JOIN USThe all-German clash was the first on court at the Kungligahallen at an event where Swede Robin Soderling is top seed and trying to book one of three spots remaining in November’s ATP year-end finals in London.
Becker, ranked 38th, has not won a match in more than two months since beating Martin Vassallo Arguello in the Cincinnati first round. He then lost to Lleyton Hewitt to start his current spin out of control. Number 59 Greul will face off in the second round against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Garcia-Lopez defeated fellow Spaniard Alberto Martin 6-3, 6-2 with five breaks of serve. Fourth-seeded Argentine Juan Monaco struggled with Czech Jan Hernych before pulling off a 6-2, 5-7, 7-5 victory.
German second seed Tommy Haas should be fit for his opening challenge against Frenchman Florent Serra after advising that his shoulder injury from last week in Shanghai was nothing serious.
Soderling stands provisional ninth in the chase to the year-end final, trailing Spain’s Fernando Verdasco in the points tally. A title this week while Verdaso trains in Las Vegas, would help Soderling towards number eight but could not see him past his Spanish rival.
Prakash-Alex in quarters
Prakash Amritraj and American partner Alex Kuznetsov scripted a come-from-behind win to advance to the doubles quarterfinals of the $50,000 ATP Challenger event in Calabasas, United States. The fourth seeds defeated local duo of Rylan Rizza and Kaes Van’t Hof 6-7 (1), 6-2, 10-8.
Prakash has been given a wild card entry in the singles event and will open his campaign against Serbia’s LIija Bozoljac.