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By Alberto Amalfi | Tuesday, May 5, 2015

 
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga smacked 11 aces to defeat Lukas Rosol, 7-5, 6-3 and advance to the Madrid Open second round.

Photo credit: Mutua Madrid Open

In a match of first-strike tennis, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had the last word.

Tsonga smacked 11 aces and did not face a break point in sweeping Lukas Rosol, 7-5, 6-3, in his Madrid opener today.

More: Nadal Talks Racquet Change in Madrid

The 12th-seeded Tsonga will face Houston champion Jack Sock or Spanish wild card Pablo Andujar in the second round.

No. 13 seed Gael Monfils needed only an hour to dismiss Viktor Troicki, 6-2, 6-0.

Qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas defeated Istanbul finalist Pablo Cuevas, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to set up an all-Spanish second round meeting with seventh-seeded David Ferrer.

Grigor Dimitrov held a 6-4, 3-0 lead over Donald Young when the American retired with a back injury after 57 minutes of play. The 10th-seeded Dimitrov will play Fabio Fognini in the second round. Dimitrov swept Fognini, 6-3, 6-4, in Monte Carlo last month.

Playing his fourth tournament this season after returning from an arm injury, Tsonga strong-armed his way through service games.

Massive servers cranking blasts in Madrid's higher altitude made break points a precious commodity. The return game is not an asset for either man; the server was in clear command throughout the opening set.

By the time the former French Open semifinalist threw down his third love hold in his last four service games, Tsonga had permitted just four points in six service games building a 6-5 lead.

Rosol, who had held at love for 5-5, cracked in the 12th game. One of the longest exchanges of the set saw Tsonga push an off-pace forehand up the line and attack. Rosol narrowly missed a forehand pass down the line to face set point at 30-40. Attacking a second serve, Tsonga belted an inside-out forehand return. Rosol netted a reply and Tsonga grabbed the 39-minute opener.

Tsonga worked for the first break of the match. Rosol handed him the second break.

Down double break point, the 42nd-ranked Czech scattered a double fault giving Tsonga his second straight break and a 2-0 second-set lead. Pounding an ace, Tsonga extended the lead to 4-1.

Rosol's only real threat game in the seventh game when he pushed the Frenchman to deuce before Tsonga held for 5-2.

Tsonga fired a forehand winner down the line, serving out the 66-minute victory at love.


 

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