The opening day of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell saw ten first round singles matches completed in addition to one doubles match. Among the winners were Kei Nishikori, Pablo Andujar and Egor Gerasimov.
2014, 2015 champion Nishikori ousts Pella, Gerasimov beats Tsonga
Nishikori, a two-time champion in Barcelona, overcame a 6-4, 4-2 deficit against Guido Pella to post a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory in two hours, 39 minutes. The Japanese broke three times in the final set to improve to 23-6 at the tournament lifetime.
"He had the match today at 6-5, serving for the [match]", he said. "He was much better in the first and second [sets] and up 3-0 in the tie-break. I don't know how I fought through. [In the] third set, I was playing much better.
"I was making so many unforced errors in the first and second [sets]. Maybe he got a little bit tired and I was playing strong in the third set. I want to take that to the next round... the way I fought today and the way I played in the third set was good."
Gerasimov made his debut at the event with a 7-5, 6-1 over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The Belarusian was efficient on break points, converting four of his five chances in the 80-minute contest.
Spaniards go undefeated on opening day
Andujar opened the action on Pista Rafa Nadal with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win over Gilles Simon, breaking the Frenchman six times. Joining him in round two was Jaume Munar, who saved seven of eight break points in a 6-3, 7-5 win over Thiago Monteiro and qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles, who came from a set down to oust fellow qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-1.
In addition to going 3-0 in singles, there was a home victory in doubles as wild cards Carlos Alcaraz and Pablo Carreno Busta upset the fourth-seeded duo of Wesley Koolhof and Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-1.
Other results
In another battle of qualifiers, Ilya Ivashka cruised past Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-1 while lucky loser Federico Gaio upset Benoit Paire 7-5, 6-3. Jeremy Chardy overcame Doha champion Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
There were straight set wins for Pierre-Hugues Herbert over Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal 7-5, 6-0 as well as Cameron Norrie, who had difficulty in beating Salvatore Caruso 6-1, 6-2.