Pella outlasts Mayer at Brasil Open

Guido Pella survived a marathon first-round clash against Leonardo Mayer to advance at the Brasil Open on Monday. The two Argentines battled for two hours and 35 minutes on the clay courts in Sao Paulo before Pella came out a 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) winner. Seventh seed Mayer wasted a match point during the third set and Pella held his nerve in the latter stages of the decisive tie-break. There were no breaks of serve during the first set despite both players having their chances. Mayer's opportunity in the 10th game was also a set point but Pella held him off before winning the first three points of the tie-break on his way to taking the opening set. It stayed on serve throughout the second but it was Mayer who stepped up in the tie-break, wining five of six points from 2-2 to level the match. Mayer broke for a 4-2 lead in the deciding set but gave that advantage straight up. His match point came in the 10th game but he failed to capitalise and Pella took his chance in the third tie-break. Awaiting Pella in the second round is another Argentine in Horacio Zeballos, who overcame Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-3. Dutch fifth seed Robin Haase was sent packing in the first round after a 7-5 6-4 loss to Brazilian wildcard Joao Souza.