Unseeded American Kudla upsets 5th-seeded Edmund in Munich
MUNICH (AP) — Unseeded American Denis Kudla upset fifth-seeded Kyle Edmund 6-4, 6-3 Tuesday to reach the second round of the Munich Open.
Kudla, who is ranked 82nd, never faced a break point as he won 92 percent of first-serve points and 82 of second-serve points on the outdoor clay.
He next faces unseeded Italian Matteo Berrettini. Kudla won their previous two matches, both on hard courts.
Sixth-seeded Diego Schwartzman and No. 7 Guido Pella, who are both Argentine, also advanced Tuesday.
In an error-strewn match featuring nine double-faults and 26 break points, Schwartzman beat Benoit Paire of France 6-4, 1-6, 6-1. Pella was more clinical in a 6-2, 6-1 win against Mischa Zverev, saving all three chances on his serve and breaking his German opponent five times.
Brazilian qualifier Thiago Monteiro upset Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 6-1, while three-time former champion Philipp Kohlschreiber, 2014 winner Martin Klizan were among other first-round winners.
Two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev, the top seed, plays his second-round match against Juan Ignacio Londero on Wednesday.
Zverev is looking for his first title of the season and is also trying to protect his No. 3 ranking, which is under threat from Roger Federer — who plays next week at the Madrid Masters.