Brydan Klein and Ryan Peniston joined a host of British players in the main draw of the Nature Valley Open – an LTA summer grass court event – after they both won in straight sets on a rain-affected day at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.
Klein defeated Worcestershire’s Lloyd Glasspool 7-6(5) 6-2, while Peniston overcame Australian Luke Saville - 369 places above him in the ATP rankings - 6-4 6-2 indoors.
With no outdoor play possible today, all 32 WTA International and ATP Challenger first-round matches are now scheduled for Tuesday.
Qualifiers Klein and Peniston have been drawn against each other in the first round, and will fight for the right to play Australian second seed Bernard Tomic in the second.
Klein said: “It was a very tough match playing a fellow Brit and I know him quite well. The first set was very tight. We know each other’s game, so I think that forced it to a tie break and I just held my nerve a little bit better than him because I think it was a pretty even first set. Once I won the first set, I got some confidence and I saw his shoulders slouch a little bit and that gave me some motivation to get up in the second.
“I think it’s a fantastic tournament,” the 29-year-old added. "Great food, great staff, lots of volunteers, good facilities, nice courts and they’ve got the indoors for backup, which have come in handy so far this year. I see there are a lot of kids coming out too and there are a lot of things to get the kids involved.
"I’ve been here three or four years now and I was thinking to myself, ‘this is one of the best [ATP] Challengers in the world’. It does help that it’s a combined event with the women here too, so it makes for a great event.”
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