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Following an impressive start to his 2015 season – one that saw him end a 17-match losing sreak to Rafael Nadal en route to the semi-final round of the Australian Open – Tomas Berdych is looking to build on that momentum with strong showings in Rotterdam. His next match-up is against Gael Monfils, whom he holds a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head series.

Follow the match live here: Berdych v Monfils Live Stream

The third seed at the tournament took part in a surprisingly turbulent second round encounter against Andreas Seppi at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament. He eventually downed his Italian adversary 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-final stage of the event. As the defending champion at the event, Berdych is satisfied with his performance – one that included 10 aces and four breaks of serve in 1 hour and 28 minutes.

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“I think it was a very solid game today,” said Berdych. “The opponent was not easy at all. I had my game plan, which worked perfectly from the beginning. He just started to play much better and took his chance, the only one he had in the second set. But in the third set, I was able to finish it, get my chances and execute.”

In typical swashbuckling fashion, Gael Monfils ousted seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets to move into his second quarter-final of the season following a strong showing in Montpellier last week. The Frenchman struck nine aces to close out the match 7-5, 7-6(5) in one-hour and 41-minute match.

This marks the fifth time that Berdych and Monfils will cross paths on the ATP World Tour, with Berdych leading the series 3-1. Monfils won their most recent encounter in the 2013 French Open, but remains 0-2 against the Czech No. 1 on hard courts. It will be interesting to see if he can overturn that record this time around in Rotterdam.

Prediction: Tomas Berdych in Three Sets

Following an entertaining contest in the second round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, 2009 champion Andy Murray is through to the quarter-final stage of the tournament, where he will next meet France’s Gilles Simon to determine who will advance to the final eight on Friday. This marks the 14th time that Murray and Simon cross paths on the professional tour, with Murray leading the head to head series 12-1.

Follow the match live here: Murray v Simon Live Stream

British No. 1 Andy Murray earned his second straight set victory this week in Rotterdam, even though his contest against Vasek Pospisil was far more entertaining and competitive that the scoreline suggested. Murray struck 64% of his first service points and saved 5 of 7 break points to finish the match 6-3, 7-5. However, the second set was a turbulent affair, as Pospisil was on set point up 5-4 when he was handed a time violation that allowed Murray to break back, and eventually crushed his spirit.

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In a second round match that featured two Frenchmen, Gilles Simon overcame Jeremy Chardy with relative ease to close out the match 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour and eight minutes of court time. Simon hit 1 ace, won 83% of his first service points and didn’t face a single break point en route to the victory.

“Today I played well from the beginning till the end,” said Simon. “That was a big improvement compared to my first-round match.”

Murray and Simon had met on 13 separate occasions on the ATP World Tour, with Murray leading the series 12-1, including an 12-match win streak dating back to 2007. He has defeated his French adversary on every surface and should have little trouble maintaining that streak come Friday.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Straight Sets

2009 tournament champion Andy Murray is through to the second round in Rotterdam when he defeated Nicolas Mahut to advance. He will next face Vasek Pospisil, whom he defeated in Vienna last season to take a 1-0 head-to-head lead over the Canadian.

Follow the match live here: Murray v Pospisil Live Stream

Eager to rebound from his recent loss in the Australian Open final, Andy Murray kicked off his campaign in the indoor event in Rotterdam with a 6-3, 6-2 win against Nicolas Mahut on Wednesday. While it was a lopsided contest, it was an entertaining affair to watch, as Murray played a strong match for the majority of the encounter to jump to a 6-3, 5-0 lead. At that point, he was broken back before serving out the match in 1 hour and 33 minutes.

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“Today I served well when I was behind up until the second to last service game,” Murray said. “I was down break points in the first three service games of the second set and came up with some big serves when I needed them. Hopefully I can do a little bit better tomorrow.”

World No. 59 Vasek Pospisil reached the second round of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament following a 6-4, 6-2 dismissal of Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber. It was a strong debut for the Canadian at the ATP World Tour 500 indoor hard-court tournament, as he converted three of his four break points to win his first time encounter with the German in 1 hour and 1 minute.

This is just the second time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Murray leading the head to head series 1-0 with a victory in one of the last tournaments of the season in 2014. While Pospisil is a tough second round match for the Scot, Murray appears motivated to perform and will likely edge out a close straight sets victory.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Straight Sets

Following a strong showing in the Australian Open, Eugenie Bouchard will look to build on that momentum and live up to her billing as the top seed in the WTA Diamond Games this week in Antwerp. Her campaign to the title will begin against Mona Barthel, whom she has faced only once previously on the WTA tour. Bouchard leads the head-to-head series 1-0 and will look to extend that lead on Thursday.

