STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Nikoloz Basilashvili began his Stuttgart Open campaign by beating home favorite Dustin Brown 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Tuesday.
The fifth-seeded Georgian player, who won the Munich Open last month, saved two set points in the second set before winning in one hour, 21 minutes for a second round meeting with Marin Cilic.
Cilic, who lost to Roger Federer in the second round at the French Open last week, fired 20 aces and saved all five break points he faced before beating Germany's Rudolf Molleker 7-5, 6-3.
The sixth-seeded Ugo Humbert defeated Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-1 to set up a meeting with either French compatriot Jeremy Chardy or Germany's Yannick Hanfmann.
Also, Lloyd Harris recovered from 2-4 down in the second set to defeat Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-5. The South African next faces third-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.