NY Times · Feb 9, 2016
Kudla Into 2nd Round of Memphis Open
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — No. 5 seed Denis Kudla moved into the second round of the Memphis Open with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Rajeev Ram on Monday.
Kudla, seeded in an ATP World Tour event for the first time, broke Ram's serve to open the second set. The 23-year-old American finished with five aces and did not face a break point.
Kudla, who was born in Ukraine, had a breakout year in 2015. He reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and advanced to the semifinals of Atlanta, a 250 Tour-level event like Memphis.
"It's great being seeded," Kudla said. "You don't have to play people like Kei Nishikori in the first round."