Clutch In Kitzbühel: Ofner Stuns Gasquet

Up a break in the third set, it seemed Richard Gasquet was well on a track to victory on Tuesday in Kitzbühel, but Sebastian Ofner never gave up and that paid dividends for the Austrian.

The qualifier clawed past former World No. 7 Gasquet 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 after two hours and 34 minutes to reach the second round of the Generali Open. Ofner will next play countryman Dominic Thiem, the former World No. 3, or lucky loser Alexander Shevchenko.

Ofner owns an 11-13 tour-level record, but he is now 6-4 in Kitzbühel, where in 2017 he advanced to the semi-finals. The 26-year-old showed no fear of the moment competing in front of his home fans, taking full advantage of poor shot selection by Gasquet at the end of the match with a flurry of rushes to net to dispose of drop shots, also painting the line with shots at critical moments.

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The No. 235 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings saved eight of the 12 break points he faced in his first ATP Head2Head meeting with Gasquet. 

It was a good day for Spaniards in Kitzbühel, where seventh seed Pedro Martinez and Pablo Andujar advanced. Martinez saved all six break points he faced in a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory against Chilean wild card Nicolas Jarry, while Andujar battled past ninth seed Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4).