Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun beat Alexander Zverev, a Citi Open semi-finalist, 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto on Tuesday.
The 19-year-old German was making his tournament debut ranked a career-best 25th — he is the youngest in the top 25 since Richard Gasquet 11 years ago.
Lu is to next take on Canadian fourth seed and Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic, the 2013 finalist who lost his opening match at home a year ago.
Photo: AP
“If a 10,000 crowd is against you, even if you prepare for it, it is still a shock,” Lu said of his likely Raonic scenario.
“I will be a little bit nervous. I hope I can play my best tennis and try to enjoy the 10,000 people against me,” Lu added.
Stanislas Wawrinka had to pass a stern two-hour test before emerging with a 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/8) victory over Mikhail Youzhny for a third-round berth.
The second-seeded two-time Grand Slam champion was joined in the third round by fifth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych, who dispatched Croatian Borna Coric 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the only other second-round match of the day.
Berdych was caught on the back foot in his opening set against Coric, with the Croatian losing a mere four points on serve.
However, Berdych found his game in the second set, winning five straight games to squeeze into a deciding third set, where he prevailed.
In first-round action, Gael Monfils followed up his first tournament title in more than two years by barreling through to victory.
The flamboyant Frenchman, seeded 10th and fresh off his triumph in Washington, defeated Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-3.
Monfils, who defeated big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic in the Citi Open final in Washington on Sunday, said conditions are different in Toronto.
“I think the court is slower here. It is, for sure, less humidity and a little bit colder,” he said. “The balls are flying more. It is quite a big change, actually.”
French 13th seed Lucas Pouille joined Monfils in advancing, as he beat Emilio Gomez of Ecuador 6-7 (8/10), 6-4, 7-5. Veteran Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek knocked out French 14th seed Benoit Paire 6-1, 6-3 to book a date with Canadian wild-card Peter Polansky.
A freshly shaven-headed Fabio Fognini dismissed 15th seed Steve Johnson 6-4, 6-4, while Canadian Vasek Pospisil earned a home win as Jeremy Chardy was forced to retire, trailing 7-6 (7/3).
Karlovic gave away nearly two decades to Taylor Fritz, but the 37-year-old Croatian beat the teenager 6-7 (9/11), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.
The top eight seeds enjoyed first-round byes, with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic due to launch his campaign yesterday against Gilles Muller.
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