Stuttgart Open: Matteo Berrettini earns hard-fought win, Marcos Giron beats Andy Murray

Stuttgart: Two-time Stuttgart Open champion Matteo Berrettini improved his impressive record here on Tuesday when he clawed past eighth seed Roman Safiullin in a three sets first-round thriller. Berrettini came back after losing the second set to beat Safiullin 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-5.  The Italian, playing for the first time since Monte-Carlo in April, saved one set point in the first set and raised his level in the decider. The former World No. 6 fired 13 aces in the third set and fended off all four break points he faced, according to ATP Infosys Stats, to advance after two hours and 57 minutes.

Marcos Giron earned his first win against a current or former World No. 1 when he defeated Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4 in Stuttgart. The American won 80 percent (33/41) of his first-serve points to set a second-round clash with Jack Draper. Berrettini’s countryman Lorenzo Musetti also advanced to the second round in Germany. The fifth seed defeated French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(9), 7-6(11).

In other action, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech beat American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-5, while Australian James Duckworth eliminated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6(2). Duckworth next faces second seed Ben Shelton. Agencies

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