Rublev saves three match points in Hamburg

World number seven defeats Spaniard 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) to move into second round

HAMBURG:

World number seven Andrey Rublev saved three match points before defeating Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles at the Hamburg Open on Wednesday.

The second-seeded Rublev, fresh from lifting the Bastad title at the weekend, came through 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (9/7) against his 54th-ranked opponent.

Rublev rallied from 4/6 in the third-set tie-break and saved his third match point at 6/7 with a blistering forehand winner.

"I was playing well and it was under control, but somehow I lost the first set and was frustrated," said Rublev.

"I came back and recovered mentally and won a really good second set. The third set was tough. I started to get tired and nervous, because the score is going to the tie-break and I didn't have many chances to break him.

"When I went 0/3, I started to stress a lot. But then I played two amazing rallies and told myself to keep fighting, keep fighting."

Rublev next faces either Yannick Hanfmann or Zhang Zhizhen in the second round.

Top seed and fourth-ranked Casper Ruud bounced back from his Bastad final defeat to Rublev to defeat Argentina's Sebastian Baez 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

It was the Norwegian's 21st tour-level clay-court win of the season.

"It was really tough," Ruud said.

"Sebastian is a great fighter. He has taken big steps in the past year, so it was always going to be a tough challenge."