Spanish tennis player David Ferrer has recorded his 700th match win on Tuesday at the Rome Masters. The 35-year-old achieved the milestone after beating fellow compatriot Feliciano Lopez in the first-round. The 30th ranked player in the world had to create a comeback in order to end on the winning side against veteran Lopez 4-6 6-3 6-1.
.@DavidFerrer87 becomes 13th player in Open Era to reach 700 Wins Club as he beats F. Lopez 46 63 61 @InteBNLdItalia.
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 16, 2017
Lopez had a 1-0 lead in the third set when Ferrer stormed back to win six games in a row and win the clash eventually.
The match between the two Spaniards came to an end after an hour and 55 minutes of action. 2010 Rome runner-up Ferrer now has an 11-7 head-to-head advantage over 35-year-old Lopez.
It doesn't get any easier for Ferrer going forward as he is now set to meet top-10 player Kei Nishikori in the second round.
Goffin survives
Ninth-seed David Goffin has reached the last-16 stage of the Rome Masters after surviving a scare. Goffin, who defeated Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci yesterday, made it past Spain's veteran Fernando Verdasco on Tuesday in a three-setter 3-6 6-3 6-2. After losing the opening set, Goffin took early breaks in the second and third sets respectively and won them in the end. The 26-year-old Goffin converted five of his nine break point chances and saved 10-of-13 of Verdasco's break point tries.
The winner of the match between America's Ryan Harrison and 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic will be Goffin's next opponent.
Haas not done yet
German veteran Tommy Haas will be bidding to win two matches in a row for the first time this season when he enters the court to play his second-round match against Milos Raonic. Haas out-gunned promising Ernesto Escobedo in his singles first match at this year's Rome Masters.
The 39-year-old prevailed over the 20-year-old lucky loser in a three-set battle which lasted two hours and 23 minutes 6-0 4-6 7-6 (7-1). Former world number two Haas hit nine aces and saved Escobedo's 11-of-12 break point chances. He took three service games from the American world number 78.
2002 @InteBNLdItalia finalist @TommyHaas13 saves 11 of 12 BPs in 60 46 76 win over [LL] Escobedo and next faces @milosraonic in 2R.
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 16, 2017
At 39, @TommyHaas13 is oldest to win a match @InteBNLdItalia since Giuseppe Merlo (45) beat John Paish 26 61 64 in 1R.
— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 16, 2017
Isner continues his fine run
Big-serving John Isner dismissed world number 46 Florian Mayer to book a spot in the Rome Masters round-of-16 stage.
The 32-year-old Isner prevailed over the German in a tight battle 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4). Isner fired 21 aces in an hour and 34 minutes of action. He will be clashing off against either Swiss Stan Wawrinka or Benoit Paire of France in his next match in Rome.
