Rotterdam has never been a happy hunting ground for David Goffin. But the in-form Belgian took the first step to turning that around on Wednesday when he defeated Andrey Kuznetsov 6-3, 6-2 to score his first win in four appearances at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament.

It was stark contrast to his debut at this ATP World Tour 500 tournament four years ago, when he went down to Jarkko Nieminen without winning a single game. First round defeats followed in 2015 (l. to Baghdatis) and 2016 (l. to Muller).

Watch full match replays at Tennis TV

“I am feeling good,” said Goffin, whose runner-up finish at the Garanti Koza Sofia Open last week (l. to Dimitrov) came on the heels of a quarter-final showing at the Australian Open (l. to Dimitrov). “I am playing really well and pleased with the victory, especially against Andrey – a good indoor player. He can play fast, so it was not an easy first round. I served well when I needed to and I am happy to win my first match in Rotterdam. I had a great week in Sofia and I’ve come here with a lot of confidence.

“I remember the first time I played in Rotterdam and I didn’t win any games against Jarkko Nieminen. The tournament isn’t far from Belgium and I have support here.”

Qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert is the first player through to the quarter-finals after defeating Evgeny Donskoy 6-2, 7-6(4). The Frenchman could face second seed Dominic Thiem in what will be his first tour-level quarter-final since reaching the Winston-Salem Open final in 2015 (l. to Anderson). Thiem plays his first-round match against Alexander Zverev on Wednesday evening. 

Conjuring memories of a maiden run to an ATP World Tour final 12 months ago, Taylor Fritz is again tasting success at the Memphis Open. The #NextGenATP player saved three match points in his opening round to take down No. 8 seed Yen-Hsun Lu 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(7) in a thrilling two-hour, 10-minute affair on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old did not break serve throughout and was forced to fend off three match points in the deciding-set tie-break before he clinched the match on his first. Australian qualifier Matthew Ebden is next.

“It was tough. I was just thinking, don’t think about it,” Fritz said. “These are the moments I play for, these pressure moments. They’re my favourite things about the sport.

“One of them [a match point], he was just pounding the forehands and I was just like thinking during the point one of these he’s just going to finish me. Sometimes you just find a way and you can’t explain it.”

Last year, Fritz entered the event as a wild card and went all the way to the final before a defeat to Kei Nishikori. It was just his third tour-level event.

“I really didn’t want to lose in the first round,” he said. “I’m all about progress coming back to a tournament I played the year before and wanting to do just as well or better.”

Fellow American #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe was not so fortunate. Tim Smyczek defeated the 19-year-old 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in Tuesday night’s last match.

Qualifier Smyczek looked to be cruising with a set and a 5-2 lead in the second set only to lose five straight games to level the match. Tiafoe, currently at a career-best No. 91 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, continued the momentum swing in his favour when he broke for 2-1 in the deciding set, before his countryman steadied to book a second-round meeting with No. 4 seed Steve Johnson.

Former champion Tommy Robredo’s season debut is off to a flying start with the 34-year-old seeing off No. 7 seed Fabio Fognini in the first round of the Argentina Open on Tuesday. The Spaniard inched ahead in the pair’s FedEx Head2Head series 5-4 with the 6-4, 6-3 result.

Having undergone right elbow surgery last season, the former World No. 16 in the Emirates ATP Rankings arrived in Buenos Aires on a protected ranking of No. 57. But against Fognini, there were few signs of any rust.

He broke the Italian four times in the one-hour, 13-minute affair. He will next face either Victor Estrella Burgos or Thiago Monteiro.

Robredo’s countryman, fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas, had a far more difficult task reaching the second round. Ramos-Vinolas narrowly edged home hopeful Guido Pella 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(6).

In a clash of former Top 20 players, Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov had a convincing win over Serbian wild card Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-3. Argentine wild card Carlos Berloq scored a 6-4, 6-4 result over Slovak qualifier Jozef Kovalik, while Berloq’s countrymen Guido Andreozzi and Renzo Olivo battled it out over three sets.

Qualifier Andreozzi emerged with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win, joining fellow qualifier, Italian Alessandro Giannessi, in the second round. Giannessi beat Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-4, saving a match point in the process.

Had any other 18 year old experienced such a year, it would have been a dream debut season. During Taylor Fritz’s first full year on the ATP World Tour, the American reached the final of the Memphis Open presented by ServiceMaster in only his second ATP World Tour tournament. He went on to make the quarter-finals in Acapulco and Atlanta.

The #NextGenATP star finished the season even stronger, ending the year as the youngest player in the Top 100, which earned him the ATP Star Of Tomorrow presented by Emirates award.

“That was a big thing for him to get the award from the ATP [World Tour],” said David Nainkin, Fritz’s lead coach.

Yet both Fritz and Nainkin look back at 2016 with measured applause. Fritz experienced incredible moments, such as his final run at the Memphis Open. But he also struggled to adjust to a full 10-month ATP World Tour schedule and the physical play that dominates the ATP World Tour these days.

