Taylor Fritz came back from a set down to beat Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 reaching the second round at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
Both players went on serve in the first set with no break points en route to the tie-break. Nishioka went up a 3-1 lead with a mini-break. Fritz pulled back on serve but Nishioka earned a second mini-break to take a 7-4 lead.
Fritz saved a total of four mini-breaks in the second set which went on serve en route to the tie-break.
Fritz went up a 3-0 lead with a mini-break. Nishioka pulled back on serve on the sixth point to draw level to 3-3. Fritz earned a second mini-break for 7-6, but Nishioka broke back for the second time for 7-7. Fritz was just two points from defeat in the tie-break of the second set, but he earned his third mini-break to seal the tie-break 9-7.
Nishioka went up a 3-1 lead with a break in the third set, but Fritz won the final five games of the match with to seal the decider 6-3.
Fritz is aiming to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. The US player will take on the winner of the match between Denis Shapovalov or Austrian wild card Jurij Rodionov.
Karen Khachanov battled past this year’s Florence Open finalist J.J Wolf 7-6 (7-4) 7-5. Khachanov saved two break points to hold serve at deuce in the second game. Wolf fended off three break points in the seventh game. Both players went on serve en route to the tie-break. Khachanov earned four set points at 6-2. Wolf saved two set points but Khachanov sealed the tie-break 7-4 on his third opportunity. Khachanov earned his only break in the 12th game to seal the second set 7-5.
Khachanov set up a second round match against either Oscar Otte or Daniel Evans.
This year’s Cincinnati Open Borna Coric came back from one set down to beat French qualifier Quentin Halys 3-6 7-5 6-3. Coric will face either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Austrian wild card Dennis Novak.
Andrey Rublev beat Diego Schwartzman 6-4 6-1 to reach the second round.
Rublev earned the first break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. He held his next service games until the teanth game when he saved two break points before serving out the first set in the four-deuce tenth game.
Rublev broke three times to cruise through to a 6-1 win in the second set.
Rublev will face euther Grigor Dimitrov or Thiago Monteiro in the round of 16.
Halys won the first set 6-3 with his only break in the second game. Coric saved two break points in the first game and another chance in the 11th game before breaking serve in the 12th game to win the second set 7-5. Coric broke serve at love in the fourth game to win the decider 6.4.
