Russian top-seed Marat Safin battled back from a set down and saved two match points to advance to the second round of the US$2.3 million Kremlin Cup with a 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/1) win over Max Mirnyi of Belarus on Monday.
The 24-year-old Safin, who is still seeking his first title on home courts, won to record his fourth win against Mirnyi in their six meetings.
PHOTO: AP
Mirnyi, 27, wrapped up the first set in 49 minutes and then opened up a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Safin hit back in the 10th game to level at five all, forcing another tiebreak.
The unseeded Belarus player went on to a 3-0 advantage in the deciding set, but this year's Australian Open finalist levelled again at 5-5 after he survived two match points.
In the last tiebreaker, Safin was in complete command, winning the set and the match in 2 hours 35 minutes.
"It was a tough match as any of my matches against Mirnyi as we play a similar style and know each other pretty well," Safin said.
"For me it's very hard to play in Moscow especially in the opening round as every time I'm afraid I will fail my home fans' expectations," he said.
Joachim Johansson of Sweden, the second seed, also won a place in the second round defeating Jan Henrych of Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2, while Igor Kunitsyn of Russia upset another Czech Tomas Berdych, the sixth seed, 6-3, 6-4.
Britain's 31-year-old veteran Greg Rusedski also earned a second round pass with a hard-fought 7-6 (16/14), 6-2 win over Ivo Karlovic of Croatia.
Big-server Karlovic produced 15 aces throughout the 1 hour 28 minute match but also hit 23 unforced errors and five double faults.
In the WTA event, Russian wildcard Vera Douchevina ousted Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, three times winner here, to level their head-to-head record at one all.
Russia's teenage player broke Maleeva twice in the opening set but the 29-year-old veteran broke back immediately on both occasions before clinching a 1-0 lead in 38 minutes with a break in the 12th game.
In the second Douchevina picked up steam to win four consecutive games to a commanding 4-0 advantage. Maleeva reduced the arrears with a break in the eighth game but nevertheless Douchevina pulled the scores level after 1hr 32 min on court.
The opponents traded breaks early in the deciding set before Russia's 18-year-old broke again in the ninth game to win the set and the match in 2hr 19 min.
Italy's Francesca Schiavone saw off a compatriot Silvia Farina Elia 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 7-5 to face either eighth seed Russia's Nadia Petrova or Paola Suarez of Argentina in a match for a place in the quarter-finals.
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