DALLAS — Max Purcell won a tiebreaker in the deciding set after letting two match points get away, beating Mitchell Krueger 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (3) in the first round of the Dallas Open on Monday night.
The sixth-seeded Australian won six consecutive points in the tiebreaker after falling behind 1-0, closing out the match with a winner on a forehand after struggling with that stroke throughout the match.
Taro Daniel of Japan won the other opening-round match, 4-6, 6-4, 5-0, over Constant Lestienne when the Frenchman retired with an arm injury.
Purcell had two match points with a 5-4 lead in the final set when Krueger started a run of nine consecutive points that gave the American a chance to win the match by breaking Purcell’s serve.
Purcell recovered and forced the tiebreaker by winning four consecutive points. Krueger saved two more match points before losing the tiebreaker in a deciding set for the fifth consecutive time.
Daniel won the final seven games against Lestienne, with his opponent taking a medical break before the third set and later getting more treatment on his injured arm.
With his serves dipping below 90 mph while not even attempting to return Daniel’s serve in the final game, Lestienne finally retired. It’s the 14th time the 31-year-old Frenchman has ended a match that way.
Daniel and Lestienne broke each other for the first five games of the match before Lestienne held serve and kept that advantage for the rest of the first set.
Daniel went up 3-0 in the second set before Lestienne got even at 4-4. Daniel broke Lestienne to win the set. The players combined for 10 service breaks in the match.
Second-seeded American Tommy Paul is next for Daniel in the round of 16.