Follow the match live here: Bouchard v Barthel

World No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard may have ended her 2014 season in abysmal fashion, but she appeared up to the challenge at the start of the New Year, as she reached the quarter-final stage of the Aussie Open before losing to Maria Sharapova.

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Now, armed with new coach Sam Sumyk, Bouchard will look to continue her rise up the rankings.

“I think it’s important to arrive early at a tournament when you can, and I was able to this time, so I wanted to come early and prepare,” Bouchard said. “I haven’t done much here except practicing, so I haven’t seen much of the city. But from what I’ve seen so far, I think Antwerp is a really cute city.”

“Every tournament I play, I want to try to win,” she said. “Every match is a chance to try and get better, and to try to prove to myself how well I can play. Every match is tough, too – the first round here is just as tough as the first round at Wimbledon. You go to different locations and play under different conditions, but I know I have to try my best anywhere, and I’m happy to win anywhere.”

Germany’s Mona Barthel defeated Klaartje Liebens with relative ease in her opening round match in Antwerp. She struck six aces, won 86% of her first service points, and faced no break points en route to her 6-2, 6-0 victory in 52 minutes.

This is just the second time that Bouchard and Barthel will cross paths on the professional tour, with the Canadian leading the head-to-head series 1-0. Bouchard earned that win last season in Wuhan, where she rallied from a set down to defeat Mona 4-6 6-3 6-4. Given Bouchard’s flakiness at the start of events, this could be another three-set battle to determine who will advance to the quarter-finals.

Prediction: Eugenie Bouchard in Three Sets

Following a surprisingly difficult opening round in Rotterdam, Canada’s Milos Raonic will look to make quick work of his second round opponent Simone Bolelli, whom he has met once before on the professional tour. Raonic leads the head-to-head series 1-0, with a win last season at the Rome Masters.

Follow the match here: Raonic v Bolelli Live

The world No. 6 had a difficult opening match at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, as he needed three sets to get past Andrey Kuznetsov 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-5. Raonic struck 19 aces and won 90% of his first service points, but still managed to drop the second set 6-1 before finishing the match in 1 hour and 54 minutes.

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“It’s about fighting through,” Raonic said after his three-set victory. “I kept my attitude together, which allowed me to get my game and find answers towards the end, and that’s why I was able to win.”

“I think there is a big target on my back. I’m the No. 6 player in the world right now, and I feel like I can do much better. Every round is an opportunity for someone to pick up a positive win.”

In his opening round match several days ago, Italy’s Simone Bolelli defeated Lukas Rosol in straight sets to reach the second round of the tournament. He beat his Czech adversary 6-3, 6-1 in a match where he won 79% of his first service points and four aces.

“He’s played great over the past 12 months,” Milos said of Bolelli. “I played him in Rome, and that was a very difficult match. I’m going to expect much of the same here.”

This marks just the second time that these two competitors will cross paths on the professional tour, with Raonic leading the head-to-head series 1-0 with a victory last season at the Rome Masters. While the Canadian had a difficult time in his opening match, he remained strong on serve and that will likely be the difference against the Italian on Thursday.

Prediction: Milos Raonic in Straight Sets

After working her way back into the Top 5 in the WTA rankings with her remarkable 2014 season, Ana Ivanovic got off to a less than stellar start to the year when she was ousted in the opening round of the 2015 Australian Open.

The loss came as a surprise, considering the Serbian star had reached the final of the Brisbane International two weeks prior.

“With it (Australian Open) being such a big event, and because I was in good form coming into the tournament, I did have a bit more expectation. But unfortunately things didn’t go so well in the week leading up to the tournament,” she was quoted as saying by gulfnews.com.

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It appears that Ivanovic broke her toe ahead of the tournament and was unable to get herself in peak condition ahead of the season-opening Grand Slam event.

“I broke my toe and wasn’t able to practice as much as I’d planned. I felt quite stressed and these things combined meant that I wasn’t able to play my best tennis. But my opponent, Lucie Hradecka, played a great match and she deserved to win,”

The 27-year-old Ivanovic has been a consistent player on the tour, apart from her performances at the Majors. It is an issue that she is currently aware of and keen to fix en route to a second Grand Slam title.

“I haven’t had very good results in the Grand Slams lately so I need to work on my approach. Maybe I should try something different, so I can relax more when I’m playing these big events.”

Ivanovic is scheduled to take part in the Dubai Open next week, along with the remainder of the upper echelon of the WTA rankings.

“For sure, I can’t wait to get back on the court. The season is still very young and there is a lot to play for. I am looking forward, not back,” the 2008 Australian Open finalist said.

Stan Wawrinka will look to rebound from his semi-final exit at the Australian Open, when he arrives to Rotterdam as the fourth seed of the tournament. The Swiss No. 2 will begin his campaign against local talent Jesse Huta Galung, whom he has never faced previously on the professional tour.

