VIENNA, October 20, 2015

Opening round action heated up at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna on Tuesday with four of the top 6 seeds playing on centre court.

Top-seed David Ferrer opened his title quest with a 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos. The world number 8 won three of his four break points to gain his fifth victory over Ramos in their fifth tour meeting. The match lasted one hour and 52 minutes.

Third favourite John Isner scraped into the second round, firing 16 aces past French qualifier Kenny de Schepper in a 7-6, 7-6 victory. The world number 12 from the United States closed the encounter without any service loss after one hour and 42 minutes. “In a way, he’s like a left-handed version of me,” said Isner. “I thought he served very well. He served a high percentage. The match came down to a few points, which I was able to win. I’m happy with my performance.”

Sixth seed Gael Monfils rallied back from a set down to oust Thomaz Bellucci, winning 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. The 29-year-old Frenchman converted four of his 13 break Point chances to prevail in two hours and 28 minutes facing Paolo Lorenzi next, who beat Rajeev Ram 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and 15 minutes.

Jerzy Janowicz knocked out local favourite Dominic Thiem through a 2-6,7-6, 6-4 victory. The Polish was too solid for the fifth seed from Austria, firing 10 aces and winning 84% of his first service soints. Janowicz converted his first match point after exactly two hours of play to set a second round meeting with US-American Steve Johnson, who beat Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in one hour and 25 minutes.

“This was not a bad match, but in the second set my serve wasn’t the best. I also lost the opening game of the third set. This made the difference in the end,” a disappointed Thiem analyzed afterwards.