Frances Tiafoe needed three tie-breaks to battle past Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (9-7) 6-7 (9-11) 7-6 (9-7) after 2 hours and 42 minutes reaching the second round at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open in Santiago.
The opening two sets with no breaks of serve and only a break point. Jarry fended off match points with a kick-serve on second serve at 3-6 and a body serve at 5-6.
Tiafoe earned his first break in the seventh game of the third set to take a 4-3 lead, but Jarry broke straight back to draw level to 4-4. Tiafoe converted his seventh match point to clinch a hard-fought win.
Tiafoe fired 13 aces and won 80% of his first serve points.
“That’s what it’s about. It does not get more up and down than this match tonight. The ups and downs were crazy. I was 6-4 in both breakers. I could have won six and six and I could have been out of here about an hour ago, but Nico played some good points. I have got to give it to him. Nico played well tonight, served great when he needed to. He is a hell of a player”, said Tiafoe.
Tiafoe set up a second round match against Facundo Bagnis, who came back from one set down to beat 2018 Roland Garros semifinalist Marco Cecchinato 6-7 (4-7) 6-2 6-3. Cecchinato saved a break point in the second game. The set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Bagnis got the first mini-break on the seventh point to take a 4-3 lead, but Cecchinato won the next four points to win the tie-break 7-4.
Bagnis earned two breaks in the second and fourth games to race out to a 4-0 lead and held on his next serve to win the second set 6-2.
Bagnis earned a double break in the first and fifth games to open up a 4-1 lead. Cecchinato pulled one break back in the sixth game for 2-4. Bagnis saved three break points in the eighth game and sealed the win on his second match point.
Roberto Carballaes Baena knocked out Salvatore Caruso 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in 1 hour and 55 minutes to reach the second round, where he will face either Gonzalo Lama or 19-year-old Cordoba Open Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Carballaes Baena earned a double break to open up a 3-0 lead. Caruso pulled back one break in the fourth game to claw his way back to 2-3, but the Spaniard held his next service games to win the first set 6-4 on his third set point.
The second set was marked by four consecutive breaks between the third and sixth games. Caruso took a 5-3 lead in the tie-break, but Carballaes Baena reeled off four consecutive points to win the tie-break 7-5.
Daniel Elahi Galan edged past Daniel Altmaier 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 7-5 with two breaks of serve and 14 aces.
Pedro Sousa eased Argentine qualifier Leonardo Mayer 6-2 6-4.
