Dutch go down to home losses in Rotterdam

By Bill Scott Feb 14, 2012, 17:17 GMT

Rotterdam, Netherlands - Serb Viktor Troicki spoiled any plans for a Dutch celebration as the seventh seed on Tuesday sent a second home player out with his 7-6 (8-6), 6-0 defeat of Thiemo de Bakker at the ABN-AMRO World Tennis.

The loss by de Bakker gave the host nation a dismal 0-2 record on the day after Finn Jarkko Nieminen beat number 151 Igor Sijsling 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 7-5.

The Dutch put Jesse Huta Galang through to the second round on Monday's opening day as he beat two-time finalist Ivan Ljubicic.

German Philipp Kohlschreiber, who missed the weekend 4-1 Davis Cup loss to Argentina in Bamberg through illness, scored an upset as he took out Spanish eighth seed Marcel Granollers 6-1, 1-6, 6-4, overcoming six aces from the Spaniard and saving six of nine break points.

Italy's Andreas Seppi put his country's weekend Davis Cup loss to the Czech Republic to the back of his mind by defeating South African qualifier Rik De Voest 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

'It was tough after the Davis Cup,' said the number 45 who admitted: 'I was a little bit down after that.

'I had to get used to the court after clay at the weekend and he had two qualifying matches here already. I fought to the end and I'm happy to get through.'

Seppi earned his fourth victory of 2012 and levelled at one win each against De Voest, who beat him four years ago indoors at Zagreb.

With support acts almost through their opening matches, the drawcards take over on Wednesday, with top seed and 2005 champion Roger Federer opening against Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in the first round.

Number two seed Tomas Berdych, fresh from his country's Davis Cup success in Ostrava, plays teammate Lukas Rosol for a second-round spot while third seed Juan Del Potro begins his Rotterdam debut by facing Michael Llodra.

The Frenchman, part of the Davis team which beat Canada in Vancouver will take to the court after a long flight over nine time zones while his Argentine opponent has been in Europe for days.

'Llodra is still a danger for me,' said Del Potro, who is finally back to fighting form after his 2010 wrist surgery and a long slow return. 'His slice and drop shots are tricky.

'I'll have to be ready to right for every point. it will be a test of my form right now.'