Mahut Stifles Zverev's Hopes In Marseille

Nicolas Mahut rode a wave of home-crowd support to upset fifth-seeded #NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev at the Open 13 Marseille on Tuesday. The 35-year-old Frenchman posted a 7-6(5), 7-6(5) result over the German in the pair’s first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.

Zverev, nearly 16 years his opponent’s junior, had claimed his second ATP World Tour title two weeks ago at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier. He fell short despite hitting six aces more and winning half of the 144 points played.

Mahut’s victory sets up a second-round meeting with Norbert Gombos. The Slovak posted a 6-1, 6-1 result over fellow-qualifier Evgeny Donskoy.

Richard Gasquet continued a good night session for the home contingent when he knocked out Robin Haase 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2. The No. 6 seed, coming off a runner-up showing at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier two weeks ago, withstood 14 aces to extend his FedEx Head2Head series with the Dutchman to 4-1. It sets up a second-round showdown with Russian Mikhail Youzhny.

Other French players experienced mixed fortunes at the Open 13 Marseille on Tuesday. Julien Benneteau, the 2010 finalist, prevailed 7-5, 6-4 despite being aced 16 times by fellow wild card, 17-year-old Denis Shapovalov.

But his countrymen Jeremy Chardy and Paul-Henri Mathieu made early exits. Jan-Lennard Struff knocked out Chardy 6-3, 7-5, while Aljaz Bedene fired down 20 aces in a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over 2008 semi-finalist Mathieu.

It was a good day for Ukrainians Sergiy Stakhovsky and Illya Marchenko. Qualifier Stakhovsky posted a 6-2, 6-4 result over Czech Jiri Vesely, while Marchenko saw off Russian Andrey Rublev 6-1, 7-6(6). Stakhovsky claimed 79 per cent of his first-serve points and broke three times to advance, while Marchenko broke four times on his way past the #NextGenATP player.