“I think 2016, to sum it up, was a big learning year for him. It was his first time playing a full European clay court, grass court, playing the full, big circuit. And I think he had a real taste of what it takes,” Nainkin said. “I think he had an OK 2016, to be honest.”

Fritz struggled with a nagging left-knee injury that bothered him for much of the second half of the year. The 6’4″ right-hander was unable to strongly push off his left leg and sometimes had to favour his right leg during matches.

The injury contributed to his up-and-down debut year, during which he finished 15-22, and picked away at his confidence. But Fritz believes the knee injury is behind him now, and he’s returned to where his memorable first year began, at the Memphis Open. Here, he hopes to ignite another good start in his home country.

“It was just a really good week for me. I want to have more weeks like that, and now I’m back again and it’s really nice to be back,” Fritz told ATPWorldTour.com this week. “It just feels really good being here because I know I played so well last year. Everything feels right when I’m here.”

Fritz roared into the 2016 Memphis Open. He had finished 2015 as the No. 1 junior in the world, and he had raced through the ATP Challenger Tour, winning back-to-back Challengers in Sacramento and Fairfield.

He arrived in Memphis already in the Top 150 of the Emirates ATP Rankings and the top Next Gen ATP American. Fritz’s run to the final only increased the buzz around his big game. “Last year was just a really big breakthrough for me. It definitely got me started,” he said of his Memphis final.

The right-hander backed it up with a quarter-final in Acapulco and by qualifying and making the second round at the Miami Open presented by Itau, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament. But when the season shifted to clay, Fritz’s knee injury flared up and puzzled him at the start.

It had bothered him in past months, including during his Memphis run, but it had always been treatable. Yet as the season wore on, hours on the physio table could no longer make the pain go away. Multiple MRIs didn’t provide any more helpful information, either.

Fritz’s mobility was limited but he could still play, although his results suffered. He couldn’t replicate his Memphis final run and, even when including qualifying contests, he didn’t win more than two consecutive matches again until the Shanghai Rolex Masters in October.

The American endured his share of unlucky first-round draws as well. He drew Borna Coric on clay at Roland Garros, Stan Wawrinka at Wimbledon, Jack Sock at the Australian Open and the US Open and Roger Federer in the second round of Stuttgart.

The losing stretches dented his confidence. “When you’re used to winning as much as he did in juniors, ending No. 1 in the world and then dominating at the Challenger level, suddenly being beaten by guys that are just a little stronger and better at that time was probably a little bit of an adjustment for him,” Nainkin said. “When it happens to you for the first time… you do lose some confidence but that’s just natural.”

Nainkin and Fritz, however, were both encouraged by his Asian swing results. Fritz won three consecutive matches against Top 100 players for the first time in his career, and he matched his best result at a Masters 1000 by making the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters.

Fritz knows it was no coincidence that he went through “a ton of rehab” on his left knee before heading east. “We think it’s just weakness, just kind of wear and tear,” he said of the injury. “It felt really good for Tokyo and Shanghai. And towards the end of the year it felt pretty good, so I think [rehab] was the answer.”

He focused his off-season on his health, taking four weeks off from tennis and working on strengthening his body, particularly the knee. He’s applying those lessons to this year as well. Fritz finally gave in to co-coach Mardy Fish, a former Top 10 player, who’s been telling him to hire a full-time physio for the past 18 months.

“He’s been, every single day, relentless, telling me to stop being cheap and get a physio,” Fritz said.

The 19-year-old California native has gleaned broader, everyday lessons from his first 12 months on the ATP World Tour as well. “Every single week you just have to be on it, be ready to play your best tennis. You can’t get by, you can’t really win matches if you’re not playing your best tennis,” Fritz said. “That’s what it felt like. It’s just constant, a lot of playing and you always have to be at your best. You always have to prepare and do all the right things on and off the court.”

After a long and successful career together, Toni Nadal will no longer coach Rafael Nadal from 2018. The Spaniard will step down knowing his nephew is in good hands and will complete the remainder of the season alongside his charge.

“When we travelled to Australia I had made the decision already”, Toni Nadal told the Spanish newspaper, El Español. “I have been thinking lately that it’s getting tougher and tougher. I told my wife the decision. Now I have the chance to be a coach in the [Rafa Nadal] Academy, something that makes me very happy. Rafael will be perfectly attended by Carlos Moyà.

“When we left Melbourne I didn’t say it to Rafael but I say goodbye to everybody because I knew it was my last time. I said goodbye to the driver, the person who always has looked after us there, the tournament director.”

Toni said the decision was primarily related to the draining life of constant travel, the desire to spend more time with his family and also the excitement of having a permanent role at the academy in Manacor, where future tennis stars would be trained.

“I have been thinking this thoroughly. It’s the right time to do it,” he said. “I know how old I am, the years and years I have been travelling around the world and the tension and stress that competition produces.

“Now I am really excited to be in the academy. I step down, but [Rafael] is in good hands. Now I am going to make the most of this 2017.

“It has been a very long journey, loads of seasons. If instead of my nephew, I had coached somebody else, I would have stepped down much earlier.”

