Denis Kudla Host tennis found a way to dominate in the third set tiebreak when he started the 2023 Delray Beach Open.
The 30-year-old claimed a 3-6 6-4 7-6 victory over Australian Jordan Thompson who beat him in Dallas last week.
“I think we both served well, we both played with a lot of energy physically,” said Denis Kudla.
“But whoever is ahead in points, will still be ahead. What is certain is that this match was decided by a few points at the end and I am happy to have executed that.”
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The 30-year-old trailed by a set and a break to start at the Delray Beach Open, but she quickly equalized after winning the second set and dropping her opening service game. He also saved two break point opportunities before forcing the decider.
After the deciding set went without creating a single break point opportunity, the hosts took control of the tiebreak by snatching four straight points from 1-1 before emerging victorious after 2 hours 36 minutes.
The second seed and host, Tommy Paul awaits Kudla in the second round at Delray Beach. They will meet for the second time after the second seed won their meeting in Washington in 2019.
In other actions, tennis player from Ecuador, Emilio Gomez, also made his opening match at the Delray Beach Open thanks to a 7-6, 6-4 win over Wu Tung Lin.
The 30-year-old Gomez, who reached the quarter-finals of an ATP tournament for the first time in her career in Dallas last week, will next face top seed Taylor Fritz.
Portuguese tennis player Nuni Borges also held out after eliminating host Steve Johnson 6-4 3-6 6-4 to beat fourth seed Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round.
In other action, fifth seed, Yoshihito Nishioka defeated German tennis player, Oscar Otte 6-3, 0-6, 6-4.
The host tennis player, Michael Mmoh will challenge the third seed, Denis Shapovalov after beating his compatriot, Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
