All the highlights from UTS1 Day 1 action
Here’s all the greatest points from the first day of Ultimate Tennis Showdown, from Stefanos Tsitsipas’ beautiful display against Benoît Paire to Richard Gasquet’s upset versus David Goffin.
Alexei Popyrin downs Benchetrit to win first ever Ultimate Tennis Showdown match
Australia’s Alexei Popyrin “The Sniper’ wrote his name in Ultimate Tennis Showdown history on Sunday as he beat Elliot Benchetrit of France three quarters to one to win the first match of the innovative event. The big-serving Aussie, ranked more than 100 places above his opponent, used his UTS cards cleverly as he ran out a 13-9, 9-12, 15-12, 14-12 winner as the revolutionary event began in in beautiful sunshine at the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy on the French Riviera.
- Read also: The match’s report
Matteo Berrettini makes strong UTS start with impressive win over Dustin Brown
Italian Matteo Berrettini made an impressive start to his Ultimate Tennis Showdown campaign as he outgunned Germany’s Dustin Brown three quarters to one to win the second match on day one. In another entertaining battle in the revolutionary competition, Berrettini “The Hammer” came from 11-7 down to win the final quarter 13-12, putting a smash away after Brown “The Artist” tried to lob a tweener over his head, clinching a 14-10, 12-13, 22-5, 13-12 victory.
- Read also: The match’s report
Brilliant Feliciano Lopez edges Lucas Pouille in sudden-death thriller
Veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez edged out Frenchman Lucas Pouille in a sudden-death thriller to win his first Ultimate Tennis Showdown match. Pouille fought back from two quarters down but the 38-year-old left-hander, a late entrant into the revolutionary competition, held his nerve in the sudden-death final quarter to pinch the win. The players were levelled 17-14, 13-12, 9-13, 11-12 before this dramatic finish.
- Read also: The match’s report
Richard Gasquet upsets David Goffin in sudden-death
Richard Gasquet rolled back the years as he edged out world No 10 David Goffin in sudden death to become the first French winner on day one of Ultimate Tennis Showdown. With sweat dripping off him throughout, Gasquet “The Virtuoso” won the first two points of sudden death to clinch victory, after the two men had shared the four quarters 13-11, 12-14, 12-11, 10-15.
- Read also: The match’s report
Stunning Stefanos Tsitsipas sets the standard
Stefanos Tsitsipas laid down a marker for the rest of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown field as he beat Benoit Paire three quarters to one to bring to an end a dramatic opening day of the new competition at the Patrick Mouratoglou Academy in Nice. The world No 6 – The Greek God – played tennis from the heavens in the first two sets and though Paire made a fight of it by winning the third quarter, he held on to win 24-5, 22-6, 13-14, 15-10 to join the four other winners on day one of the revolutionary new format.
- Read also: The match’s report
