Almagro Bows Out In Barcelona Opener

Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili came back from the brink to overcome former finalist Nicolas Almagro 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-2 on Monday at the Barcelona Open BancSabadell. Almagro, the 2013 runner-up (l. to Nadal), made a first-round exit for just the second time in 13 appearances at this ATP World Tour 500 clay-court tournament.

World No. 54 Gabashvili saved two match points while serving down 3-5 in the second set and broke Almagro to love in the next game. He clinched the victory after two hours and 11 minutes as he capitalised on his seventh match point opportunity.

There were mixed results for NextGen stars on Monday. Eighteen-year-old Alexander Zverev, the 2015 ATP Star of Tomorrow presented by Emirates, dismissed fellow German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-3. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Hyeon Chung fell to Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri 6-3, 6-4.

Another 19 year old, qualifier Karen Khachanov, went the distance to defeat Great Britain’s Aljaz Bedene 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) in two hours and four minutes. He recorded his first ATP World Tour main draw win since a quarter-final effort three years ago in Moscow.

Four-time finalist and No. 3 seed David Ferrer will start his Barcelona campaign against Radek Stepanek. The Czech qualifier, the oldest player in the main draw at 37 years of age, defeated Colombian Santiago Giraldo 6-4, 7-5.

A pair of Spaniards also advanced on the first day of main draw action. Wild card Albert Montanes beat countryman Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-3, while Inigo Cervantes advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Croatian qualifier Franko Skugor.