Toni said he would always be ready to give a hand when needed, even though Carlos Moyà and Francis Roig will now take the reins.

“Let’s imagine a scenario where Moyà is not available in 2018 for a few tournaments. And my nephew asks me to help him,” Toni said. “I’ll do it for sure and I’ll enjoy it. My intention is to work at the academy and if they need me, I’ll be there.”

Darian King would have deemed his Memphis Open a success had he qualified for just his second ATP World Tour main draw. Having done that, however, the 24-year-old entered uncharted territory on Tuesday when he took down No. 5 seed Bernard Tomic in the opening round to become the first player from Barbados in the Open Era to win an ATP World Tour match.

The World No. 140 in the Emirates ATP Rankings prevailed 6-4, 6-4. “Playing against Bernard, the No. 5 seed is a dream come true, playing on Centre Court especially,” King said.

“The discipline in Barbados is not as big so to come from there and compete against these guys as you can see, it’s a lot of progress. I’m glad to get my first ATP win.

“For me I played at least three years in Futures against college guys and Americans then basically had my first breakthrough in Cali, Colombia, in a Challenger against former Top 50 player Victor Estrella [Burgos]. Then I guess I kind of realised I can play.”

This was just King’s second main draw appearance after winning through qualifying in Washington, D.C in 2015. He lost first round on that occasion to Go Soeda.

“That was a great experience to qualify there but to get a win against a former Top 17 player is a thrill,” he said. “I’m stoked and hopefully I can continue. I’m glad for this win for Barbados. I trained hard for this moment.”

Ryan Harrison booked a second-round meeting with fellow American, third seed Sam Querrey. The world No. 62 in the Emirates ATP Rankings who won 85 per cent of his first-serve points to beat Russian Konstantin Kravchuk 6-3, 7-5. 

“First set was pretty straight forward. My first-serve percentage was high. I hit a lot of aces and felt like I was controlling the tempo,” Harrison said. “It kind of changed in the second, actually when I was serving out the first set I threw in two double faults and that sparked a little bit of momentum for him.

“Previous to that he had no real look at my serve. Unfortunately that led to him being more confident and me having a bit lower energy at the start of the second set.”

Matthew Ebden won the battle of the qualifiers against Peter Polansky, beating the Canadian 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-1. The Aussie awaits the winner of the match between No. 8 seed Yen-Hsun Lu and #NextGenATP player Taylor Fritz.

Robert Lindstedt had played at the Memphis Open three times prior to this year. But the Swede had always begged off on visiting St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, which is headquartered in downtown Memphis.

The hospital is a beneficiary of the Memphis Open and is often visited by ATP World Tour players during the tournament. Lindstedt had always passed on the trip because he knew what he’d see: Children battling life-threatening illnesses.

St. Jude’s treats only children with catastrophic diseases, primarily cancer, sickle cell disease and paediatric HIV. The not-for-profit hospital doesn’t charge its patients any money, instead relying on donations and grants to run the hospital, its eight affiliate clinics and its 24 partner sites throughout the world.

But on Monday, Lindstedt, his doubles partner Michael Venus and six other ATP World Tour players, including Joe Salisbury, David O’Hare, Philipp Oswald, James Cerretani, Brian Baker and Connor Glennon all received a tour of the hospital and met with patients and their families.

“It’s tough. It’s very tough,” Lindstedt said. “But I felt this time I really had to go and my girlfriend actually forced me into it. But I’m really happy that I did.”

About 80 per cent of the hospital’s patients suffer from cancer, said JD Peeples, St. Jude’s director of sports marketing, who gave the players the tour. The hospital doesn’t turn any children away, but patients must be referred by a treating physician and have a disease the hospital is currently researching.

Families at St. Jude’s often have already endured rapid changes to their lives. One morning, they could be visiting their local doctor when they find out their child has cancer. Hours later, they could be flying to St. Jude’s. Those families might leave their homes with the clothes on their back and not return home for another three years, Peeples said.

“A lot of the families that come here are really under a lot of stress,” he told the players.

But the visit from the ATP World Tour players gave the children something to enjoy. The kids bounced from one player to the next, smiling and asking the players to sign their yellow Memphis Open stress balls and their Memphis Open posters.

St. Jude patient Keeton grinned as he hopped his way through the autograph line. He’s 4 and was diagnosed with leukaemia on 26 September 2016. “He enjoys anything that has to do with a ball,” his mother, Ginna Lepard, said.

The visit affected the players as well, including the doubles team of Lindstedt and Venus.

“Worries you have or problems you think you have are nothing compared to what you see these families and kids going through,” Venus said. “These kids are obviously fighting some pretty huge things here. They’re walking around and they’ve got a smile on their face. It’s pretty special.”

Lindstedt especially was glad he made time for the visit this year. “It’s humbling, isn’t it? You always talk about perspective in life… All your worries just seem pity,” he said.

“I didn’t know how St. Jude operates. But it’s just phenomenal that a place [like this] can exist… It’s just phenomenal. And to see the kids being happy to see you, and you see a little brightness in their eyes when you sign something. It’s, it’s unreal.”