Stan Wawrinka battled back from a set down to defeat Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7-4) for a second-round place at the Cincinnati Masters on Tuesday.
Dimitrov stole the first set with a late break but missed three break-point chances in the second as Wawrinka took control and levelled the match.
Three-time grand-slam winner Wawrinka missed two match points on his serve at 5-2 in the third set and was broken back twice to make it 5-5 before the pair headed into a decisive tie-break.
In the winner-takes-all affair Wawrinka raced into a 4-0 lead and, despite a late challenge from Dimitrov, he sealed victory with an ace on his third match point after two hours and 35 minutes.
Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev awaits Wawrinka after the 21-year-old bested Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 6-2.
Frenchman Gael Monfils was beaten 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 by American Frances Tiafoe while Belgium’s David Goffin conquered Tiafoe’s compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-4 4-6 6-4 for a place in the second round against Argentina’s Guido Pella.
Meanwhile, former world No.1 Andy Murray got back to winning ways with a first-round doubles victory.
Murray was reunited with his Queens doubles-winning partner Feliciano Lopez as the pair recorded a 3-6 6-3 10-3 victory over fourth-seeded Jean-Julien Rojer and Haria Tecau.
Murray, 32, made his long-awaited singles return in Cincinnati on Monday – his first singles match since an opening-round Australian Open exit in January – where he lost in straight sets to Richard Gasquet.
He announced he would not play singles at the US Open as he strives to get back to peak fitness that would allow him to play five-set matches at grand slams.
He said he expects to be back to his physical best by January next year, 12 months after he had hip resurfacing surgery in a bid to salvage his career, giving him a realistic chance of making the Australian Open which begins on January 20 in Melbourne.