One of the most anticipated ATP World Tour 500 events kicked off with four first round singles matches and two first round doubles matches at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

The singles winners were Cameron Norrie, Kei Nishikori, Andy Murray and Marton Fucsovics while the doubles saw the Russian duo of Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev as well as Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin advance.

Murray fights back against Haase while Nishikori beats Auger-Aliassime; Norrie, Fucsovics also claim second round spots

Murray needed two hours, 29 minutes to defeat Robin Haase 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the first meeting between the two players in five years.

Things didn't look good early on for the 2009 champion as Haase sprinted out to a 4-1 double break lead in the first set, eventually closing it out three games later.

Haase plays a backhand during his first-round match against Murray/Photo: Pim Waslander/ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
Haase plays a backhand during his first-round match against Murray/Photo: Pim Waslander/ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament

Murray fought back and saved a pair of break points in the seventh game of the second set and he would eventually prevail in a tiebreaker. 

Haase then took a 3-0 lead in the third set before the Brit extended the rallies and took the final six games of the match to book a spot in the second round.

"I think from the mental side I did really well to win because I was really struggling with my game for about an hour and a half", he said following the win. "I found a way and at the end actually started to play a bit better."

Nishikori was victorious against the only seeded player to see action as the Japanese star knocked off seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-6 (4), 6-1. 

After a tight first set that saw little between the two, Nishikori won the final three points of the tiebreaker and took 25 of 34 points in the second set after Auger-Aliassime needed on-court treatment for a knee injury after the first game of the second set.

"It was a very tight game, he was serving great especially in the first set and he won a lot on first serve", he said. "I played solidly in the tiebreakand served well on the last couple of points. It was easier, in the second set, with his injury, but I was more comfortable and striking the ball better."

Norrie led off the tournament by winning the first seven games of the match in his 6-0, 6-3 drubbing of Nikoloz Basilashvili. The British qualifier won the final five games of the match after trailing 3-1 in the second set.

Fucsovics held off Reilly Opelka 7-6 (2), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) after two hours, 51 minutes of action. Withstanding 17 aces from the American, the Hungarian qualifier tipped the match in his favor with a forehand winner at 4-4 in the third set tiebreaker.

Russians, Frenchmen seal second round spots in doubles

The doubles field in Rotterdam is, like the singles, packed with big names and Khachanov and Rublev got things started with a 6-1, 3-6 [10-2] over Dusan Lajovic and Stan Wawrinka.

Lajovic (l.) and Wawrinka (r.) during their doubles match/Photo: Pim Waslander/ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament
Lajovic (l.) and Wawrinka (r.) during their doubles match/Photo: Pim Waslander/ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament

Chardy and Martin were victorious over the Dutch team of Sander Arends and David Pel, who had upset the top two seeds in qualifying by a 6-4, 6-4 score.

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