Roberto Bautista Agut battled past Miomir Kecmanovic 7-6 (11-9) 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5) after 3 hours and 18 minutes at the Sofia Open.
Bautista Agut saved three set points at 5-6 6-7 and 7-8 before winning the tie-break of the first set on his second set point.
Bautista Agut broke serve in the seventh game of the second set to take a 4-3 lead, but he was not able to serve out the match at 5-4, when Kecmanovic pulled back on serve to draw level to 5-5. Kecmanovic earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2 on his second set point.
Bautista Agut earned his first break in the second game of the third set to open up a 3-0 lead. Kecmanovic broke back in the fifth game to draw level to 3-3. Bautista broke serve in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead, but he failed to serve out the third set at 5-4, when Kecmanovic broke straight back. Bautista Agut converted his second match point in the tie-break of the decisive set to set up a match agaist Hungary’s Fabian Maroszan, who cruised past his compatriot Zsombor Piros 6-3 6-1.
Jack Draper beat Maximilian Marterrer 6-3 6-2 one week after winning his fifth ATP Challenger in Bergamo beating David Goffin. Draper set up a second round against Lorenzo Musetti. The British player reached the fourth round at the US Open.
Christopher O’Connell came back from one set down to Serbian Next Gen player Haman Medjedovic. 6-7 (3-7) 6-1 7-6 (7-2). O’Connell will take on Sebastian Ofner, who edged past Ukrainian qualifier Vitaliy Sachko 6-4 3-6 6-2.
Billy Harris edged past defending champion Marc Andrea Huesler 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-5) to win his first ATP match at the age of 28
