Aussie Alex de Minaur advances to second round at Roland-Garros
Alex de Minaur has advanced to the second round at Roland-Garros following a straight sets win over Italian Stefano Travaglia, 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
The Australian world No.22 made light work of his 78th-ranked opponent in the opening set today before he was made to work for it in the second and third.
De Minaur was forced to grind it out in the second and third sets, which both lasted longer than 50 minutes each with the final set decided in a tiebreak.
It took the Australian two hours and 28 minutes to seal the victory.
While de Minaur didn't drop a set, he may consider himself a tad lucky with his Italian opponent unable to capitalise on a number of big moments in the match, with Travaglia claiming just two out of a possible 16 break points.
Alex de Minaur of Australia plays a backhand in their mens first round match against Stefano Travaglia of Italy during day three of the 2021 French Open at Roland Garros on June 01, 2021 in Paris, France. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) Getty
Travaglia at one stage during the third set was 1/15 from break point opportunities which left former Australian tennis star Sam Groth stunned in the commentary box.
"He can't buy a break point, those are crazy numbers," Groth said.
Fellow Australian James Duckworth was also successful in the opening round overnight, beating Italy's Salvatore Caruso in four sets.
