Seeded Spaniards Rule Day One In Gstaad
Spaniards Pablo Andujar and Roberto Carballes Baena, both former ATP Tour titlists, fought through three-setters on Monday to advance at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad.
Andujar, 2014 champion and seventh seed, rallied after a mid-match dip to beat Austrian Dennis Novak 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, and sixth seed Carballes Baena needed two hours, 33 minutes to beat Italy's Paolo Lorenzi 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-2.
Andujar will meet the winner between Italian qualifier Filippo Baldi and Japan's Taro Daniel. Carballes Baena, the 2018 Ecuador Open champion, will face another Italian in Stefano Travaglia, who beat Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 7-6(7), 6-3.
Seven Spaniards are in the Gstaad singles draw, including the top two seeds, Roberto Bautista Agut and Fernando Verdasco, along with Tommy Robredo, 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals semi-finalist Jaume Munar and Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Elsewhere, Italian Thomas Fabbiano set up a second-round meeting with countryman and Antalya champion Lorenzo Sonego, the fourth seed. Fabbiano saved 10 of 12 break points against Swiss wild card Sandro Ehrat and advanced 6-4, 7-5. Czech Jiri Vesely broke four times and beat Latvian Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 7-5. The left-hander will next meet German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, a 6-4, 6-4 winner against #NextGenATP Frenchman and eighth seed Corentin Moutet.