Indian Davis Cupper Rohan Bopanna toiled hard to prevail over a fighting Martin Verkerk to advance to the second round of the men's singles event of the euro 349,000 Ordina Open in s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands on Monday.
Bopanna, who entered the main draw as a qualifier, rallied from a set down to pip the local wild card 6-7 (8), 7-6(2), 6-4 in a gruelling over two hour contest.
Such was the intensity of the match that no player faced a breakpoint till the third game of the third set.
The first set went with serves till the tie-breaker as no player was willing to concede even an inch.
Verkerk, who once figured in top-15, fired eight aces against seven of Bopanna before the set was pushed to the deciding tie-breaker.
It was fiercely fought tie-breaker, in which Verkerk prevailed after Bopanna wasted an early chance to pocket the set.
The second set was the same script as it required another tie-breaker to see the winner. The Indian made full use of his opponent's faults and grabbed every opportunity Verkerk offered.
Bopanna won third and sixth point on the verkerk's serve and did not lost any on his own to draw parity and forced a third set for the result of the match.
In the final set, Bopanna converted the second of the two breakpoints in the third game to open a lead, which ultimately proved instrumental in his hard earned win.
Bopanna next faces winner of the match between seventh seed Argentine Guillermo Canas and Mischa Zverev of Germany.