Eighth seed Kei Nishikori overcame a slow start to advance to the second round at Roland Garros on Tuesday, blasting 47 winners to beat Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Nishikori, a quarter-finalist in Paris in 2015, is making his seventh appearance at the clay-court Grand Slam.

The Japanese right-hander reached the fourth round last year before falling to Frenchman Richard Gasquet. He will next face Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, who beat Moldova’s Radu Albot 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(3).

Nishikori has had an up-and-down European clay-court season so far. He reached the quarter-finals at the Mutua Madrid Open before withdrawing before his last-eight match against Novak Djokovic because of a lingering right wrist injury. The 27-year-old Nishikori fell to Juan Martin del Potro in the third round in Rome but reached the semi-finals last week in Geneva (l. to Mischa Zverev).

#NextGenATP Aussie Kokkinakis was making his first Grand Slam appearance since the 2015 US Open. He was going for his first Grand Slam win since two years ago at Roland Garros. The 6’5” 21 year old underwent surgery on his right shoulder in December 2015 and has played only two singles matches since then, including an opening loss last week in Lyon to Denis Istomin.

Go inside the tournament at RolandGarros.com.

Joao Domingues is eager to lift more trophies on the ATP Challenger Tour now that he has a taste for the top prizes. The Portuguese clinched his first title with a 7-6(4), 6-4 triumph over Sebastian Ofner in Mestre, Italy, on Sunday.

Two years removed from his last Challenger main draw in Barranquilla, Colombia, the 23 year old was making just his third appearance on the circuit. Having enjoyed the majority of his success at the ITF Futures level, claiming seven titles from 18 finals, he is eager to take the leap to the next level.

“I’m very happy with this win, it’s my first title on the ATP Challenger Tour,” said Domingues. “I’m playing very well this year, so I couldn’t be happier right now. It makes me feel proud and motivated to get better and better.”

Domingues was made to fight for the trophy, prevailing in a trio of tight three-set matches to open his account in Mestre. He became the eighth first-time winner on the ATP Challenger Tour this year and second from Portugal. Pedro Sousa also claimed victory on the Italian clay, prevailing in Francavilla del Mare last month. Domingues admits the title was on his mind over the weekend.

“I played my game, it was very solid. I felt comfortable all week,” added the Portuguese. “I tried not to think about it (winning the trophy). Sometimes it is impossible because it is normal to be nervous, especially in your first Challenger final. I won, so I did a good job.”

Riding a wave of confidence after a breakthrough week at the Millennium Estoril Open, his home ATP World Tour event, Domingues’ maiden triumph on the ATP Challenger Tour comes as no surprise. Less than a month ago, he turned in a stunning run to the second round in Estoril, scoring his first tour-level match win over World No. 41 Kyle Edmund after emerging from qualifying. 

Domingues had never beaten a Top 200 player entering the week and nearly notched back-to-back signature victories, falling 7-5 in the third set to Kevin Anderson in the second round. It proved to be the catalyst for his success in Mestre.

“It was a big confidence boost for me,” said the Porto resident. “It was a great tournament for me.”

A year ago, he was at No. 542 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. However, as a reward for his Estoril exploits and breaking new Challenger ground in Mestre, Domingues climbs to a career-high No. 176, making his debut in the Top 200.

Despite such a rapid rise, Domingues remains focused on his goals for the remainder of the 2017 season. He will look to carry the momentum into this week’s Challenger stop in Vicenza, Italy, where he opens against Uladzimir Ignatik of Belarus.

“I must keep working, keep trying to do my best and to play better tennis.”

#NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev evened his first-round contest against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 4-6, 6-3 before darkness suspended play on Monday evening at Roland Garros.

The ninth-seeded Zverev is fresh off his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome earlier this month (d. Djokovic). The win catapulted the 20-year-old German to No. 10 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, the first time he’s joined the elite group.

In Paris, Zverev, who reached the Roland Garros junior boys’ final just four years ago, is looking to get past the third round and achieve his best showing at a Grand Slam. The 6’6” right-hander reached the third round last year during his Roland Garros debut (l. to Thiem), at 2016 Wimbledon (l. to Berdych) and at the Australian Open earlier this year (l. to Nadal).

The 33-year-old Verdasco, meanwhile, is making his 14^th consecutive appearance at Roland Garros and his 56^th consecutive Grand Slam showing. He’s 12-1 in first round contests, with his only opening loss coming in 2005 to Robin Soderling.

Zverev beat Verdasco earlier this month on clay at the Mutua Madrid Open, but it was the Spaniard who started better on Monday, breaking Zverev twice in the first set and clinching the opener with a service winner. Zverev, however, bounced back in the second, recovering from an early break to even the contest after 80 minutes. They will resume their contest after a WTA match begins play on Tuesday on Philippe-Chatrier Court.

In other action, 10^th seed David Goffin needed only one hour and 50 minutes to beat 35-year-old French qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Last year, Goffin marked his best Grand Slam result by reaching the last eight at Roland Garros (l. to Thiem). Goffin will next play Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky, who beat Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4).

“I wanted to be aggressive. I wanted to be involved in the match from the start. There was an early break in the first and second sets, so I put a lot of pressure on him and I made him move quite a lot,” Goffin said. “I served well when it mattered. I was quite accurate and precise. So, on the whole, three straight sets that were quite solid.”

Richard Gasquet, the 24^th seed, broke Belgian qualifier Arthur De Greef, who was making his Grand Slam debut, seven times to advance 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Gasquet moves into the second round for the seventh consecutive time. “I’m happy I decided to hang on and stay there, I did my best,” Gasquet said.

The 30-year-old Frenchman, though, surely has his sights set on matching his career-best run of a year ago in Paris, when he advanced to the Roland Garros quarter-finals before losing to eventual finalist Andy Murray.

Gasquet, who’s playing in his 14^th Roland Garros, will next face Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic. Estrella Burgos came back from two sets down to beat Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-7(11), 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-3, 6-2.

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Spaniard David Ferrer battled American Donald Young for nearly four and a half hours before coming through 5-7, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 13-11. Ferrer, who recently celebrated his 700^th match win, hit 13 aces and won 80 per cent of his first-serve points (86/108).

He will next face countryman Feliciano Lopez, who also prevailed past an American. Lopez beat Pittsburgh native Bjorn Fratangelo 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-3. Lopez is playing in his 61^st consecutive Grand Slam, the longest streak amongst active players.

Go inside the tournament at RolandGarros.com.