Marin Cilic overcame a second-set loss to edge past World Number 74 John Millman with 5-3 4-6 6-3 in almost two hours in his debut at the ATP 250 in Shenzhen.
The 2014 US Open champion broke serve in the third game and held her next service games and broke serve in the ninth game to clinch the first set with 6-3. Cilic went up 40-15 in the first game of the second set but he made three forehand errors and dropped his serve. Millman held his service games until 5-4. He faced a break point as he was serving for the set but he saved it with his serve. Millman won the next two points to close out the second set with 6-4 forcing the match to the third set. In the third set Cilic faced two consecutive break points but he saved them with his serve and his forehand. Cilic broke serve to 15 in the sixth game en route to clinching the third set with 6-3. Cilic will take on Hyeon Chung who beat Aljaz Bedene 6-2 6-0
Number 5 seed Adrian Mannarino edged China’s Yan Bai 7-5 7-6 (9-7). After a trade of breaks in the early games of the first set Mannarino clinched the 12th game with a break. Mannarino dropped his serve to love at the start of the second set. Yan Bai was broken to 15 as he was serving to force the second set to the third set. The second set came down to the tie-break where Mannarino had to save two set points at 6-7 before sealing the win with 9-7 after almost two hours. Mannarino will face Guillermo Garcia Lopez who beat Lukas Rosol 6-4 6-3 with two breaks for each set.
Diego Sampaolo
