One of the biggest Challenger tournaments of the year got started in Irving on Tuesday. With the winner taking one hundred and twenty-five ATP ranking points it is a valuable tournament. That is reflected by the fact that every one of the eight seeds are representatives of the ATP Top 100.
2015 Irving finalist Tim Smyczek will see his ATP ranking drop by seventy-five points after he was beaten in straight sets by teenage compatriot Jared Donaldson 7-5, 6-4. In a close straight sets encounter, Donaldson saved both break points he faced, one each in set, to advance to the second round. Donaldson did not play this event last year.
In other early matches Dmitry Tursunov defeated late alternate Donald Young 6-4, 6-1. The veteran Russian is attempting a comeback at the age of thirty-three having played in the Australian Open already this season. Tursunov took advantage of some woeful first serve percentages from Young, dominating the American’s second serve and denying the world no.75 even a single break chance. Tursunov will face the winner of the match between Rogerio Dutra Silva and defending champion Aljaz Bedene.
Marcel Granollers retrieved an early break in the first set on his way to defeating Santiago Giraldo 7-5, 3-1 r’td. Granollers will face the winner of sixth seed Denis Kudla and alternate Mischa Zverev.
The last of the early session matches on Tuesday saw Denis Istomin defeat John-Patrick Smith 6-2, 7-5. Istomin will face either Jakub Sude or Lukas Rosol.
The last on Tuesday include an potential thriller between two in-form players in Andrey Rublev and Ryan Harrison.
