Polish No. 4 seed Hubert Hurkacz outlasted a hearty challenge from Czech foe Jiri Lehecka and won 6-3, 6-7 (9), 7-6 (9) in the first round of the ABN AMRO Open on Tuesday in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Hurkacz served on match point three times in the second-set tiebreaker, but Lehecka extended the match each time before earning the 11-9 tiebreaker victory. The tables were turned in the second set, when Hurkacz saved match point in the 10th game and three more in the tiebreaker before posting his own 11-9 win.
Russian second seed Andrey Rublev had an easier go of it against Belgian qualifier Zizou Bergs, prevailing 7-5, 6-3. No. 5 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia beat Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-3, and No. 8 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan defeated Croatia’s Borna Coric 6-3, 6-4.
Hungarian Marton Fucsovics, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko and Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff also advanced.
IEB+ Argentina Open
Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic knocked off Frenchman Arthur Fils, the eighth seed, 6-3, 6-4 in first-round action in Buenos Aires.
While Lajovic had just one ace to five for Fils, Lajovic also had no double-faults, while his opponent had nine. Lajovic also won 67 percent of his points on second-serve points, while Fils converted only 38 percent on his second serve.
The fifth seed, Argentine Sebastian Baez, had an easier time of it, defeating Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.
Elsewhere, Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan rallied past Argentinian wild card Diego Schwartzman 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. Galan saved six of nine break points while converting four of his six break-point opportunities against the former world No. 8.
Argentina’s Federico Coria pleased the home crowd with a 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Austria’s Sebastian Ofner. Other winners included Argentina’s Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo and Italians Luciano Darderi and Andre Vavassori.
Delray Beach Open
Australia’s Jordan Thompson fired 10 aces compared to his opponent’s one en route to upsetting No. 7 seed Daniel Evans of Great Britain 7-5, 6-0, in the first round in Delray Beach, Fla.
The eighth seed also bowed out early, as qualifier Zachary Svajda saved seven of eight break points and beat Australia’s Max Purcell 7-5, 6-3.
Italian lucky loser Flavio Cobolli rallied past Japan’s Taro Daniel 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (1). U.S. qualifier Nicolas Moreno De Alboran and Australia’s Rinky Hijikata also advanced.
In later matches, Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot and the U.S. duo of Alex Michelsen and Marcos Giron posted victories.
–Field Level Media
