Former finalist Andrey Rublev began his Hamburg European Open campaign by defeating American qualifier Tennys Sandgren 6-3, 6-3 on Monday.
The fifth-seeded Russian converted 90% of his first-service points, losing just three from 29.
Rublev, who lost to Nikoloz Basilashvili in last year’s final, next faces another American qualifier, Tommy Paul, who defeated Kevin Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.
Gilles Simon of France, in the picture, plays in a first round tennis match against Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic at the ATP Tour - German Open in Hamburg, Germany, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (Daniel Bockwoldtdpa via AP)
Also, 2011 champion Gilles Simon lost to Jiri Vesely 7-5, 6-2, and Pablo Cuevas defeated Taylor Fritz, another American, 6-4, 6-2.
Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are the top seeds at the clay-court tournament.
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Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, in the picture, plays in a first round tennis match against Gilles Simon of France at the ATP Tour - German Open in Hamburg, Germany, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (Daniel Bockwoldtdpa via AP)
Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, in the picture, plays in a first round tennis match against Gilles Simon of France in front of a few spectators at the ATP Tour - German Open in Hamburg, Germany, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (Daniel Bockwoldtdpa via AP)
Kevin Anderson of South Africa plays in a first round tennis match against Tommy Paul of the US with only a few spectators at the ATP Tour - German Open in Hamburg, Germany, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020. (Daniel Bockwoldtdpa via AP)