Nishikori, Cilic, Tsonga Advance On Opening Day In Rio

Kei Nishikori opened proceedings on Day One at the Rio Olympics, cruising to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Nishikori fired 20 winners, including eight on his backhand wing, to book his spot in the second round after one hour and 19 minutes. The World No. 6, who has amassed 41 match wins at the tour-level this year, is competing in his third Olympics. The Japanese reached the quarter-finals in London four years ago.

Nishikori will face Australia’s John Millman next. Millman turned in a flawless performance in needing just 50 minutes to dispatch Ricardas Berankis 6-0, 6-0. It was the first double bagel in the history of men’s singles play at the Olympics.

Ninth seed Marin Cilic also moved into the second round, streaking past Grigor Dimitrov 6-1, 6-4. The Croat, who fired 21 total winners including 12 aces, took a 2-1 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head.

#NextGen star Kyle Edmund of Great Britain made the most of his Olympics debut, turning aside Jordan Thompson 6-4, 6-2. He will face World No. 118 Taro Daniel, who pulled the upset of the day in ousting 14th seed Jack Sock 6-4, 6-4. It was a strong start for the Japanese contingent, with Nishikori and Daniel advancing.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Thanasi Kokkinakis would push Gastao Elias to a pair of tie-breaks in his season debut, but succumbed 7-6(4), 7-6(3). Kokkinakis underwent shoulder surgery at the end of 2015 and has been out of action ever since.

Malek Jaziri was on the brink of overturning an 0-6 record against Top 10 opponents, racing to a 6-4 lead against World No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, but the Frenchman would turn the tables. Tsonga avoided the upset 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 after two hours and 16 minutes, launching 15 aces and 38 total winners. He was a quarter-finalist in 2012, falling to Novak Djokovic on the lawns of the All England Club.

Frenchman Giles Simon saw off Croatian #NextGen star Borna Coric 6-4, 7-6(1), while Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber bested Argentine Guido Pella 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. In the evening’s final match, France’s Gael Monfils eased past Canadian Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-3.

Fifth Seeds Mergea/Tecau Advance In Doubles Action
Romanians Florin Mergea and Horia Tecau got off to a successful start in their Rio opener, downing Argentines Federico Delbonis and Guillermo Duran 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday. They join Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski in the Round of 16, after the Poles ended Leander Paes’ seventh Summer Games, defeating the 43 year old and partner Rohan Bopanna 6-4, 7-6(6).

Juan Martin del Potro teamed with Maximo Gonzalez to send Argentina into the second round, defeating Aussies John Peers and Chris Guccione 6-4, 7-5. Singles No. 1 Novak Djokovic partnered with fellow Serbian Nenad Zimonjic to down Croatians Marin Cilic and Marin Draganja 6-2, 6-2 in just under an hour.