LAS VEGAS, October 18, 2017

Top-seeded Tennys Sandgren and defending champion Sam Groth opened up with first-round wins on Tuesday at the $50,000 Las Vegas Tennis Open, taking place at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on the campus of UNLV.

Both Sandgren and Groth had similar score lines with Sandgren beating qualifier Benjamin Lock of Zimbabwe, 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 12 minutes, and the No. 7-seeded Groth downing wild-card and Ohio State senior Mikael Torpegaard of Denmark, 6-3, 6-4. This encounter only lasted 57 minutes. Also given a wild card last year, the two-time All-American Torpegaard made it to the Las Vegas quarterfinals last year losing to eventual finalist Santiago Giraldo of Colombia.

Second seed Cameron Norrie of Great Britain continued his solid play as the former TCU star eliminated Spain’s Roberto Ortega-Olmedo, 6-4, 6-3. The 22-year-old won 74 per cent of his first service points and broke serve three times to advance in one hour and nine minutes. Earlier this month Norrie won the Tiburon and Stockton Challengers and has moved up more than 100 spots in the Emirates ATP World Tour rankings in the past month where he currently sits at a career-high No. 110.

Next up for Norrie will be fellow Brit Brydan Klein. He had upset on his mind as he joined Norrie in the second round with a strong 7-6, 6-4 win over US-American and No. 3 seeded Bjorn Fratangelo.

US-Americans Reilly Opelka, Bradley Klahn and qualifier Jared Hiltzik all advanced with last week’s Fairfield $100,000 Challenger finalist Klahn the only one needing three sets as he beat Christopher O’Connell of Australia, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

The wild-card doubles team of Cameron Lickle and former world top 20 player Vince Spadea fell in their doubles match to the No. 3-seeded team of Hans Hach Verdugo of Mexico and US-American Dennis Novikov, 6-3, 6-4.

RESULTS – OCTOBER 17, 2017

Men’s Singles – First Round

[1] T. Sandgren (USA) def. [Q] B. Lock (ZIM) 6-2 6-4

[2] C. Norrie (GBR) def. R. Ortega-Olmedo (ESP) 6-4 6-3

B. Klein (GBR) def. [3] B. Fratangelo (USA) 7-6(2) 6-4

[7] S. Groth (AUS) def. [WC] M. Torpegaard (DEN) 6-3 6-4

[8] R. Opelka (USA) def. J. Clarke (GBR) 7-6(2) 6-4

L. Miedler (AUT) def. [Q] K. Sell (BRA) 7-6(11) 4-6 7-5

[Q] J. Choinski (GER) def. [WC] A. Cozbinov (MDA) 4-6 6-4 6-4

[PR] B. Klahn (USA) def. C. O’Connell (AUS) 3-6 7-5 6-3

[Q] J. Hiltzik (USA) def. [LL] T. Garanganga (ZIM) 6-2 6-2

L. Broady (GBR) def. [LL] A. Rybakov (USA) 7-6(5) 6-3

Men’s Doubles – Quarterfinals

[3] H. Hach Verdugo (MEX) / D. Novikov (USA) def. J. Clarke (GBR) / M. Willis (GBR) walkover

First Round

[2] J. Chaplin (AUS) / M. Libietis (LAT) def. M. Barton (AUS) / G. Jones (AUS) 7-6(5) 6-2

[3] H. Hach Verdugo (MEX) / D. Novikov (USA) def. [WC] C. Lickle (USA) / V. Spadea (USA) 6-3 6-4

[WC] B. Lock (ZIM) / C. Lock (ZIM) def. [4] B. Klahn (USA) / M. McDonald (USA) walkover

K. King (USA) / R. Roelofse (RSA) def. N. Milojevic (SRB) / J. Satral (CZE) walkover