John Millman overcame Dominic Thiem 6-3 3-6 6-4 after 2 hours and 35 minutes to reach the second round at the Serbia Open held in the Novak Tennis Centre in Belgrade.
Thiem was playing in his first ATP Tour level match since last June following a wrist injury.
Millman earned his first break in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Thiem converted his third break-back point for 2-3, but Millman earned his second break at deuce. The Australian player served out the first set at deuce in the 10th game after saving two break points.
Thiem bounced back by breaking serve in the fourth game with a backhand down the line. The 2020 US Open champion saved a break point in the seventh game to hold serve after four deuces in a long seventh game for 5-2 and served it out on his second set point.
The decider went on serve until the eighth game when Thiem faced two break points. The Austrian player saved them, but Millman earned three break points at 5-4. The Australian player sealed the win by converting his first chance, when Thiem made his second double fault.
10th game when Millman broke serve to advance to the third round.
Millman beat Thiem for the first time in their four head-to-head matches. Millman set up a match against Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat Richard Gasquet 6-0 6-3.
“It is great to be back here. I was looking forward to coming back and play. All credit to Dominic. I can’t claim it was one of my biggest wins because he is just coming back from injury and I know how hard that is, coming back from three surgeries myself. I know it has been tough for Domi, but the game is better having him back. Especially on this surface I have got to take this win because when he gets better and fitter, it is going to be tough”, said Millman.
Czech 20-year-old Next Gen player Jiri Lehecka edged Henri Laaksonen 6-2 7-5 setting up a match against Andrey Rublev, who won back-to-back titles in Marseille and Dubai this year. Lehecka reached the semifinals in Rotterdam last February and is currently ranked fifth in the Next Race Race to Milan.
Serbia’s Laslo Djere beat his compatriot Hamad Medjedovic 6-4 7-5. Roman Safiulin knocked out Mikael Yimer 7-5 6-0. Filip Krajinovic beat David Goffin 6-3 7-6 (7-4). Thiago Monteiro overcame Joao Sousa 6-4 6-3.
