Muller saves 2 MPs, defeats Lehecka in Rome thriller

Alexandre Muller saved two match points on Wednesday against Jiri Lehecka to earn a thrilling first-round win at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.

The Frenchman fended off two match points on serve at 4-5 in the third set before eventually prevailing 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) in two hours and 38 minutes. With his third Top 40 win of the season, Muller set a second-round clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Muller, who came through qualifying to reach the fourth round in Rome last year, has impressed on clay this season. The 28-year-old reached the final in Rio de Janeiro and the third round in Madrid last week. He is playing at a career-high No. 39 in the PIF ATP Rankings this week.

Earned, not given 😤@Alex2Mumu shows his tenacity by saving two match points to defeat Lehecka 2-6 6-3 7-6(5) and will face Tsitsipas in the second round! @InteBNLdItalia | #IBI25 pic.twitter.com/saYQLMgCF8

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 7, 2025

Jordan Thompson also won a third-set tie-break on Day 1 in the Italian capital. The Australian clawed past big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) to advance to the second round in Rome for the second consecutive year.

Thompson now leads Mpetshi Perricard 5-0 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, defeating him in Miami and Monte-Carlo in 2025. He will next play Brandon Nakashima.

In a day of three setters, Tallon Griekspoor defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 and Corentin Moutet beat Rinky Hijikata 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. Griekspoor fired 16 aces, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to victory and will next play Arthur Fils.

“He is a very tough competitor and we always have big battles and this was the first one on clay,” said Greikspoor, who leads Kecmanovic 4-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “I let it slip at the end of the first set but I am really happy with the level I put on the court in the second and third sets.”

Moutet produced a number of stunning drop shots in his win against Hijikata and now has a meeting with countryman Ugo Humbert.

Argentine qualifier Roman Andres Burruchaga earned victory on his ATP Masters 1000 debut, eliminating Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3. The 23-year-old is up 14 spots to No. 121 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings and will next meet 23rd seed Karen Khachanov.

In other action, Camilo Ugo Carabelli beat Spanish lucky loser Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 and will play second seed Alexander Zverev next, while Spanish qualifier Carlos Taberner downed Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3, 1-6, 7-5. Francisco Comesana moved past Daniel Altmaier 6-1, 7-5.