Giron Takes 10 Match Points To Defeat Munar In Sofia

Marcos Giron needed 10 match points in a dramatic final game to overcome Jaume Munar 6-7(2), 6-1, 6-4 in an almost three-hour opening-round victory at the Sofia Open on Tuesday.

All of the American’s match points came in the final game, which lasted 20 minutes, with Giron finally serving out the match on his 10th attempt to reach the second round and gain his seventh win in his past 10 matches.

“The first set was close. I feel like I had chances, but he played better than me in the tie-break,” Giron said. “I thought I did a great job resetting and adjusting in the second, and then in the third I was able to get the break early, but he kept holding on.

“I’m happy to get through that, it was a battle. That might be the most match points I’ve ever had.”

Giron also saved three break points in the same game to prevent the 24-year-old Spaniard from breaking back in the deciding set. Break point chances proved key in the encounter, as Giron saved all five break points that he faced in the match and converted three of his six opportunities on Munar's serve.

The 28-year-old will face a familiar opponent when he takes on third-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur in the second round. Giron emerged victorious against de Minaur last week in Metz, winning 7-5, 7-6(5) to lead 2-1 in their ATP Head2Head Series.

Eighth seed John Millman also advanced to the second round on Tuesday, comfortably defeating Swede Mikael Ymer 6-2, 6-4 in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“At this level every match is a bit of a battle, but I was really happy with how I played here in my first match,” Millman said. “Getting used to the conditions is so important and right from the start I thought I set a really good level.”

Millman will take on either Italian Andreas Seppi or Ukranian Illya Marchenko in his next match, with both players advancing through qualifying.

In other action, Belarusian qualifier Egor Gerasimov rallied past Canadian Vasek Pospisil 5-7, 7-6(8), 6-3 and Bulgarian wild card Dimitar Kuzmanov battled past #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 after three hours and four minutes.

World No. 226 Kuzmanov is a veteran of the Bulgarian ATP Cup team. The 28-year-old will try to reach his first ATP Tour quarter-final when he plays Polish lucky loser Kamil Majchrzak in the Round of 16.