HOUSTON – Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia made a triumphant return to the ATP Tour by outlasting qualifier Guilherme Clezar 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7) Tuesday in the first round of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship.
Tipsarevic had to save two match points in the tiebreaker, one of them with Clezar serving, to win for the first time since Oct. 1, 2013. Tipsarevic hadn't played in more than 500 days after two surgeries on his left foot nearly ended his career.
Defending champion Fernando Verdasco from Spain, the sixth seed, also moved on when Paolo Lorenziof Italy retired with a leg injury in the second set.
Other first-round winners Tuesday were Jeremy Chardy of France, American Steve Johnson, Santiago Giraldo of Colombia and the 18-year-old South Korean, Chung Hyeon.
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