Frenchman Adrian Mannarino defeated qualifier Benjamin Becker 7-6(6), 6-3 to advance to the second round at the Miami Open. He will now play the 32nd-seeded Italian Paolo Lorenzi.
Mannarino saves two set points, wins set on tiebreaker
Both players began the match by holding their serves with the score at 1-1. The third game saw the German qualifier having to dig in. The Frenchman sent the game to deuce but Becker then went on to win the next two points and hold serve for 2-1. The two players then began getting into a rhythm on serve, with no breaks being offered throughout the set. For the first time in the set in the tenth game, the 28-year-old was put under a little bit of pressure. With a game point his way, he sent a return wide which sent the game to deuce before getting some good fortune from the net and sealing the game with a dropshot to stay in the set and hold at 5-5.
With no breaks of serve still in the set, Mannarino forced the tiebreaker. Almost immediately the world number 65 got the mini-break with a forehand before winning the next point for 2-0. However, still on serve, Becker got the mini break back and won three games in a row to take the lead, 2-3. The breaker went on serve until the tenth game when the qualifier applied constant pressure to the Frenchman and got his reward with a set point going his way at 4-6 following an unforced error. The 28-year-old saved the first one then Becker got tight and dropped a double-fault which sent the breaker to 6-6. A second double-fault appeared a point later with the Frenchman earning himself a set point 7-6. Good serve won him the set, 7-6(6).
Mannarino gets the match only break advances to the second round
Just like the opening set, both players held their opening service games. The Frenchman held his second service game to go 2-1 up. With momentum on his side, he pressurised Becker. A winner followed by an error presented Mannarino with a breakpoint, the first of the entire match at advantage. The German then made Mannarino scramble as he hit an unforced error with the breakpoint being saved and the game back to deuce. A second breakpoint arrived for the Frenchman with Becker netting a forehand. This time, the Frenchman broke with a backhand error. This was then followed by a hold of serve with Mannarino going 4-1 up.
Becker was then in trouble of going behind again with the Frenchman taking the game to deuce with a lob winner. However, the German dug in, won the next two points and held serve to stay just the break behind at 4-2. Just a couple of games later at 5-3, Mannarino managed to reach set point at 40-30 with an unforced error from the German. He then attacked Mannarino and hit a thumping backhand return winner to save the match point and send the game to deuce once more. However, a forehand down the line gave the 28-year-old a second match point before Becker sent a backhand wide as Mannarino advanced, 7-6(6), 6-3.