Alex de Minaur has beaten Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 4-2 3-4 (5-7) 4-1 4-1 at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
The Australian won eight of the last nine games to pull away from his Group A opponent in his opening match of the tournament.
De Minaur broke in the third game of the opening set to win 4-2, but Spaniard Fokina hit back to win the second set 7-5.
World No.87 Fokina then broke De Minaur’s serve in the first game of the third set, but ‘Demon’ broke back instantly before breaking a second time soon afterwards to claim the third set 4-1.
The top-seeded de Minaur cruised to a 4-1 victory in the final set to win the match in 92 minutes at the Allianz Cloud.
The 20-year-old is hoping to go one better than last year’s tournament in Milan, where he lost the final to Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“I just had to get in my head that I played a good second set. He just came up with big shots in big moments,” De Minaur said after his victory.
“I had to move on and remember what I was doing well the whole match. I felt a lot more comfortable as soon as I got the break (in the third set).
“This year (in Milan) is completely different, not only the circumstances, but also who I am as a person. I’ve matured a lot on and off the court. Hopefully I can finish the year strong.”
In the tournament’s opening match, Miomir Kecmanovic secured a 4-3 (7-5) 4-3 (7-5) 4-2 win over Casper Ruud in Group A’s other match.