Top seed Carlos Alcaraz needed a third-set tiebreak to get past French journeyman Arthur Rinderknech at the Queen’s Club Championships on Tuesday.
Rinderknech, promoted to the main draw as a lucky loser after Arthur Fils, Alcaraz’s scheduled opponent, withdrew from the tournament, won the first set against the world No 2.
But Alcaraz hit back in the second and was too strong in the tiebreak to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-6.
Alcaraz faced difficulties in dealing with Rinderknech’s big serve and net coverage in what was the Spaniard’s seventh career match on grass, and first outside of Wimbledon.
It was Alcaraz’s first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the French Open semi-finals, after which he went to Spanish party island Ibiza.
Second-seeded Holger Rune beat big-serving American Maxime Cressy 7-6, 7-6 for his first grass-court ATP win, after losing three in the first round last year – including at Wimbledon.
Frances Tiafoe won his first match as a top-10 player by defeating Botic van De Zandschulp 6-2 6-4.
Tiafoe is seeded fourth in London after winning the grass-court Stuttgart Open title on Sunday to climb to a career-high spot of No. 10 in the rankings. Another American, third-seeded Taylor Fritz, plays Bernabe Zapata Miralles later.
Over in Berlin, women's world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka beat veteran Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2 to make it through to the last 16 ahead of next month's grand slam at the All England Club in London.
Earlier on Tuesday, Elena Rybakina won her opening match in straight sets as she warms up for her Wimbledon title defence in July. The Kazakh world No 3 beat Polina Kudermetova 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the last 16.
