HAMBURG — Jeremy Chardy needed five match points to beat fellow Frenchman Benoit Paire and reach the second round of the Hamburg European Open on Monday.
Chardy finally converted match point to win 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-3 against Paire, who at 28th in the world is ranked 49 places higher. The fifth-seeded Paire struggled on serve in the deciding set, racking up six double faults and only one ace.
Chardy next plays either fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet or Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal.
Eighth-seeded Christian Garin had reached the final in three of his last seven clay-court tournaments but was beaten 6-4, 7-6 (5) by Andrey Rublev.
Marton Fucsovics defeated German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-0, and Martin Klizan dismissed wild card Daniel Altmaier 6-2, 6-2.
