US qualifier Donald Young produced a comeback win when he rallied from one set down to beat sixth-seeded player Fabio Fognini 4-6 6-3 6-3 at the Open de Nice Cote d’Azur.
Fognini converted his second break point chance in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, as Young made a double fault. Young saved a set point in the ninth game but Fognini served out for the set in the next game with his backhand. Fognini earned three break points in the third game but Sousa saved them. Sousa converted his first break point chance to take a 5-3 lead and served out for the second set with an ace. Young broke serve at deuce in the third game for 2-1 and sealed the win with a double break in the ninth game. Young will face Guido Pella, who fended off 16 of the 18 break points he faced to battle past Danil Medvedev 6-1 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-5).
Joao Sousa came back from one set down to edge past 19-year-old French wild-card Quentin Halys 5-7 6-4 6-4 in 2 hours and 21 minutes. Halys broke serve in the second game to race out to 3-1 but Sousa broke back in the fifth game for 2-3. Halys broke again in the 8th game for 5-3. Sousa broke straight back in the next game for 4-5 and held his serve at deuce to draw level to 5-5. Halys broke to 30 in the 12th game to clinch the first set 7-5. Sousa broke back in the fifth game for 2-3 before getting another break in the seventh game for 4-3 to force the match to the third set. The Portuguese player broke serve in the third game to take a 2-1 lead before serving out on the first set point. Halys fired 12 aces but made nine double faults. Sousa will face Victor Estrella Burgos.
US 18-year-old rising star Taylor Fritz, the youngest player in the top 100, beat Ilya Marchenko 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in his first main draw clay-court of his career. Fritz fired 8 aces and won 80 percent of his first serve points. Fritz will take on Frenchman Giles Simon for the first time in the second round.
Diego Schwartzmann beat Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 to set up a second round against number 3 seed Kevin Anderson.
