Gasquet & Lopez Both Win Opening Matches

Richard Gasquet demonstrated that is in good form just a couple of weeks away from the U.S. Open with a good first round win over Alexandr Dolgopolov in Cincinnati.

The Frenchman has battled his way back up the world rankings and now lies just outside the top ten at thirteen and he was in no mood to hang around in his opening clash.

World number twenty two Dolgopolov is known for his unconventional playing style but the Frenchman got the better of him in their opening exchanges as he quickly got a double break.

Dolgopolov just had no answer for the power and pace of the Frenchman, who also served very well, and he lost the opening set 6-1.

In the second he finally got into the game and was much more consistent on serve, despite Gasquet having more chances to get the upper hand.

A tie break was needed at the end of the second with the pair still locked together at 6-6. But there was to be no remarkable comeback in the breaker as Gasquet kept his cool to take it 6-4 and with it the match.

The 6-1 7-6 (7-4) victory sees him move into the second round where he will face either Xavier Malisse or Kevin Anderson, the conqueror of Andy Murray in Montreal last week.

It was an all Spanish affair in another of the first round matches as former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero faced Feliciano Lopez.

Ferrero is finding his feet again after missing both the French Open and Wimbledon due to an injury while Lopez has had little time off since his good run at SW19.

It was a poor start from the big serving Lopez as Ferrero broke in the opening game before holding to open up a 2-0 lead.

Despite some pressure from Lopez in the latter stage of the set he was never able to get back on level terms and Ferrero took it 6-4.

Into the second and Lopez's serve began to fire as an early break saw him open up a 4-1 lead - a break that Ferrero could never recover from.

Into the third and decisive set it was Lopez was the player in control as he took an early lead as his serve now looked mighty impressive.

He fired down nine aces as well as winning sixteen out of eighteen first service points in that third set.

He wrapped up a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win and will now face Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw