French qualifier Adrian Mannarino senT fifth seed Juan Monaco packing in just 76 minutes yesterday. Photo / Dean Purcell
French qualifier Adrian Mannarino notched the first big upset of the Heineken Open, sending fifth seed Juan Monaco packing in just 76 minutes yesterday. A livewire leftie with a deadly wide kick serve, Mannarino spent much of last year on the Challenger circuit. Monaco, by contrast, is well-performed and familiar
with Auckland. But from the opening service game his stay this year looked destined to be short.
Mannarino constantly troubled Monaco on serve, converting two of his four break chances to take the first set 6-4. Monaco showed a bit more fight in the second set but the Argentinian was unable to live with the 22-year-old Frenchman, who wrapped up the match 6-3 in the second to post the biggest victory of his career.
The ease with which it came surprised him.
"I don't know what his ranking is but maybe he is the [best] player I ever beat," Mannarino said.
"I was wondering during the match what makes him play so bad. I've seen a lot of matches of Juan's and I know he can play so much better."
Mannarino's prize is a second round date with either last year's defeated finalist, countryman Arnaud Clement, or Belgian Xavier Malisse.
Clement is Mannarino's practice partner and shares the same coach, but such was his mindset that the younger Frenchman hadn't even looked at the draw and didn't know a second-round match against his mentor was likely.
Another qualifier, American veteran Michael Russell, pushed Brazilian eighth seed Thomaz Bellucci all the way before bowing out in a three-set classic.
Russell, the oldest player in the tournament, was outclassed in the early exchanges and seemed to be heading for a routine straight-sets defeat. But he broke Bellucci to love with the Brazilian serving for the match and eventually took the second set in tiebreaker.
Russell began the third set by breaking Bellucci twice to lead 3-0 but the plucky American then stalled badly, dropping four straight games and eventually losing the third set 5-7.
After battling through three tough qualifying matches and then entertaining centre court for a shade under three hours, Russell departed with 20 ranking points and US$4120 ($5426) for his efforts.
Such is the life of the world No. 103.
Having survived a major scare, Bellucci now faces Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the second round.
