Donaldson Endures Tense Comeback In Chengdu

American Jared Donaldson fought hard on Monday, weathering a late comeback from fellow #NextGenATP and Greek qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Chengdu Open for a 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-5 victory over two hours and 25 minutes.

World No. 58 Donaldson, now 19-17 on the year, led 5-2 in the deciding set, before losing 10 of the next 13 points to ensure a tense end to the pair’s first meeting. Tsitsipas, 19, dropped to 0-7 lifetime in tour-level matches, while Donaldson will next face sixth-seeded Briton Kyle Edmund or Bernard Tomic of Australia.

“I think the entire match was very close and Stefanos played a great match,” said Donaldson. “Obviously, at 5-2 in the third set I didn’t play a great service game. It happens sometimes. I gave myself an opportunity to win, I just didn’t take it and I also thought I got a little unlucky.”

Elsewhere, fifth-seeded Japanese Yuichi Sugita was leading 6-1 when Croatian qualifier Mate Pavic after 22 minutes of play. This year’s Antalya Open titlist (d. Mannarino, who is now 16-10 in a career-best year, awaits the winner of Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro or Chinese wild card Yibing Wu.

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