By Tennis Now | Monday, October 16, 2017

 

Ivo Karlovic rallied from a set down to edge Guido Pella, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10), to reach the Antwerp second round.

Photo credit: European Open

Ivo Karlovic and home favorite Ruben Bemelmans both squeezed out thrillers in Antwerp.

The 38-year-old Karlovic pumped 15 aces fighting back from a one-set deficit to edge Guido Pella, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10), to reach the second round.

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Karlovic won 52 of 60 first-serve points and saved two of three break points in his first Tour-level victory since he surprised Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Cincinnati second round in August. Tsonga is the second seed in Antwerp this week.

Karlovic will play either sixth-seeded Pablo Cuevas or 19-year-old qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round.

Bemelmans beat back the challenge of Peter Gojowczyk, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), in two hours, 27 minutes.

The 98th-ranked Belgian earned a second-round date with wild card Nick Kyrgios.

Sergiy Stakhovsky did not drop serve defeating American Jared Donaldson, 7-6 (4), 6-4, advancing to a second-round clash with either seventh-seeded Benoit Paire or Joao Sousa.