Sebastian Baez dug deep to beat Radu Albot 7-5 7-6 (7-3) after their first head-to-head matches in 2 hours and 13 minutes reaching the second round at the Estoril Open.
Baez dropped serve four times but he broke serve five times.
Baez earned his first break to love in the fifth game. Albot converted his third break-back point to draw level to 3-3. Baez broke for the second time in the 12th game to close out 7-5.
Albot converted his fourth break point in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Baez broke straight back in the third game. Albot earned his second break in the fourth game and saved a break point to open up a 5-2 lead. Baez rallied by winning four consecutive games with two breaks of serve to take a 6-5 lead. Albot pulled back on serve to draw level to 6-6 forcing the match to the tie-break. Baez earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2.
“The first match back on clay is always tough. It was close. I know him. He is an experienced player. To take the win I had to be strong in difficult moments, because there is always pressure for me as the defending champion”, said Baez.
Baez set up a second round match against his compatriot Pedro Cachin, who beat Chun Hsin Tseng 6-4 6-4.
World number 96 Marco Cecchinato beat number 7 seed Diego Schwartzman 6-3 7-6 (10-8) after 2 hour and 5 minutes. Cecchinato saved nine of the 12 break points he faced
Cecchinato broke serve in the fifth game of the first set. Schwartman pulled back on serve to draw level to 3-3. Cecchinato converted his third break point and saved two break points in the seventh game to open up a 5-2 lead. The Italian player served out the first set to love in the ninth game.
Cecchinato broke serve in the third break to take a 2-1 lead. He saved two break points in the sixth game to hold serve for 4-2. Schwartzman broke back in the 10thgame to draw level to 5-5. Cecchinato broke in the 11th game with a backhand down the line, but Schwartzman pulled back on serve to send the second to the tie-break. Schwartman went up a 5-2 lead, but Cecchinato pulled back on serve to draw level to 5-5 before sealing the tie-break 10-8 on his third match.
Cecchinato set up a second round against his compatriot Fabio Fognini who cruised past qualifier Alessandro Giannessi 6-2 6-1 in an all-Italian first round match. Fognini broke twice to win the first set 6-2. Fognini went up a double break to race out to a 3-0 lead. Giannessi pulled one break back at love in the fifth game for 1-3. Fognini earned two more breaks to win the second set 6-1.
