Stan Wawrinka battled past qualfier Timofey Skatov 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-1) in 3 hours and 16 minutes at the Ion Tiriac Open in Bucarest to win his first ATP Tour match this season.
Wawrinka saved three break points in the first game of the opening set. Skatov earned the first break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Wawrinka converted his second break-back point to draw level to 2-2 lead. Wawrinka sealed the first set 6-4 with a break on his fourth set point.
Wawrinka converted his fifth break point in the second game of the second set to open up a 3-0 lead. Skatov broke back in the seventh game and held serve at 15 in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Skatov saved three match point in the 12th game. Skatov earned a mini-break to take a 3-1 lead, but Wawrinka pulled back on serve for 3-4. Skatov went up a second mini-break to take a 5-3 lead, but Wawrinka got the mini-break back to draw level to 5-5. Skatov earned his third mini-break to seal the tie-break 7-5.
Skatov converted his fifth break point in the second game and held serve at love to open up a 3-0 lead. Wawrinka broke back at love in the fifth game and held at 30 to draw level to 3-3. Skatov earned his second break to take a 5-3 lead. Wawrinka broke straight back and held at love to draw level to 5-5 forcing the match to the tie-break. Wawrinka earned three mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-1.
Wawrinka, who turned 40 last week, set up a second round match against Pedro Martinez.
Defending champion Marton Fucsovics beat Luca Nardi 6-3 6-1 to set up a re-match of last year’s final against Mariano Navone.
Camilo Ugo Carabelli, who reached the third round at the Miami Open, beat Radu Albot 6-4 6-3 in their first head-to-head match.
Carabelli earned a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Albot converted his third break-back point in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Carabelli broke for the second time in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and held his next service games to win the first set 6-4.
Carabelli broke in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. The Argentine sealed the win with another break on his second match point.
Carabelli set up a match against Filip Misolic, who beat Alexander Schevchenko 6-3 6-4.
World number 64 Francisco Comesana came back 4-6 1-4 down to beat Slovakian qualifier Martin Klizan 4-6 7-5 7-5.
Klizan converted his third break point in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead and held on his next service games to win the first set 6-4. Klizan went up a double break to take a 4-1 lead. Comesana won six of next seven games to win the second set 7-5. Both players went on serve until the 12th game of the third set when Comesana sealed the win with a decisive break.
Comesana will face Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, who rallied from one set down to beat Buyyunchaokete 3-6 6-2 7-5. Bautista Agut has achieved 100 ATP Tour wins on clay and won two titles on this surface in Stuttgart in 2014 and Kizbuhel in 2022.
Bu started the first set with an early break in the first game. Bautista Agut converted his fourth break back point in the second game to draw level to 1-1. Bu broke twice in the third and ninth games to win the first set 6-3.
Bautista Agut started the second set with an early break to take a 2-0 lead. The Spaniard saved four break points before earning a second break in the fifth game to open up a 4-1 lead. He served out the second set with a hold at 15.
Bautista Agut broke twice in the fifth and seventh game to take a 5-2 lead. Bu pulled back both breaks to draw level to 5-5. Bautista Agut broke in the 11th game and sealed the win on his third match point.
