Spanish Davis Cup star Fernando Verdasco showed his class in a straight sets win over Bernard Tomic but reserved some special praise for the teenager.
In a Magic Monday night double-header Serbian Ana Ivanovic demonstrated why she is the top seed in the tournament overcoming Petra Kvitova 6-4 6-2.
A bumper crowd returned to the Brisbane International today with 8337 rolling up for the two sessions.
Despite dropping his first service game, Verdasco proved too strong for Tomic winning 6-4 6-2, but later added: “He had a very good backhand so I tried to make him tired and move him. I think he played really good for a 16 year old, better than me at that age. He will be a great talent.”
Tomic said he played as well as he could and it was a learning curve. “The game is a lot quicker and they use their opportunities,” was his observation of his first match against a top 20 player.
Ivanovic didn’t have it all her own way, taking 62 minutes to secure the first set.
“I had to fight for each point,” she recalled. “I stayed tough and kept the ball flat. I am looking forward to good start and to be consistent. My speed and serve is back and I believed in myself to finish the point.”
There were some mixed results for the top seeds on day two with Daniela Hantuchova, ranked 21 in the world, beaten by Sara Errani, ranked 41, 6-7 (1) 6-4 6-0.
Former Australian Open winner, Amelie Mauresmo, also face a drawn-out battle beating Jelena Dokic 7-6 (9) 7-6 (5) in what she described as a tough first match.
“I played good tennis. She gave me trouble but I am happy with the match. Physically I felt good, not at my top but better than last year.”
In a crowd-pleasing result, Samantha Stosur defeated Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama, who is ranked 31 in the world, 6-2 6-3, saving seven break point chances in front of a home crowd.
“If I can keep playing like that and I can keep improving, then hopefully I can do well,” she said.
The win means Stosur will play Czech Lucie Safarova who defeated fellow Queenslander Isabella Holland 6-4 6-3.
In other results, crowd favourite and Brisbane International wildcard Marcos Baghdatis lost in three sets 5-7 6-1 6-4 to Jarkko Nieminen from Finland who is ranked 41 in the world and Jurgen Melzer defeated seeded Mardy Fish (USA) 6-4 4-6 7-6(4).
In the women’s draw Sesil Karatantcheva, Olga Govortsova, Julie Coin, Roberta Vinci, Tathiana Garbin and Melinda Czink all progressed to the second round.
In the men’s qualifying rounds Australia’s Joe Sirianni play two matches today to progress into the main draw defeating Mischa Zverev and Gilles Muller while compatriots Peter Luczak and Sam Groth were knocked out in the second round.
Sirianni was pleased with his results and is looking forward to the main draw.
“It is great to be in the main draw and I look forward to playing in front of an Australian crowd.”
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