Round 1: Muller knocks out Roger-Vasselin at Chennai Open

Gilles Muller of Luxembourg hit 29 aces in beating last year’s runner-up Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France 6-7 (11), 6-1, 7-6 (3) in the opening round of the Aircel Chennai Open on Monday. [caption id=“attachment_2018485” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] The eighth-seeded Muller saved three break points, all in the third set, to wrap up the win in 2 hours, 23 minutes. “It has obviously not been a good start to the year for me,” Roger-Vasselin said. “Last year I reached the final but this time I’m out in the first round. I guess you’ve to take the good with the bad.” The French player conceded he did not capitalize on chances. “I must admit the tactic of giving up the second set so that I could be ready for the third did not work. I had my chances in the third set, but he played better than me, especially in the tie-breaker.” Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria advanced when seventh-seeded Spaniard Marcel Granollers retired due to cramps when trailing 3-6, 7-6 (6), 2-0. Borna Coric of Croatia needed just 66 minutes to defeat Dutch player Robin Haase 6-2, 6-2. Defending champion Stanislas Wawrinka has a first-round bye along with the other three top-seeded players, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Roberto Bautista-Agut and David Goffin. AP