The ASB Classic has lost more of its top players to upsets with No.1 seed Casper Ruud dumped out in his first match and third seed Diego Schwartzman retiring hurt.
Weather caused by Cyclone Hale continues to plague the tennis action in Auckland with Ruud the latest to be impacted by the wet in a three sets loss to unseeded Serbian Laslo Djere.
The World No.3 went down 3-6 6-3 7-6 nearly three hours after his scheduled start time on the indoor courts – meaning he exits without the Auckland crowds ever getting to see him.
It comes after second seed and Auckland-born star Cameron Norrie was made to work – and wait – for his win against Czech qualifier Jiri Lehecka.
Norrie won the first set 6-4 but came up short in a tiebreaker 7-6 in the second set to force the match to a decider but Norrie appeared to bounce back, jumping out to a 3-0 lead.
However, rain intervened and organisers eventually shifted the match indoors, leaving Norrie to win the final set without a crowd.
Norrie said he took the long day in his stride.
"When you're favourite I think it's a little bit more difficult especially coming from playing last week indoors in Sydney and the conditions are a lot different and the courts a lot quicker, it was a strange day but I'm through so I'm happy."
Earlier, third seed Schwartzman opened the day's play on centre court against 22-year-old Jenson Brooksby but was quickly put in his place, going down 6-1 to the American in the first set.
Schwartzman then retired with an upper leg injury.
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