South African former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson has improved his ATP Head2Head record to 3-0 against Australia’s Jordan Thompson after a straight-sets win in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday.
The three-time Indian Wells quarter-finalist had never dropped a set to the 27-year-old and maintained that record with a 7-5, 6-2 victory in 84 minutes. In his 10th appearance in the California desert Anderson struck 10 aces and dropped only three points on his first serve to set a second-round meeting with 17th seed Lorenzo Sonego.
It was better news for Thompson’s countryman, John Millman, in the following match on Stadium 2. The World No. 58’s mental toughness shone as he withstood 2017 semi-finalist Jack Sock 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 31 minutes.
Millman won 66 per cent of first-serve points, including four aces, and broke five times. He recovered from 1-3 down in the deciding set to reel off the final five games and set a showdown against 10th seed Jannik Sinner.
Earlier, Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori finished emphatically to deny German Dominik Koepfer in their first-round clash. The 22-year-old saved nine of 11 break points for a 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-0 victory, which set a meeting with 24th seed and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Karen Khachanov.
Source Tennis – ATP World Tour
