Too many cooks in the kitchen? Not when the ATP World Tour stars in Vienna for the Erste Bank Open 500 swapped their tennis gear for chef hats and aprons as they learned to make the perfect Wiener Schnitzel.

David Ferrer, Feliciano Lopez, Lucas Pouille, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan took their places behind the stovetops in an exclusive cooking class at the Plachuttas Gasthaus Zut Oper. The pros donned their personalised aprons and hats and each took on a particular role in making the schnitzel: slicing the veal in a rainbow cut, pounding the meat, covering it in flour and seasoning, dipping it in beaten eggs and bread crumbs, then finally deep frying and serving up the meal.

“I never did this before,” said Ferrer. “It’s difficult but it’s nice. It was a good experience. Maybe in the future I can cook it.”

“It was cool that they got us all decked out in chef gear,” said Bob Bryan, who taste-tested his own schnitzel. “It didn’t make us better chefs but we looked good.”

“My wife’s going to be very proud of me for cooking a meal… she’s going to be ecstatic when she sees this,” added Mike Bryan.

The players were all given certificates to celebrate their cooking class and were invited to stay for a special three course dinner along with their family and friends. No confirmation on whether or not the courses included their personally made Wiener Schnitzel!

But Lopez ultimately ended his experience optimistically, saying “I wish I could be the best cook in the world because I love food.”

The top ace leaders in this year’s Infosys ATP Scores & Stats served their way into the second round of the Erste Bank Open 500 on Monday in Vienna.

Eighth seed Ivo Karlovic, the top ace hitter before Monday with 1,003, blasted 16 more while beating Steve Johnson 7-6(5), 6-3. Karlovic, who also swept Johnson in Washington, saved all six break points against the American, who reached his first ATP World Tour final in Vienna last season (l. to Ferrer).

View more statistics at the ATP Stats LEADERBOARDS

The 37-year-old Croatian will meet Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur, who outlasted Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 in one hour and 40 minutes.

John Isner, who entered Monday second in aces with 997, struck 18 aces and saved all seven break points in his comeback win against German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4. The American, who now has 1,015 aces, surpassed the 1,000 mark for the fourth time in his career. He also did in 2010, 2012 and 2015.

Karlovic has led the ATP World Tour in aces five times: 2007-09, ’14-15; Isner, three times: 2010, ’12-13. Isner will look to pad his total against seventh seed Lucas Pouille or Spaniard Feliciano Lopez in the second round.

The youngest player in the Vienna draw also used some efficient serving to advance. Russian wild card Karen Khachanov won 82 per cent of his first-serve points to dismiss Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4 in 69 minutes. The 20 year old, a member of the ATP Next Generation, captured his maiden title earlier this month at the Chengdu Open (d. Ramos-Vinolas). Khachanov will next face second seed Tomas Berdych or Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Berdych is trying to make a final push to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Czech is currently in ninth place in the Emirates ATP Race To London, 325 points behind eighth-placed Dominic Thiem, who’s the third seed in Vienna, his home tournament.

View the Emirates ATP Race To London standings