Halle, Germany – Former top-10 star Gael Monfils of France upset fifth-seeded Milos Raonic in Tuesday's first-round action at the $900,000 Gerry Weber Open, a grass-court Wimbledon tune-up.
The oft-injured former world No. 7 Monfils continued his recent fine form by dousing the big-serving Canadian slugger Raonic 6-4, 6-2 in 62 minutes at Gerry Weber Stadium. Raonic has now lost both of his career matches against Monfils, who's currently on the mend from a knee injury.
In other action involving seeds, No. 6 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany whipped Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 6-1 and Bosnian lucky-loser Mirza Basic stunned seventh-seeded 6-foot-8 Pole Jerzy Janowicz 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5). Kohlschreiber was the Halle runner-up in 2008 and titled here two years ago by beating Philipp Petzschner in an all-German final. Petzschner has a left shoulder injury and was replaced in the draw by Basic on Tuesday.
Also on Day 2, Latvian Ernests Gulbis held off former Australian Open runner- up Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; German wild card Cedrik-Marcel Stebe beat Taiwanese qualifier Jimmy Wang 6-2, 6-4; German Tobias Kamke bested Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-4, 6-0; Argentine Leonardo Mayer dismissed German wild card Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; and veteran Austrian left-hander Jurgen Melzer snuck past Italian qualifier Riccardo Ghedin 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-4. Baghdatis was a Halle runner-up in 2007.
This week's top seeds are five-time Gerry Weber champion Roger Federer, French star Richard Gasquet and long-time German favorite and defending champion Tommy Haas, who stunned Federer in last year's finale.
The seven-time and reigning Wimbledon titlist Federer, who has appeared in the Halle final on seven occasions, will face Stebe on Wednesday, while Haas, who also titled here in 2009, will battle Gulbis on Thursday.
This week's winner will earn $163,000.
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