Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Last year's runner-up Juan Martin del Potro was an easy opening-round winner Tuesday at the $1.7 million ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
The second-seeded former U.S. Open champion cruised past oft-injured Frenchman Gael Monfils, a wild card this week, 6-3, 6-4 in 71 minutes on the indoor hardcourts at Ahoy Rotterdam. Del Potro broke Monfils twice and was not broken on Day 2.
The seventh-ranked tall Argentine del Potro will face capable Latvian Ernests Gulbis in his next outing on Thursday. The qualifier Gulbis took out Dutchman Robin Haase 6-2, 6-1.
Also on Day 2, Dutch wild card Thiemo de Bakker beat Russian Mikhail Youzhny 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 4-1, retired; Frenchman Julien Benneteau doused German lucky-loser Tobias Kamke 6-3, 6-2; and Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen double-bageled helpless Belgian David Goffin 6-0, 6-0. Youzhny gave way to a hip injury on Tuesday.
This week's top seed is the great Roger Federer. The reigning Rotterdam champ will open his 2013 stay here against Slovenian Grega Zemlja on Wednesday. The 17-time major champion and reigning Wimbledon titlist beat del Potro in last year's marquee finale and also titled in Rotterdam in 2005.
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