Top-seeded Novak Djokovic saved four set points before pulling away for a 7-6 (11), 6-3 victory against Croatia’s Borna Coric on Wednesday in the second round of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria.
The Serbian star improved to 21-2 in tiebreaks since the start of the 2019 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. Djokovic saved all three break points he faced and withstood nine aces from Coric.
In other matches, No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece outlasted Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4, and No. 4 Daniil Medvedev of Russia posted a 6-3, 6-1 win over Taipei’s Jason Jung. Italy’s Jannik Sinner won 7-6 (2), 6-3 over Norway’s Casper Ruud, South Africa’s Kevin Anderson was a 7-5, 6-1 winner over Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, and qualifier Vasek Pospisil upset fellow Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 7-5.
Astana Open
American Mackenzie McDonald knocked off No. 6 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-2 in the first round in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Bublik fired 11 aces but also double-faulted eight times against McDonald, ranked No. 209 in the world. McDonald will face Italy’s Andreas Seppi in the second round.
In other action, No. 4 seed John Millman of Australia earned a 6-3, 6-4 win over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, and No. 7 American Tommy Paul was a 6-4, 6-0 winner over Moldova’s Radu Albot. Also, Egor Gerasimov of Belarus rallied to beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin held off Argentina’s Federico Delbonis 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.
–Field Level Media
