2nd-seeded Cilic and Dodig advance to 2nd round in Rotterdam

Posted February 08, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Second-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia had 10 aces in a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win against Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the first round of the World Tennis Tournament on Monday.

Istomin saved six break-point chances in the second set, but conceded the only break as Cilic got on top.

Cilic, the 2014 U.S. Open champion, did not face a single break-point in the match. He is looking to bounce back from a second-round exit to German teenager Alexander Zverev at the Open Sud de France last week.

Countryman Ivan Dodig joins Cilic in the next round after beating seventh-seeded Benoit Paire of France 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Roger Federer was scheduled to play here, but recently had knee surgery, meaning that Frenchman Richard Gasquet is now top seed.

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