percent of service points to send Lu packing from Rotterdam. Lu managed to push the second set into tie-breaks, being also one step from claiming the second term. The German, who hit six aces, was condemned to give his best in order to grab the last set. Lu won five points during the tie-break.
Tournament’s fourth favorite Thomas Berdych thwarted Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2 to go further and meet Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the second round. Tursunov passed Kazakhstan’s Andrey Golubev in two straight sets, 6-4, 7-5 to get prepare for a tougher meeting against the Czech.
Marin Cilic, who follows the Zagreb Indoors elimination, managed to make an important step in Rotterdam, beating Mischa Zverev 6-2, 6-4. He is to play Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the next term. Melzer ousted another Dutch player, Jesse Huta Galung, to the dismay of a home crowd. Galung lost the game in straight sets 4-6, 4-6. Thiemo de Bakker is the only Dutchman remained on course for the Rotterdam title.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra will share a place into the third round as both French players have reached the second term. Tsonga beat Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-4, while his compatriot Llodra had to work harder against powerful favorite Nikolay Davydenko, whom the French ousted in straight uneasy sets, 6-3, 7-6.
First rounds to be played:
Philipp Petzschner – Thiemo de Bakker
Marcel Granollers – Mikhail Youzhny
Ivan Ljubicic – Sergiy Stakhovsky
Benoit Paire – Gilles Simon
Florian Mayer – Feliciano Lopez
Marcos Baghdatis – Andy Murray (2nd favorite)
Rotterdam Prize money and points:
Winner – 279,500 euros and 500 points ATP
Runner-up – 126,150 euros and 230 points ATP
Semi finalist – 59,000 euros and 180 points ATP
Quarter finalist – 28,760 euros and 90 points ATP
R16 – 14,680 euros and 45 points ATP
R32 – 8,075 euros and zero points ATP11
