Pair of Khurram-Shehryar dominated the play from the word go as they broke Ali's
service game to take a lead of 3-2 and then again broke
service game of Sajjad Gul to take a commanding lead of 5-2.
He had not dropped a
service game all week in Madrid and raced into a 3-0 lead as he broke his opponent's first
service game under blue skies and soaring temperatures in the Spanish capital, with his trademark backhand down the line causing Tsitsipas problems throughout.
Having lost his first
service game in the third game, Djokovic bounced back to dominate the American player.
Edmund saved two break points on his first
service game in set two, digging deep as Goffin tried to force his way back into the contest.
He needed 11 minutes to win his first
service game, and he survived by the narrowest of margins after being taken to five deuces, before Nadal twice broke him back later in the set.
Jeson Patrombon leaned on his strong
service game to trounce Jirat Navasirisomboon, 6-2, 6-2, while Bryan Otico yielded to power-serving Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul, 6-3, 6-4, as the Philippines and Thailand split the opening singles in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group 2 tie at the Philippine Columbian Association shell-clay courts yesterday.
Just like in her match against Wozniacki, the 16th-seeded Kvitova made a scratchy start, losing her first
service game with two double faults to go 2-0 down.
'But in the fourth, we brought our
service game back.'
I had a break point in his first
service game and 0-30 in his next
service game.
He earned a break point in Nadal's first
service game and he continued to ask questions of the Spaniard with his strong returning game as he took a grip on the first set.
Graham punished last year's opponents with his
service game, and again this summer he delivered a booming overhand serve that put the receivers instantly on the defensive.