Second-seeded Andrey Rublev saved three match points in the deciding tiebreaker to escape with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7) victory over Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the first round of the Hamburg European Open on Wednesday.
The Russian trailed 6-4 in the tiebreak before saving the next two points. After Zapata Miralles went back ahead 7-6, Rublev saved another as part of recording three straight points to win the two-hour, 53-minute match.
In another first-round match, top-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway notched a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez.
In second-round play, fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev beat Maximilian Marterer 6-3, 7-5 in an all-German affair. Other second-round winners include Frenchman Luca Van Assche and Serbian Laslo Djere.
Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag
Australia’s Alexei Popyrin converted four of five break points while posting a 6-4, 6-1 victory over third-seeded Austrian Sebastian Ofner in a second-round match at Umag.
In other second-round play, seventh-seeded Matteo Arnaldi was a 6-3, 7-6 (5) winner over fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli. Also, Croatia’s Dino Prizmic beat Hungary’s Zsombor Piros 6-2, 6-3.
Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka, the No. 6 seed, registered a 6-3, 6-2 win over Filip Misolic of Austria. Also winning first-round matches were Jaume Munar of Spain, Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, Argentina’s Federico Coria and Italy’s Marco Cecchinato.
–Field Level Media
