Normally when one of the “American Three” teenage trio of Tommy Paul, Francis Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz are in action and the article headlines a teenager it is normally one of those three. However, Tommy Paul proved to be the victim in Drummondville, and instead a new teenager takes centre stage.
Step forward Tim Van Rijthoven, an eighteen year-old from the Netherlands who qualified, and then produced an excellent win to defeat an experienced Challenger player in the form of Benjamin Mitchell. Van Rijthoven came from a set down to defeat the Australian ranked inside the Top 250 of the ATP rankings 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. Van Rijthoven, who is ranked No. 577, previously reached the quarter-finals of the Junior Wimbledon event in 2014.
His reward will be another good player in Yannick Mertens, who edged Britain’s Liam Broady 6-7, 6-1, 6-4. Mertens is not in great form, his win over Broady excluded, and Van Rijthoven could spring another shock.
Tommy Paul’s ranking was not enough for him to gain entry to the prestigious challenger in Irving, but a good run in Drummondville could have boosted his ATP ranking into the Top 200. Instead the American teen faltered, as he fell to local Philip Bester. A single break in each set was enough for the Canadian, as Paul could not muster even a single break point opportunity. Bester, ranked 303 could move into the Top 300 if he continues to play well in Drummodville. Mitchell Kreuger defeated eighth seed Daniel Nguyen on Monday 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
Peter Polansky, fresh off his qualifying effort in Indian Wells, also reached the second round, as did Nicolas Jarry, Edward Corrie, third seed Igor Sijsling, Yannick Reuter, Filip Horansky, and Roberto Oterga-Olmedo.
