Andrey Rublev rallied from one set down to beat this year’s Montpellier champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 2-6 6-4 6-2 after 1 hour and 33 minutes at the Open 13 in Marseille.
Three-time Marseille champion Tsonga hit 13 aces, but he dropped his serve three times from the six break points he faced. Rublev earned a break point with a backhand return winner, but Tsonga saved it with his serve. Tsonga broke serve in the second game with a forehand crosscourt winner. Tsonga got another break in the eight game at 15 to seal the opening set after 25 minutes.
Rublev broke serve at love in the first game of the second set, when Tsonga sent a forehand long. The young Russian player held serve at 15 in the 10th game with a service winner to seal the second set 6-4.
Rublev broke twice to race out to a 4-0 lead in the third set and hit three service winners in the eighth game to close out the third set 6-2 securing his spot in the Round of 16.
“We did a great match, and I am really happy for the win. I was able to stay focused on my service games”, said Rublev.
Tsonga has enjoyed a successful come-back from a seven-month lay-off due to injury this year with his title in Montpellier and the quarter final in Rotterdam.
“I won the first set 6-2, then I was broken at the beginning of the second set. Andrey was aggressive. I had some tough moments with my serve. He played better in the end”, said Tsonga.
Rublev will take on Matteo Berrettini, who edged Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (14-12) 7-6 (7-0). Chardy earned two set points on his return in the 10th game and six set points at 6-3, 7-6, 10-9 and 11-10 in the tie-break, but Berrettini won four of the next five points to win the tie-break 14-12. Both players traded breaks in the second and third games of the second set. Berrettini fended off another break point at 4-4 before winning the tie-break 7-0.
Fernando Verdasco came back from one set down to edge Egor Gerasimov 4-6 6-3 7-5 after 2 hours and 11 minutes after saving three match points when he was serving at 4-5. Verdasco won the final three games to seal the third set.
Peter Gojowczyk saved six of the seven break points and converted three of his seventeen break points in his 6-2 6-4 win over Damir Dzumhur 6-2 6-4 after 1 hour and 19 minutes. The German will face Gilles Simon in the next round.
Benoit Paire beat Simone Bolelli 6-4 7-6 (7-1) to set up a second round match against David Goffin. Lucky loser Sergiy Stakhovsky edged past French qualifier Constant Lestienne 7-6 (7-3) 1-6 6-3.