Follow the match live here: Wawrinka v Huta Galung

Although Wawrinka has not played in Rotterdam since 2005, he is excited to perform at the event. He trained with Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday and is prepared to play his first February indoor tournament in a decade.

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“It’s good indoor conditions. I’m happy with my level in general. I’m excited to start here.I want to win tournaments and finish at the best [Emirates ATP] Ranking. I’m hungry to be here and improve. I have to be clever with my schedule and what I’ll play this year.”

The former Aussie Open champion will meet Dutch wildcard entrant Jesse Huta Galung in his opening round match at the event. The 29-year-old is ranked at No. 248 in the ATP Rankings and will be hard-pressed to topple the fourth seed at the event.

“I’ve seen him many years, but I’ve never played or practised with him,” Wawrinka said of his upcoming opponent. “I’ll watch a few videos and talk to my coach. The Dutch always play well here, he will be pumped for the first match and he’ll be ready and dangerous.”

This marks the first time that these two competitors will meet on the ATP World Tour. Wawrinka will undoubtedly be the favourite at the event, and will be expected to close out the match in quick fashion. However, considering this is an opponent he has never played before, it is more than possible that Galung takes advantage of having nothing to lose, and push the Swiss to deep waters.

Prediction: Stan Wawrinka in Straight Sets

Following an outstanding fortnight in Melbourne, where it became clear that the British No. 1 was en route to a return to form, Andy Murray will continue his upward trend in Rotterdam, where he will look to work his way through a tough draw to lift the title. His first obstacle at the Dutch tournament will be France’s Nicholas Mahut, whom he has encountered previously on four occasions. The Scot leads the head-to-head series 3-1.

Follow the match live here: Murray v Mahut

After a humdrum 2014 season that concluded in a thrashing at the hands of Roger Federer, Andy Murray made a remarkable return to form at the start of the 2015 season when he secured a spot in the final of the Australian Open for the fourth time in his career. However, he ended up imploding in the later stages of the match, which implies that he is yet to get his emotions under control following the Lendl era.

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While Murray on blames himself for his 0-4 record in Melbourne finals, he is happy to be back playing “close to his best” and looks forward to improvements over the coming months.

“It’s pleasing to be back playing close to my best. I still feel like I can make improvements in my game. I think I can get a few percent better over the next couple of months,”

His first opponent in Rotterdam will be Nicolas Mahut, who overcame Nikoloz Basilashvili and Nadal-vanquisher Michael Berrer to reach the main draw of the event.

This marks the fifth time that Murray and Mahut will cross paths on the professional tour, with the Scot leading the head-to-head series 3-1. Murray is also 2-0 against Mahut on hard courts, although this will mark their first meeting on that surface on nearly seven years. Given the Briton’s continued rise up the ranks, and his return to form, there is little doubt that Murray should move past Mahut with relative ease.

Prediction: Andy Murray in Straight Sets

After news that a Tunisian player had suspiciously withdrawn from a tournament ahead of a potential match-up against an Israeli in the following round, the ATP World Tour has officially cleared him of any wrongdoing.

The Associated Press revealed that the ATP was satisfied with Malek Jaziri’s withdrawal, and added that he had a legitimate injury.

Jaziri, took the first set off Denis Istomin in Round 1 of the Open Sud de France. He later retired from the match after he suffered an elbow injury and called for the trainer on two occasions.

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This incident immediately took center stage, as in 2013, the Tunisian Tennis federation forced Jaziri to withdraw from am ATP Challenger match against Israeli opponent Amir Weintraub in Uzbekistan. This led to the International Tennis Federation placing a ban on Tunisia from the 2014 Davis Cup.

Here is Jaziri’s reasoning as quoted by Fédéric Bernès in l’Équipe (via @markalannixon)

“My phone is off, it’s not working. I haven’t received any orders or pressure. I’m playing Denis, he’s no piece of cake. I hadn’t looked at my next match, and even if I’d known … I got a golfer’s elbow at the Australian Open (reached the 3rd round). The travelling after, the time differences, that didn’t help. I’ve only hit the ball once in the last eight days. I took pain killers but I’m still hurting. Not so much when I hit the ball, but just after bringing the racquet back. It’s like a tendinitis in the forearm. You have to be smart in cases like this – I’ve got some big tournaments ahead in Memphis, Indian Wells, Miami and I didn’t want to run the risk of aggravating the problem. My cervical vertebrae really hurt this morning.”

Following their investigation, the ATP announced that they were fully satisfied with the Jaziri’s story, as well as that of the medical staff on duty at the time in Montpellier.

”The ATP is fully satisfied as to the legitimacy of the player’s reasons for retiring from his match due to an elbow injury,” it said. ”Accordingly, this matter is considered closed.”