Last year’s runner-up Robin Haase of the Netherlands defeated Dominic Thiem 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in front of the Austrian’s home crowd at the Erste Bank Open on Tuesday.
The 72nd-ranked Haase, who has won both his career titles in Austria, lost serve in the opening game, but had two breaks to take the first set.
Eighth-seeded Thiem, whose breakthrough season has seen him rise to No. 38, leveled with one break in the second, but failed to recover from dropping 4-1 behind in the final set.
Photo: EPA
“I was just too weak today,” the 38th-ranked Thiem said. “It’s bitter to lose in front of your home crowd, but Robin played very solid.”
Haase, who was beaten last year by German Tommy Haas, next faces Benjamin Becker, also of Germany, who rallied to defeat Victor Hanescu of Romania 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Yet there was some comfort for the home crowd on Tuesday, as two-time former champion Jurgen Melzer came from a set and a service break down to defeat Norbert Gombos of Slovakia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The Austrian — a former No. 8 who won in 2009 and 2010 — was broken in the opening game of the second set by Gombos, who was making his ATP Tour debut, but took control after immediately breaking back.
“This is the kind of win I need to build self-confidence,” said Melzer, who had a seven-month injury layoff earlier this season and has slipped to 123rd in the rankings.
Melzer next plays Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, who saved three match points in the second set before beating Federico Delbonis of Argentina 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/2).
Seventh-seeded Karlovic served 29 aces in a match with three tiebreakers and had no break points.
Vasek Pospisil of Canada edged Daniel Brands of Germany 6-3, 6-7 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) to set up a second-round match with Andy Murray, who had a bye in the opening round.
In other first-round play, German Jan-Lennard Struff defeated seventh seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-4; Viktor Troicki of Serbia crushed Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic 6-0, 6-3; and Tomaz Bellucci of Brazil downed Paul-Henri Matthieu of France 6-1, 6-4.
STOCKHOLM OPEN
AP, Stockholm
Spaniard Fernando Verdasco is through to the second round of the Stockholm Open after beating Marinko Matosevic of Australia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 on Tuesday.
Fifth-seeded Leonardo Mayer also reached the second round after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Donald Young, while Frenchman Adrian Mannarino rallied after dropping the first set to beat Marcos Baghdatis 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Marius Copil eliminated eighth-seeded Portuguese player Joao Sousa and Jeremy Chardy beat Sweden’s Elias Ymer 6-3, 6-4.
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