Ilya Ivashka outlasted Tiago Pereira in a three-set battle at the Pozoblanco Men's Singles, winning 7-6, 2-6, 7-6. The Belarusian claimed the decisive third set in a tiebreak after a seesaw affair that featured five breaks of serve.
The opening set saw both players hold serve with Pereira saving all three break points he faced, but Ivashka edged the tiebreak. Pereira stormed back in the second, breaking three times to level the match at 6-2. The third set was a rollercoaster: Ivashka broke to love in the first game, Pereira levelled at 5-5, Ivashka broke again immediately, and Pereira forced a tiebreak at 6-6. Ivashka then seized the tiebreak to seal the match.
Despite Pereira winning more total points (121 to 112) and serving out 13 of his 16 service games, Ivashka’s resilience on serve in the clutch moments proved decisive. He saved 9 of 12 break points overall (75%), including a perfect 3/3 in the first set, and converted his chances in the big points of the tiebreaks.