ATP Madrid: Ferrer puts retirement aside. Thiem and Cilic survive scare
Heading to Madrid with just four ATP wins under his belt and questionable form and physical shape, world no. 9 Marin Cilic had to dig deep in the very first encounter at Caja Magica, saving four match points against Martin Klizan to survive an early exit and make the winning start. The second round hasn't brought more significant improvements either but Marin managed to overcome another test, ousting Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours to enter the last 16 for the fifth time in the Spanish capital, never advancing into the quarters before. Marin won six points more than Jan-Lennard, saving six out of seven break points and stealing the German's serve twice from six opportunities to prevail in three sets.
Struff drew first blood in the seventh game and saved two break points in games eight and ten to secure the opener and set the course towards the finish line and the third round. Marin was the one who played better in the closing stages of the second set, breaking the German at 4-3 and fending off two break points in the following game to send the match into a decider where he broke in the very first game when Jan-Lennard sent a backhand long. With the advantage on his side, the Croat saved four break points in the rest of the set, moving over the top with a hold at 15 in game ten with a forehand winner to set the clash against Juan Martin del Potro or Laslo Djere.
In another tight encounter, the 5th seed and the last year's finalist Dominic Thiem took down a qualifier Reilly Opelka 6-7, 6-3, 1-0 who was forced to retire after the opening game of the deciding set. The giant server gave his everything to stay in touch, taking the opening set in the tie break before Dominic grabbed the last three games of the second set to avoid a huge upset. Playing the fourth match in four days, Opelka couldn't finish the clash, sending Thiem into the last 16 where he could face Monte Carlo champion Fabio Fognini.
The Frenchman Jeremy Chardy defeated a qualifier Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in two hours and 11 minutes with a late break in the last game of the match for the 66th Masters 1000 triumph. John Millman toppled Steve Johnson in two tie breaks for the best Masters 1000 result, never playing in the third round before. After claiming the first Challenger title on Sunday, Lucas Pouille continued with a good run in Madrid, fending off 12 out of 13 break points to oust the 13th seed Borna Coric 6-3, 7-5 in an hour and 44 minutes.
David Ferrer is playing the last tournament in a career and he is not ready to go to retirement that easily, defeating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and 36 minutes, with both players winning 101 points! The deciding set offered five breaks in the first seven games and David grabbed three of those to cross the finish line first and set the second-round clash against Alexander Zverev.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2H7QGXx
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