Dominic Thiem of Austria survived a tight battle with Laslo Djere of Serbia to prevail 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4 in the first round of the Tel Aviv Watergen Open on Monday in Israel.

Thiem, the 2020 U.S. Open winner and former world No. 3, is in the field as a wild card. He won in two hours and 40 minutes despite Djere serving 17 aces and saving seven of 10 break points.

The only other first-round match of the day saw Roman Safiullin of Russia defeat France’s Hugo Grenier 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. Safiullin saved seven of nine break points and held a 10-7 edge in aces.

Eugene Korea Open Tennis Championships

American lucky loser Aleksandar Kovacevic toppled Serbian seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic 6-4, 6-4 in the first round in Seoul.

Kovacevic held a 39-18 edge in winners, served 14 aces and saved nine of 10 break points in the dominant effort.

Japanese wild card Kaichi Uchida won 22 of 26 first-service points (84.6 percent) and took down South Korean wild card Seong-chan Hong 6-4, 6-2. Radu Albot of Moldova beat lucky loser Hiroki Moriya of Japan 6-3, 6-4.

Also Monday, Spaniard Jaume Munar advanced when his opponent, Yosuke Watanuki of Japan, retired during the first set down 2-1.

Sofia Open

Ilya Ivashka of Belarus outlasted Sweden’s Mikael Ymer 7-6 (8), 4-6, 7-5 in the first round in Bulgaria.

Ivashka saved eight of 13 break points while breaking Ymer’s serve five times in 11 opportunities to advance.

Also Monday, Kamil Majchrzak of Poland defeated Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania 7-5, 6-2, and Bulgarian wild card Alexandar Lazarov won on his home soil, beating Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic 7-5, 6-3.

–Field Level Media