Stefanos Tsitsipas came back from one set down to beat Roberto Carballes Baena 4-6 6-3 6-3 in 1 hour and 59 minutes booking his spot in the second round at the Paris Rolex Masters.
Carballes Baena broke serve in the fifth game to win the first set 6-3. Tsitsipas earned an early in the second game to love to take a 2-0 lead. Carballes Baena converted his second break-back point in the third game. Tsitsipas broke for the second time in the fourth game and held his next two service games to win the second set 6-3. Tsitsipas converted his third break point and held serve at 15 to take a 2-0 lead. The Greek player broke on his second match point in the ninth game. Tsitsipas is 12th in the ATP Live Race to Turin. Tsitsipas is 750 points behind eighth placed Andrey Rublev.
Tsitsipas hit 36 winners to Carballes Baena’s 15.
Tsitsipas reached the semifinals in Paris in each of the past two years.
“I did not start so well. I had an upset stomach and was not feeling so great on the court. I could not even pump myself up at the beginning of the match. Because when something is bothering you that much, it makes your entire concentration and focus. That was perhaps the second battle I was facing today, along with my opponent”, said Tsitsipas.
Tsitsipas will face Alejandro Tabilo, who came back from one set down to beat Nuno Borges 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3. Borges broke twice in the seventh and ninth games to win the first set 6-3. The second set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Tabilo raced out to a 4-0 lead with two mini-breaks in the tie-break. Borges pulled one mini-break back for 2-4. Tabilo earned three set points at 6-3. Borges saved the first two set points, but Tabilo closed out the tie-break on his third opportunity. Tabilo saved three break points in the third game of the decisive set. The Chilean player broke serve at 30 and closed out the win on his third match point.
Adrian Mannarino beat Yommy Paul 6-3 7-5. Mannarino earned an early break in the third game and consolidated it with a hold at 15 to take a 3-1 lead. Paul saved two break points to hold serve at deuce in the seventh game. Mannarino broke on his third set point in the ninth game.
Paul converted his second break point in the first game of the second set. Mannarino broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Mannarino broke at love in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead. Paul broke straight back in the ninth game and held serve at love to draw level to 5-5. Mannarino broke on his first match point in the 12th game.