VIENNA, October 27, 2016

Home favourites Dominic Thiem and Jürgen Melzer lost their second round matches at the Erste Bank Open on a disappointing Day 4 for Austrian fans in Vienna. The third seed could not avenge his loss to Viktor Troicki, who also won the last meeting between the two in Gstaad 2014.

In a high-drama match on a packed Centre Court, Thiem produced 44 unforced errors, whereas Trocki sent down 10 aces, winning 88 per cent of his first service points to seal a 6-2, 7-5 victory in one hour and 25 minutes.

“I had a bad start into the first set,” told Thiem, who missed seven break point chances in the second set. “I had my chances in the second set but sometimes I just tried too hard and sometimes I was too passive. Overall, the match was not a disaster today but I did not show the level I am able to play.”

Troicki will next play David Ferrer. The world number 19 from Spain gained his first success over Joao Sousa from Portugal in the pair’s second tour meeting, winning 6-2, 7-6  in  one hour and 41 minutes.

Melzer, who entered the main draw with a wild card and is Vienna’s last back-to-back winner in 2009 and 2010, had a strong start against Albert Ramos-Vinolas being a set and twice a break up, but eventually lost the all-lefty-affair 6-3, 4-6, 0-6. The 28-year-old Spaniard converted seven of his eight break point chances to advance in one hour and 48 minutes.

“I started really well and played some good tennis but I lost my rhythm at the end of the second set, when I made a couple of silly mistakes,” Melzer told.

Andy Murray (photo: e-motion/Bildagentur Zolles KG/Christian Hofer)

Ramos-Vinolas will next take on sixth seed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who overcame Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6, 6-2 coming back from a from a 2-4 deficit in the first set. The encounter lasted one hour and 29 minutes.

Top seed Andy Murray continued his dominance against Gilles Simon, extending his head-to-head record to 16-2 over the Frenchman. Yet, the world number two had to work hard, gaining a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory. Murray produced more than 50 unforced errors but capitalized on eight of his 11 break point opportunities to celebrated his 12th consecutive match win on the ATP World Tour after two hours and 41 minutes.

“It was a very long match, but I expected it to be very hard because it’s just that way against Gilles. You play a lot of long points. You feel like the harder you hit the ball, the harder it comes back,” said Murray. “You just have to try to use some variety, some slice and drop shots, and find that balance to get him out of his rhythm.” Next up for Murray will be US-American John Isner.