Roberto Carballes Baena earned his highest-ranked win of the season Tuesday in Marrakech.
The Spaniard rallied from a set down to defeat World No. 38 Maxime Cressy 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round of the Grand Prix Hassan II.
Carballes Baena, who was a quarter-finalist last year in Marrakech, held his ground while converting five of his 13 break points. Serve-and-volleyer Cressy, seeded fifth, stayed bold on his second delivery, but ended with 20 double faults to his nine aces.
The 30-year-old Carballes Baena will next meet Bulgarian qualifier Dimitar Kuzmanov, who beat Hugo Grenier 6-3, 6-4. Kuzmanov, 29, defeated the Frenchman in qualifying Monday before Grenier got in the main draw as a lucky loser.
In other action at the ATP 250, Italian Andrea Vavassori survived Santiago champion Nicolas Jarry 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Frenchman Alexandre Muller defeated countryman and sixth seed Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4.
Elias Ymer eliminated Moroccan wild card Adam Moundir 6-4, 7-6(6) to set a second-round meeting against fourth seed Tallon Griekspoor. Pavel Kotov also advanced Tuesday when he escaped Pedro Martinez in a third-set tie-break, moving on with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(5) victory.
In the evening, seventh seed Benjamin Bonzi held a 6-3 lead on lucky loser Alexey Vatutin when play was suspended due to rain.
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