Reilly Opelka triumphed over tough conditions and multiple rain delays to defeat Jesper de Jong in the first round of the Libema Open on Tuesday. The American, known for his big serve, battled through a challenging match at the ATP 250 event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, securing a 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 6-2 win.
Opelka held a 5-2 lead in the second set but lost it, later facing a fight for survival at 5-5 in the tie-break. Despite these setbacks, Opelka remained focused, won the tie-break, and dominated the deciding set.
“It was a tricky match. He had me for sure,” Opelka said. “This was my first time playing Jesper, and I’ve been watching him closely. He’s had some big wins recently. I watched his match against Davidovich Fokina in Rome, and I was really impressed. He also beat Fonseca last week. He’s playing really well.”
Opelka’s powerful serving was key to his victory, as he hit 19 aces during the match. The two-hour, 43-minute victory marked his debut at the Libema Open. Opelka, ranked No. 87, will next face Nicolas Jarry in the second round. The winner could potentially meet top seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals.
Other players who secured wins on Tuesday included Zizou Bergs and Mackenzie McDonald. Bergs defeated Alexander Blockx 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(3) in an all-Belgian clash and will meet fourth seed Alexei Popyrin in the next round. McDonald also triumphed, beating Mattia Bellucci 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3, and will face third seed Karen Khachanov next.
With rain delays affecting the schedule, Hubert Hurkacz’s match against Roberto Bautista Agut was postponed to Wednesday. Otto Virtanen also secured a win on Day 2, defeating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6(6), 7-5. Virtanen will face Nuno Borges in the second round.
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