ATP: Rublev returns, an Indian achieves a milestone

Andrey Rublev has successfully started his title defence in Umag. Two semi-finalists have already been determined in Newport.

Andrey Rublev had to take a break for three months, and now the Russian has returned to the tennis circus at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Umag. So at the event where Rublev celebrated his first tournament victory last year as Lucky Loser. In 2018 he will at least reach the quarter-finals: Rublev defeated Félix Auger-Aliassime, who came into the main field with a wildcard, in three sets and will now face Robin Haase.

Rublev and the Dutchman are the last two remaining seeders on the upper branch, in the lower half only Marco Cecchinato. The French Open semi-finalist will face Laso Djere from Serbia. Djere had defeated Maximilian Marterer in the round of 16.

The Indian Ramkumar Ramanathan celebrated a premiere at the tournament in Newport: Ramanathan, who defeated Dominic Thiem on grass in Antalya last year, entered the semi-finals of the ATP Tour for the first time after winning two sets against Vasek Pospisil from Canada. There Ramanathan will meet Tim Smyczek, who finished the amazing run of Jason Jung from Taiwan in the quarter-finals.

Not quite ready yet are tournament favourite Adrian Mannarino and third seed Steve Johnson. The two are only fighting for a place in the semi-finals today. Johnson versus Dudi Sela, Mannarino versus Marcel Granollers.

In Bastad, Gerald Melzer missed a great opportunity against Richard Gasquet, but lost after leading the round in the round of 16. The German-speaking hopes are thus in the doubles: with Jürgen Melzer and Philipp Petzschner and Philipp Oswald and his Belarusian partner Max Mirnyi.

Here the single tableau in Umag

Here the single tableau in Newport

Here the single tableau in Bastad