Former World No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic got off to a good start at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open on Monday, defeating German Peter Gojowczyk 7-5, 7-5 after one hour and 43 minutes.
The 34-year-old Serbian, who has undergone seven surgeries on his lower body over the years, is now 4-3 at tour-level this year. Tipsarevic began the season without an ATP Ranking, as the Australian Open was his first tournament since the 2017 US Open.
The four-time ATP Tour titlist who now has 285 tour-level wins, will next face Hugo Dellien, the first Bolivian to win an ATP Tour match at Rio de Janeiro in February. Dellien knocked out the experienced eighth-seeded Italian Andreas Seppi 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 in one hour and 52 minutes.
Fifth seed Radu Albot, this year's Delray Beach champion, battled past Italian Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(6), 7-6(3) after one hour and 54 minutes, winning just two more points than his opponent in the match. The Moldovan will play Cordoba winner Juan Ignacio Londero, who advanced on Sunday, for a spot in the quarter-finals.
American Denis Kudla recorded just the fifth clay-court match win of his career in a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory, which featured 24 break points, against Jordan Thompson of Australia over two hours and 33 minutes. Kudla now plays Chilean Nicolas Jarry, who ousted seventh-seeded Australian Matthew Ebden 6-2, 7-6(4).
Elsewhere, Japan’s Taro Daniel overcame Spanish qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in one hour and 56 minutes to set up a second-round clash against Houston and Munich champion Cristian Garinreadfullarticle
