John Isner defeated fellow US player Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-4 to win his first career match at the Monte Carlo Masters on Monday, while 13th seed Ernests Gulbis fell 6-1, 6-0 to Andreas Haider-Maurer.
Isner, seeded 15, has only ventured onto European clay this early in a spring once before in a career that began eight years ago.
However, a defeat in the 2013 first round did little to boost confidence for the self-confessed US homebody who feels out of his depth culturally in Europe and prefers to stay on his side of the Atlantic whenever possible.
Photo: Reuters
Isner reached the Miami semi-finals two weeks ago, where he lost to Novak Djokovic. He then crashed out as top seed last week in Houston.
“I like this court, even if I’ve not played much on it,” the winner said. “I’m just happy to be off to a good start in 2015.”
“I’m not the best mover on the clay, so I think serve-and-volley can be a good tactic when an opponent is far back on the baseline. I hope to keep going here,” Isner said.
Photo: Reuters
Isner finished his afternoon with back-to-back aces — his 12th and 13th — as he advanced.
Gulbis refused to bow to stress, as the laid-back Latvian exited timidly, a 6-1, 6-0 first-round victim of Austria’s Haider-Maurer.
The admittedly slumping world No. 17 suffered his eighth loss from nine matches played this season, which began with a shoulder injury carried over from last year that disrupted his preparation for this year.
Nevertheless, the 26-year-old who shocked the sport with a Roland Garros semi-final last spring, is far from panic stations.
With supreme logic, the loveable outsider quickly analyzed the situation: “Have I ever won more than two rounds in this tournament? No. Is it something new? No.”
“I’m still ranked in the top 20 in the world. I have a lot of points to defend, but no problem. Listen, I won two tournaments in the south of France [last year], Marseille and Nice. I always play well in the south of France. It’s nothing,” Gulbis said.
“I focus on every match, every place. Maybe it doesn’t look like it, but I’m trying to give my best on every point,” he said.
Elsewhere in the first round, Spanish 12th seed Roberto Bautista Agut began with a 6-0, 6-2 hammering of German Benjamin Becker, while 2013 semi-finalist Fabio Fognini of Italy defeated Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz 6-3, 6-1.
Alexandr Dolgopolov stopped Croatian teenager Borna Coric 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in two-and-a-quarter hours; Joao Sousa of Portugal beat Edouardo Roger-Vasselin of France 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 as the tournament mourned the death on Sunday of former tournament director Patrice Dominguez after illness.
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