Wednesday 27 July 2016 07:39, UK
Stanislas Wawrinka overcame Mikhail Youzhny with a hard-fought 7-6 7-6 victory to book his place in the third round of the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Youzhny, who won their last two meetings in Miami and New York, again proved to be a tough customer, missing a chance to take the contest to a third set but forcing Wawrinka into errors on two match points before the Swiss put it away on this third.
The two-time Grand Slam champion was joined in the third round by fifth-seed Tomas Berdych, who dispatched Croatian Borna Coric 4-6 6-1 6-4 in the only other second-round match of the day.
Berdych was caught on the back foot in his opening set against Coric, with the Croatian losing a mere four points on serve.
But Berdych found his game in the second set, winning five straight games to squeeze into a deciding third set where he prevailed.
In first-round action, Gael Monfils followed up his first tournament title in more than two years by barrelling through to a 6-3 6-3 win over Joao Sousa.
Monfils, who defeated big-serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic in the final in Washington on Sunday, said conditions are changed in Toronto.
"I think the court is slower here. It's for sure less humidity and a little bit colder," he said. "The balls are flying more. It's quite a big change, actually."
