Mensik edges Bellucci in a final-set tiebreak in Cincinnati

Jakub Mensik survived a three-set examination from Mattia Bellucci in the Cincinnati round of 64, winning 7-5 2-6 7-6 after the decider went all the way to a tiebreak. The Czech leaned on his delivery throughout, striking 16 aces to Bellucci's 7 and winning 83.3 percent of the points behind his first serve, comfortably clear of the Italian's 75.5 percent. The margin came from that first-strike edge rather than consistency, as Mensik landed only 55.0 percent of first serves and won 46.9 percent behind his second, against Bellucci's 58.0. It was a hard-earned passage into the next round.