Gianluca Mayer beats Adrian Mannarino at Sofia Open - UBITENNIS

Gianluca Mayer beats Adrian Mannarino at Sofia Open

By sampaolo
3 Min Read

Italy’s Gianluca Mager beat number 6 seed Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-2 to advance to the second round at the Sofia Open. 

Mager earned a break in the fourth game to open up a 4-1 lead. Mannarino saved two break points in the sixth game at deuce for 2-4. Mager rallied from 0-30 down in the ninth game to hold serve in the first set 6-3. The Italian player went up a break in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead and saved the first break point of the match in the sixth game. The world number 78 broke serve in the seventh game and closed out the second set on the first match. 

Mager set up a second round match against Miomir Kecmanovic, who beat Bulgarian wild card Adrian Andreev 7-6 (9-7) 6-4. Both players traded breaks in the 11th and 12th games before Kecmanovic sealed the tie-break 9-7. Kecmanovic converted his fourth break point in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Andreev broke back in the ninth game, but Kecmanovic closed out the second set with a break in the 10th game.

Frenchman Benoit Paire edged Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-4 7-5 with five breaks of serve to advance to the second round at the Sofia Open. Paire stopped a three-match losing streak. 

Paire will face either world number 89 Emil Ruusuvuori or Nur Sultan finalist James Duckworth. 

Earlier this year Paire reached the last eight in Cordoba, Hamburg on clay and in Cincinnati on hard-court, his first Masters 1000 quarter final since Rome in 2013. 

Paire broke twice in the first and fifth games to open up a 4-1 lead. Davidovich Fokina pulled one break back in the eighth game but Paire served out the first set at 15 in the 10th game. Both players traded breaks twice in the second set en route to 5-5. Paire converted his fourth break point in the 11th game to close out the second set 7-5. “I played well in the first game. It was good for my confidence. The most important thing is to stay on my game and stay focused. I was solid today so I am very happy”, said Paire. 

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