ATP QUEEN’S: Casper Ruud falls to novice Ryan Peniston, Quentin Halys also loses

Casper Ruud certainly didn’t expect this. For his first match since his lost final at Roland Garros against Rafael Nadal, the Norwegian suffered the loss of a player who had never played a single match in the final table of the ATP circuit. Ryan Peniston, 180th in the world and beneficiary of a wild-card, perfectly seized the chance offered to him by the organizers of the London tournament by bringing down the world number 5, seeded N.1, in two sets (7 -6, 7-6). The Briton will face Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo for a place in the quarter-finals.

It’s also over for Quentin Halys. The Frenchman, however, made life difficult for Emil Ruusuvuori, pushing the Finn to play a third set after winning the second after a hung tie-break (8-6). But the 56th in the world ended up enforcing the hierarchy against the Habs, ranked 86th at the ATP, to win in three sets (6-4, 6-7, 6-4). Ruusuvori will face Briton Jack Draper, surprise winner of American Taylor Fritz (6-3, 6-2), in the second round.

If the seeded N.1 is already out, the seeded N.2 has held its rank. Matteo Berrettini kept pace for his London debut. The world number 10, winner on Sunday in Stuttgart, took over the Briton Daniel Evans in a high-level match (6-3, 6-3). The Italian could find his compatriot Lorenzo Sonego in the next round, if he wins ahead of the American Denis Kudla.