Slammers' Nick Kyrgios beats Fernando Verdasco in Montreal

MONTREAL — Singapore Slammers' Nick Kyrgios says Lleyton Hewitt is his adviser, not his coach.

 

But Kyrgios was glad to have the fellow Australian, once ranked No. 1 in the world, looking on as he beat Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) in the ATP Tour's Rogers Cup.

 

"He's definitely not my coach, let's clear that up now," Kyrgios said. "But he's definitely helped me out, which is really good. He's taken time out of his own career and his family to come out and help me. It's really good to have a person who I can ask questions to and to lead me in the right direction."

 

The 34-year-old Hewitt mostly sticks to doubles these days, but it appears that coaching will be in his future. Kyrgios, ranked 41st, calls him a friend and hopes to see him one day become captain of Australia's Davis Cup team.

 

On the hardcourt, the 20-year-old Kyrgios shook off some rust to down the 31-year-old Verdasco.

 

"I'm just pleased to get the win," said Kyrgios, who hasn't played since a David Cup quarterfinal on grass in July and hasn't been in a tournament since Wimbledon.

 

He advanced to a second-round meeting with third-seeded Stan Wawrinka, who he fell to in their only meeting earlier this year on a grass court.

 

"He plays unbelievable tennis," Kyrgios said. "He's got big everything — forehand, backhand — and he's a great athlete. I've got to serve well. If I serve well there's only so much people can do. And I have to control the match."

 

Defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, seeded 10th, advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Borna Coric. Next up is Robergto Bautista, who ousted Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-4.

 

Seeded players David Goffin and Grigor Dmitrov advanced to the second round.

 

Goffin, seeded 13th, made quick work of Steve Johnson 6-2, 6-2 when play began after a rain delay, and the 14th-seeded Dmitrov downed Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 7-5.

 

Goffin advanced to a meeting with American Sam Querrey.

 

Dmitrov will face American Jack Sock, who downed Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (5).

 

Organizers announced that Richard Gasquet, the 11th seed, withdrew due to an illness. He was replaced in the draw by his French compatriot Nicolas Mahut, who found out only minutes before he played and lost 6-1, 7-5 to another Frenchman, Jeremy Chardy.

 

Canada's Vasek Pospisil, a semifinalist the last time the event was played in Montreal in 2013, got past Yen-hsun Lu 6-4, 6-3.

 

Mikhail Youzhny beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 7-5.