SALZBURG, July 5, 2021

Main draw action at the €132,280 Salzburg Open kicked off on Monday with German wild card entry Peter Heller headlining Center Court play. The World No. 428, who represents the local TC GM Sports Anif in Austria’s team competition league, upset three-time ATP Challenger champion Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

Heller broke his opponent’s serve four times and won 53 per cent of the total points played to secure his first victory at Challenger level in two years after two hours and eight minutes. The 28-year-old Cham native is playing his first ATP Challenger Tour event since the Koblenz Open in February 2020 and will try to keep up the momentum against either top seed Thiago Monteiro from Brazil or Chilean qualifier Nicolas Jarry.

No. 5 seed Roberto Carballes Baena also had to go the distance to overcome Austrian wild card entry Maximilian Neuchrist. The World No. 100 from Spain outpointed his rival 112-109 to prevail 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 after two hours and 50 minutes. Up next for Carballes Baena will be Slovenia’s Blaz Rola, who knocked out home favourite Dennis Novak 7-5, 7-6(4) in the final match of the day. The encounter lasted one hour and 41 minutes.

Elsewhere, Argentine Facundo Bagnis beat Thiago Seyboth Wild from Brazil 6-3, 6-2 and will face Frenchman Hugo Gaston in the second round. Damir Dzumhur from Bosnia and Herzegovina eased past Facundo Mena of Argentina 6-4, 6-0. He awaits the winner of the match between Italian Matteo Viola and Spaniard Carlos Taberner.