STOCKHOLM, October 18, 2016

The future of Swedish tennis was on Tuesday’s display at the If Stockholm Open, when former top five juniors Elias and Mikael Ymer played back-to-back matches on Centre Court.  One year after making his tour-level debut, 18-year-old Mikael defeated Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-1 to celebrate his first match win in his second ATP singles match.

The world number 549 saved all of the three break points he faced, converting five of his own to seal victory in only 69 minutes. Mikael Ymer will next face third seed Ivo Karlovic from Croatia.

Mikael’s two years older brother Elias lost to German qualifier Tobias Kamke 6-4, 6-0. Kamke capitalized on all of his five break point opportunities, winning 62 of the 100 total points played to advance in 65 minutes. He will next take on Radu Albot from Moldova.

Dustin Brown

With Dustin Brown another German prevailed, as “Dreddy” battled past Gilles Muller of Luxembourg, rallying 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Brown withstood 12 aces, hitting four of his own to secure victory in one hour and 37 minutes. The 27-year-old will next face either Malek Jaziri of Tunisia or sixth seed Jack Sock from the United States.

Nicolas Almagro also had to fight hard agianst Yuichi Sugita of Japan. The world number 41 from Spain critized a couple of calls from the linesmen, argued with the chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani but eventually celebrated a 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 win after two hours and 18 minutes. Next up for Almagro will be the winner of the encounter between seventh seeded US-boy John Isner and wild card Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina.

Top seed Gael Monfils will open his Stockholm title bid on Thursday. The 2011 champion from France will open his campaign against Gastao Elias from Portugal, who ousted Ivan Dodig 6-2, 6-1 in exactly one hour of play.