Top-seeded Holger Rune avoided a New Year’s Day upset with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Australian Max Purcell in the first round of the Brisbane International on Monday in Australia.
Rune finished with 12 aces and 31 winners against 15 unforced errors. At 2-2 in the decisive set and trailing 15-40, Rune rallied for the first of two straight service breaks to close out the match.
Russia’s Roman Safiullin posted a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 upset of No. 3 seed Ben Shelton, and No. 2 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria eliminated Britain’s Andy Murray 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Hong Kong Tennis Open
Chinese teenager Juncheng Shang held on for a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (8) upset of seventh-seeded Serbian Laslo Djere in the opening round.
The 18-year-old wild-card entry saved two match points in the third-set tiebreak before closing out the win in just under three hours. Up next is No. 2 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia.
Pavel Kotov of Russia defeated Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-2, 6-4 and Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori outlasted Benjamin Bonzi of France 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-1. Botic Van De Zandschulp of the Netherlands was a 7-5, 6-1 winner against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki.
–Field Level Media