Steve Johnson won the 2018 edition of the ATP Newport
Photo: International Tennis Hall of Fame
Newport (USA) – Two veteran American players have won their first matches at the ATP 250 Newport, played on the grass courts of the Tennis Hall of Fame. Monday’s round was good for Steve Johnson, the 2018 tournament champion, but also for Jack Sock.
Johnson, 32 and ranked 95th, won an American duel against Stefan Kozlov, 104th, 7/5 and 6/3. The former world number 21 is now awaiting the winner of the match between Spaniard Feliciano Lopez and Czech Jiri Vesely, seeded 7 in Newport, who face off on Tuesday.
Former top 10 and current world number 100 Jack Sock edged out Moldovan Radu Albot by 6/1 and 7/6 (7-2). The 29-year-old American challenges Kazakh Alexander Bublik, seeded third and 42nd in the standings, in the round of 16. Sock won the only previous duel, contested at last year’s US Open.
The opponents of the main seeds are also defined. The Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, world number 9, faces Jason Kubler, 102nd, who won an Australian duel against Jordan Thompson by 6/2 and 6/3. American John Isner, 22nd in the standings, faces German Peter Gojowczyk, 92nd, who beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 7/5 and 6/4.
Another tournament attraction is former world No. 1 Andy Murray, who makes his debut on Tuesday. The Briton enters the court around 3 p.m. (GMT) to face the American Sam Querrey. Murray leads the history of clashes by 7-2, but Querrey prevailed in the last meeting between them, played on grass at Wimbledon in 2017.
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