Dominic Thiem saved one match point to battle past Andrey Rublev 5-7 7-5 7-5 to reach the third round in as many years on the clay court of the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
Andrey Rublev looked set to be close to winning the match, but Thiem hit two forehand winners at 5-5 in the second set. The Austrian clay specialist wasted a set point on Rublev’s serve at 4-5 30-40, but he won six of the next seven games to race out to a 4-1 lead in the third set. Rublev broke back in a 12-point sixth game. The 20-year-old Russian player converted his fifth break point chance in the ninth game with a backhand winner to take a 5-4 lead.
Rublev earned a match point at 5-4 40-30, but he hit a forehand wide to waste his opportunity. Thiem broke back at 15 and held his serve for 6-5 before closing out the match with another break in the final game after 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Thiem will face either Novak Djokovic or Borna Coric in the third round.
Marco Cecchinato beat Damir Dzumhur 6-3 6-2 to book his spot in the next round against Milos Raonic. Dzumhur went up a double break to take a 3-0 lead and got two game points for 4-0, but Cecchinato bounced back by winning 12 of the next 14 games with three breaks in each set to close out the match 6-3 6-2.
Gilles Simon edged past his compatriot Adrian Mannarino 6-3 4-6 6-2 to set up a second round match against Karen Khachanov.