Italian wild card Gianluca Mager upset Alex De Minaur 6-4 6-3 in 1 hour and 19 minutes to reach the second round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Mager earned an early break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. De Minaur broke straight back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2.
Mager converted his fifth break point in the ninth game and held serve at 15 to close out the opening set 6-4 after 40 minutes.
De Minaur went up a break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead, but Mager broke straight back to love in the third game for 1-2. The Italian player, who reached the Rio de Janeiro final, broke for the second time in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Mager earned his third break on his second match point in the 10th game to seal the second set 6-4 after 39 minutesMager will face a second round match against either Lorenzo Sonego or Gael Monfils.
