• Gerry Weber Open

Monfils powers past Raonic at Halle

Gael Monfils has started to find some form on his return from injury © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• Profile: Gael Monfils | Milos Raonic

Gael Monfils upset big-serving Milos Raonic in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open on Tuesday when he beat the big-serving Canadian 6-4 6-2.

Monfils, who was once ranked world No. 7 before a knee injury forced him to miss several months, broke serve early in both sets against the fifth seed to set up a comfortable victory.

The 26-year-old was ranked 119th in the world just a month ago before jumping to 67 this week after reaching the third round of the French Open, and he admitted transferring from clay to grass hasn't been easy on his injury.

"It's very hard for my movement," he said. "I am more mature after what I went through last year. I've grown up. I try to do simple things."

There was another upset as Mirza Basic, playing his first main-draw match on the ATP Tour after Philipp Petzschner withdrew, stunned seventh-seed Jerzy Janowicz 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 7-6 (7-5).

The 21-year-old Bosnian produced an exquisite drop shot to set up match point, which he duly won when Janowicz sent a return long.

"They only told me at noon that I would be playing," Basic admitted. "I was a little scared, I was a little nervous, I was playing a big server on grass, on centre court."

Elsewhere, sixth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber eased past Carlos Berlocq 6-3 6-1, while big-hitting Ernests Gulbis needed three sets to beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-4 3-6 6-3.

German Tobias Kamke beat Poland's Lukasz Kubot 6-4 6-0 and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe defeated qualifier Jimmy Wang 6-2 6-4, while Leonardo Mayer beat Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 and Jurgen Melzer edged Riccardo Ghedin 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-4.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.