US teenager Coco Gauff edged past Yulia Putintseva 7-5 4-6 6-4 after 2 hours and 57 minutes to reach the second round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Gauff came back from one break down at 5-3 and broke twice in the 10th and 12th games to claim the first set 7-5.
Putintseva went up a break in the fifth game to take a 4-1 lead. Gauff broke straight back in the sixth game, but Putintseva converted his third break point to open up a 5-2 lead. Gauff saved six set points on her serve, but Putintseva held serve at love to win the second set 6-3.
Gauff won 12 of the first 15 points to break serve in the second game of the third set for 3-0. Putintseva broke back in the fifth game for 2-3, but Gauff broke for the second time to open up a 5-2 lead. Putintseva saved two match points as Gauff was serving for the win.
Gauff closed out with his eighth break to win the third set 6-4 setting up a second round match against Maria Sakkari, who edged qualifier Polona Hercog 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-2.
Anastasjia Sevastova came back from one set down to beat Jil Teichmann 3-6 6-1 6-3. Sevastova avenged her defeat against Teichmann, who saved two match points en route to a 6-4 6-7 (8-10) 7-5 win in the quarter final of the Adelaide Open last February.
Teichman opened up a 4-1 lead with a break in the fourth game. Sevastova broke back in the seventh game for 3-4, but Teichmann got her second break at deuce and saved three break points to win the first set 6-3. Sevastova earned three breaks to open up a 5-1 lead and served out the second set 6-1.
Sevastova broke serve in the fifth and ninth games and did not face a break point en route to winning the third set 6-3.
Sara Sorribes Tormo overcame Camila Giorgi 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (7-9) 7-5 after 3 hours and 51 minutes in the longest match in 2021. Giorgi went up a 4-0 lead with two breaks in the decisive set. Sorribes Tormo pulled both breaks back to 3-4. Giorgi broke serve for the third time in the eighth game, but Sorribes Tormo won four consecutive games including two breaks to claim the third set 7-5. Petra Martic came back from one set down to beat Shelby Rogers 5-7 6-3 6-4 after 2 hours and 29 minutes.
