Philipp Kohlschreiber through to second round of German Tennis Championships

12 July 2016 08:54

Top seed Philipp Kohlschreiber battled past Argentina's Carlos Berlocq 6-3 6-7 (5/7) 6-3 to secure a place in the second round of the German Tennis Championships in Hamburg.

After forcing an early break, and another to close out the opening set, the German was taken the distance in the second set, which went to Berlocq on a tie-break after an hour and 15 minutes as both players struggled on serve.

The world number 22, though, regrouped in the decider to move a break up at 3-2 and then eventually closed out a third match point against Berlocq's faltering serve.

Kohlschreiber will meet another Argentine player Nicolas Kicker in round two.

Elsewhere in Hamburg on Tuesday, second seed Benoit Paire is out after the Frenchman was beaten 7-5 3-6 6-4 by Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver, ranked world number 156.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany was also defeated, the 19-year-old losing 7-5 7-6 (7-2) against Inigo Cervantes of Spain.

Teenage German wild card Louis Wessels became the youngest player to win an ATP World Tour main draw match this season when the 17-year-old beat Canadian qualifier Steven Diez 5-7 6-2 6-1.

In the first round of the SkiStar Swedish Open in Bastad, Fernando Verdasco progressed with a 6-3 6-2 win over home qualifier Henri Laaksonen.

The fifth-seeded Spaniard saved all five break points against him, and the world number 48 meets compatriot Albert Montanes in the second round.

Montanes defeated Swedish number one Elias Ymer 6-4 6-2.

Dustin Brown is also through, the German beating Daniel Munoz-De La Nava of Spain 6-2 7-6 (8-6) to set up a second-round clash with Britain's Aljaz Bedene.

Calvin Hemery secured a meeting with top seed David Ferrer when he won 6-4 4-6 6-3 against fellow Frenchman and qualifier Tristan Lamasine.

Source: PA