Anderson Opens Nice Stay With Win

Kevin Anderson knocked out a 2016 titlist and earned his third match win of the season on Tuesday at the Open de Nice Cote d’ Azur in France. The South African hit seven aces and won 70 per cent of his service points to dismiss Diego Schwartzman, the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open champion, 7-6(4), 6-3.

After winning the first-set tie-break, Anderson broke the Argentine to go up 3-1. The No. 3 seed then erased both second-set break points to advance.

Anderson has dealt with left knee and right shoulder problems and underwent minor ankle surgery on 15 March. The World No. 20 has extra incentive to stay healthy this week: He turns 30 on Wednesday. In the third round, he will face No. 5 seed Joao Sousa. The Portuguese overcame a one-set deficit to beat Victor Estrella Burgos 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Sousa earned two early breaks in the third set and later served for the win.

World No. 63 Adrian Mannarino needed only 52 minutes to win an all-French battle and dispatch fourth seed Benoit Paire 6-3, 6-0. It’s the second time this year Mannarino has beaten Paire, No. 21 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, in straight sets. The left-hander won 6-1, 6-3 at the BNP Paribas Open.

Marcel Granollers spoiled Brian Baker’s return to Nice by beating the American 6-3, 6-1. Baker was playing in Nice for the first time since reaching the final as a qualifier in 2012 (l. to Almagro). Granollers will face #NextGen player Alexander Zverev in the second round. The 30-year-old Spaniard won their previous meeting, a three-set triumph at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters last month.

Seventh seed Andreas Seppi outlasted Daniel Munoz de la Nava 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 32 minutes. Seppi erased a match point at 4-5 in the second set. In the second round, Seppi will face Paul-Henri Mathieu, who beat #NextGen player Hyeon Chung 7-6(3), 6-3.