Molcan Upsets Kecmanovic On Day 1 In Mallorca

Alex Molcan saved all six break points he faced to defeat seventh seed Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday at the Mallorca Championships, ensuring Day 1 of the ATP 250 event started with an upset in the Balearic Islands.

Slovakia’s Molcan broke in the final game of each set to secure his first tour-level win on grass in his second event on the surface. The 24-year-old fired 41 winners in the one-hour, 26-minute victory.

The World No. 45 reached the third round of qualifying at Wimbledon in 2021 and is set to make his main-draw debut on the London lawns next week. Since last year’s Wimbledon, he has made winning debuts at each of the other three Grand Slams, including a third-round run at the 2021 US Open.

Molcan awaits Tallon Griekspoor of The Netherlands or Spanish wild card Feliciano Lopez in the second round. He is seeking his first ATP Tour title after reaching three finals in the past 13 months, including this year in Marrakech and Lyon.

Three main-draw matches were completed on Sunday — also the final day of qualifying — with Aslan Karatsev and Mackenzie McDonald also advancing to the second round.

Both Karatsev and McDonald battled back to win after dropping the opening set of their respective matchups. Karatsev closed the day’s play with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 result against home favourite Jaume Munar. After earning an early break to lead 2-1 in the final set, the 28-year-old fought off two break points in each of his next two service games before sealing the match with his fourth break of the contest.

McDonald was a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 winner against Joao Sousa. The American escaped a 0/40 hole in the opening game of the second set and did not face another break point the rest of the way.