Chennai: Coming into the main draw with some valuable match time under the belt, a qualifier is a tricky opponent to face and the risk is even more if the match is the season opener. Former top 10 player Nicolas Almagro was the victim of early season blues as he went down to a Croatian qualifier Ante Pavic 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1) in the first round of the ATP Chennai Open here on Monday.
In another marathon encounter that lasted around two-and-a-half hours, Australia’s John Millman prevailed over Russian Evgeny Donskoy 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6 (6). Pavic, who had ousted top seed Elias Ymer en route to the main draw, continued his marauding run by scalping the high-profile Spaniard, who has 12 Tour titles and was ranked number nine in 2011.
The tall Croatian neither had any big weapon to surprise his opponent, nor did his misfiring backhand looked pleasing, yet Pavic managed to come up trumps over his more fancied opponent.
Pavic, who is currently ranked 449th — 376 places below Almagro, said it was one of the best victories of his career. “I beat Columbian Alesandra Falla at Wimbledon in 2014. He was ranked 54. But beating a player of Almagro’s calibre in a three-setter feels really special,” he said.
It was Almagro who took the lead by breaking Pavic in the sixth game before snapping up the first set rather convincingly. The second went on serve and it looked heading for a tie-breaker until a couple of forehand errors from Almagro gave Pavic the all-important break points.
Down 5-6 and 15-40, Almagro hit a backhand lob over a net-rushing Pavic only to see the shot fly over the baseline. The final set was a carbon copy of the second, but this time Almagro managed to save two breakpoints — also match points — to force the tie-breaker where the Spanish player came a cropper.
Brushing aside the talks about his ‘pathetic’ backhand, Pavic said all he wanted to do in the centre court was to enjoy his first main draw appearance in Chennai. “I was a little bit nervous as I don’t get to play in the centre court every week. I started to sense something when I made it 1-1. I know the pressure would be on my opponent,” added the Croatian.
First round Results
Ante Pavic (Cro) bt Nicolas Almagro (Esp) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1); John Millman (Aus) bt Evgeny Donskoy (Rus) 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6 (6).
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