Cressy, Opelka need three sets but finish with wins on Monday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open

NEWPORT — Maxime Cressy's time at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open last year ended quickly.

The 27-year-old was bounced by Alex Michelsen in the Round of 32 in three sets. Michelsen eventually reached the finals and Cressy had to wait for another opportunity.

That wait ended on a muggy and hot Monday against Radu Albot. It looked like Cressy was going to cruise through the match after the first set, but Albot won the second set with four straight points and then forced a winner-take-all tiebreaker in the third frame.

Cressy, in the place he knows well, relied on old wits to take the tiebreaker and the match, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4). Cressy, with the win that took nearly three hours, improved to 7-2 all-time at Newport.

“[I was] very nervous to be back here,” Cressy said. “I really wanted to do well, so I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I was able to find a way.”

Cressy hit three winners in the tiebreaker, including the match-winning point, to advance to the Round of 16. He will face Michelsen in a rematch in an all-American second round likely slated for Wednesday.

“The energy and the atmosphere are amazing,” Cressy said of Newport. “It really suits my game well. Today was pretty difficult to win, but I did the best I could with the conditions."

Reilly Opelka also returned for just his second match in the last two years. The towering 6-foot-11 righty and former world No. 17 had hip surgery in 2022 and played just one match last year. Opelka blitzed Constant Lestienne, 6-1, in the first set. Lestienne grabbed the second set, 6-2, before Opelka took the match, 7-6 (2).

It was a sell-out in Newport, with 3,100 in attendance, for the first day of main draw singles. Matches will continue daily leading up to Sunday’s final.

“With the energy and the atmosphere, everyone is amazing," Cressy said. "It just means a lot to be back.”

Aleksandar Vukic and Aleksandar Kovacevic also won their singles matches on Monday. Vukic defeated Coleman Wong, 6-1, 6-2, and Kovacevic downed Harold Mayot, 7-6, 6-4.

Singles Bracket

Round of 32

(Monday, July 15)

Aleksandar Kovacevic def. Harold Mayot (7-6, 6-4); Reilly Opelka def. Constant Lestienne (6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (2); Maxime Cressy def. Radu Albot (6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4); Aleksandar Vukic (6) def. Coleman Wong (6-1, 6-2); Zachary Svajda vs. Benoit Paire (suspended to darkness in the third set).

Round of 32

(Tuesday, July 16)

Gabriel Diallo vs. Billy Harris; Mackenzie McDonald vs. Rinky Hijikata (8); Shintaro Mochizuki vs. Arthur Rinderknech (7); Eliot Spizzirri vs. Li Tu; Ethan Quinn vs. Marc Polmans; Brandon Nakashima (5) vs. Emilio Nava; Jakub Mensik vs. Alex Bolt; Zachary Svajda vs. Benoit Paire (resumed from Monday).

Round of 16

Adrian Mannarino (1) vs. Opelka; Alex Michelsen (3) vs. Cressy; Christopher Eubanks (4) vs. Quinn/Polmans; Marcos Giron (2) vs. Paire/Svajda; Kovacevic vs. Mochizuki/Rinderknech.

jrousseau@providencejournal.com

On X: @ByJacobRousseau

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cressy, Opelka need three sets but finish with wins on Monday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open