STOCKHOLM, October 17, 2016

The 48th-annual If Stockholm Open returns to the ATP World Tour this week with four former champions in the field: No. 1 seed Gael Monfils (2011), No. 2 seed Grigor Dimitrov (2013), No. 3 seed Ivo Karlovic (2007) and No. 8 seed Marcos Baghdatis (2009).

Baghdatis was in first round action on Monday but lost to Kevin Anderson, who rallied back 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. The world number 48 from South Africa sent down nine aces and capitalized on five of his eigtht break point opportunities to seal his first match win in Stockholm since 2011 after one hour and 45 minutes.

“Things weren’t looking great… I fought through,” Anderson said. “I felt that if I could keep my mind a little bit and just take it one point at a time, I definitely was going to give myself a shot.”

Anderson will next take on Ryan Harrison. The 24-year-old US-American emerged victorious from the battle of the qualifiers with Czech Adam Pavlasek, winning 6-1, 7-5. Harrison broke his opponent’s serve three times to finish the encounter in 80 minutes.

Adrian Mannarino

Adrian Mannarino set a second round clash with Germany’s #NextGen star Alexander Zverev, who is seeded fourth in Stockholm. Mannarino edged past US-American Donald Young with a 7-5, 6-4 victory. The 28-year-old from France won 74 per cent of his first service points to advance in one hour and 29 minutes.

Radu Albot upset fifth seed Steve Johnson from the United States, winning 6-3, 6-4. The 26-year-old from Moldova saved all of the three break points he faced, converting two of his own to advance in one hour and 19 minutes. Albot qualified at Wimbledon this year, reaching the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time and celebrated in Sweden’s capital city his fourth match win at ATP level in 2016. He will next play either German qualifier Tobias Kamke or Swedish youngster Elias Ymer, who was granted a wild card into the main draw.