Haas Earns Quick Win in Halle as Queen's Club Gets Underway

By Erik Gudris

Photo Credit: Christophe Karaba/AP Photo

(June 13th, 2012) It's very rare when both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds respectively at an ATP 250 event, but that's the case this week at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany where both men are scheduled to begin their grass court seasons later in the week.

Awaiting Federer, who earned a bye into the second round, will be Germany's own Florian Mayer who took out American Tim Smyczek today 6-4, 6-4. Nadal, who also earned a bye, is scheduled to meet on Thursday Slovakia's Lukas Lacko who needed three sets to defeat Russian Konstantin Kravchuk 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

Tommy Haas, who was awarded a wildcard into Wimbledon today, had a shorter than expected match against Australia's Bernard Tomic after Tomic retired down 2-5 in the first set. Haas later said Tomic told him before the match started that he had been feeling ill the last 10 days and wasn't even sure he would play the match. Haas will next No. 6 seed Marcel Granollers of Spain.

The only upset of the day belonged to the veteran all-court player Radek Stepanek who took out No. 7 seed Andreas Seppi of Italy 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.

Queens Club Finally Gets Underway After Rainy Start

After heavy rain cancelled play yesterday at the Aegon Championships in London, the grass courts at Queen's Club were packed today with players trying to complete their first round matches.

Despite earning a coveted wildcard into this year's Wimbledon, Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, a four-time winner at Queen's Club, had a less than ideal start to his grass court season as he went down early to big serving Ivo Karlovic 6-3, 6-2. Karlovic hit an astonishing 22 aces against Hewitt who only managed to win seven points when returning Karlovic's serve in the match.

Another big server in No. 9 seed Kevin Anderson was pushed to three sets by English hope James Ward who reached the semis of Queen's Club last year. After breaking Anderson at 4-all in the first set, Ward, who looked more comfortable on the slick grass, served out the set 6-4. But Anderson rallied and managed to take out Ward in three sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

2010 Queen's Club champion Sam Querrey battled against Olivier Rochus in three sets before Querrey earned a 6-1, 6-7, 6-4 win.

No. 1 seed Andy Murray, after earning a first round bye, is set to meet France's Nicolas Mahut while another Frenchman, No. 2 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will take on England's Jaime Baker who defeated another Brit in Oli Golding 7-6, 6-3 to reach the second round.