Adrian Mannarino could return to action in Montpellier after losing to Rafael Nadal



by DZEVAD MESIC

Adrian Mannarino could return to action in Montpellier after losing to Rafael Nadal

A place in the Montpellier main draw has opened for France's Adrian Mannarino and German Peter Gojowczyk.

Mannarino, 33, could now make his sixth appearance on the indoor hard courts of Montpellier.

Mannarino made his Montpellier debut in 2010, when he made the round-of-16 before losing to John Isner. Mannarino has never enjoyed success in Montpellier as he has three round-of-16 exits and two first round losses. Gojowczyk, 32, made his Montpellier debut last year.

Gojowczyk enjoyed a good run last year as he made the Montpellier semifinal before losing to Roberto Bautista Agut. Meanwhile, Arthur Rinderknech pulled out of Montpellier.

Rinderknech, who is enjoying a career-high ranking of No.

48 in the world, has no previous appearance in Montpellier. Rinderknech, 26, will have to wait for at least one more year to make his Montpellier debut.

Mannarino beaten by Rafael Nadal in Melbourne

Mannarino, ranked at No.

69 in the world, made the Australian Open round-of-16 before losing to Nadal. Mannarino competed well against Nadal but the former world No. 1 escaped with a 7-6 (14) 6-2 6-2 win. Mannarino had a good chance to win the first set but he failed to convert any of his four break points in the tie-break.

"The first set had been very, very emotional,” Nadal said after the match. “Anything could happen there. I was a little bit lucky at the end. “Everybody knows how mentally [tough] this game is. It was a tough one and after that crazy first set, I think it was so important the break at the beginning of the second set”.

After winning the first set, Nadal broke Mannarino twice to go up by two sets. In the third set, Nadal dropped one of his service games but broke Mannarino three times to book a straight-set win. “His ball was very difficult to control, very flat, very fast,” Nadal said of his opponent.

“I’m very happy that I survived that first set, without a doubt”. The Montpellier events starts on Monday.

Adrian Mannarino Rafael Nadal