PORTUGAL’s top ranked tennis star Nuno Borges came from behind to defeat three-time Grand Slam winner and wildcard Stan Wawrinka in Marseille overnight. After losing the first set in a tiebreaker, the man ranked 39th in the world fittingly toppled an opponent of the equivalent age when defeating Wawrinka 6-7 7-6 6-3 in two hours and 33 minutes.

Wawrinka – who turns 40 next month – had Borges in trouble after taking the first set, and actually served for the match at 5-4 before being broken and forced to win in a tiebreaker. The Swiss veteran went out to a 4-2 lead in the second set but after being broken again, was destined for a second consecutive tiebreaker.

Unfortunately for the experienced campaigner, he lost seven consecutive points in the tiebreaker which forced the contest into a decider. As has been the case with Wawrinka, he tired through the third set, with Borges breaking in the sixth game which was enough to see the 27-year-old get up in just over two and a half hours.

Among the other winners in Marseille were Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff and China’s Zhizhen Zhang who all defeated local hopes in a horror day for the home fans. The only Frenchman to get up was lucky loser Luca Van Assche which would normally be a positive, expect for the fact that he beat compatriot Benjamin Bonzi to reach the second round.

In a rain-affected Buenos Aires, five of the six players involved in matches were Argentinians, with the trio of hometown chances in Sebastian Baez and both Cerundolo brothers in Francisco and Juan Manuel winning.

The Cerundolo family will find it a tough watch next match however, with the duo to face off in the Round of 16. In the other match that was delayed in the third set tiebreaker, Pedro Martinez was looking to shake off Damir Dzumhur after being bageled in the first set, and the score at 0-6 6-2 6-6.

It was largely one-sided over in the United States with only Mackenzie McDonald and Kei Nishikori battling out across three sets. McDonald got the chocolates much to the delight of home fans 7-6 4-6 7-5, joining compatriot Reilly Opelka in the next stage after the big-serving wildcard knocked off another American in Christopher Eubanks.

Both Australians in action – Aleksandar Vukic and Rinky Hijikata – lost, doing down to Yoshihito Nishioka and Yunchaokete Bu respectively, while Arthur Rinderknech and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina were the other first round victors.

BUENOS AIRES – ATP250 ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[5] Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) defeated Luciano Darderi (ITA) 6-4 6-4
[6] Sebastian Baez (ARG) defeated [WC] Camilo Ugo Carabelli (ARG) 6-4 6-4
[Q] Juan Manuel Cerundolo (ARG) defeated [Q] Roman Andres Burruchaga (ARG) 7-6 5-7 7-5

DELRAY BEACH – ATP250 ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[8] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP) defeated [LL] Taro Daniel (JPN) 6-2 7-6
[9] Arthur Rinderknecht (FRA) defeated [LL] Dmitry Popko (KAZ) 6-2 6-4
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) defeated Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) 6-3 6-4
Yunchaokete Bu (CHN) defeated Rinky Hijikata (AUS) 6-2 6-0
[WC] Mackenzie McDonald (USA) defeated Kei Nishikori (JPN) 7-6 4-6 7-5
[WC] Reilly Opelka (USA) defeated Christopher Eubanks (USA) 6-3 7-6

MARSEILLE – ATP250 ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[8] Nuno Borges (POR) defeated [WC] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 6-7 7-6 6-3
Zhizhen Zhang (CHN) defeated Quentin Halys (FRA) 6-3 6-7 7-6
Zizou Bergs (BEL) defeated [Q] Clement Chidekh (FRA) 6-4 6-4
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) defeated [WC] Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-4 6-4
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) defeated [LL] Manuel Guniard (FRA) 7-5 7-6
[LL] Luca van Assche (FRA) defeated Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) 3-6 6-3 7-6