Giron Upsets Carballes Baena In Munich

Marcos Giron picked up his first career win at the BMW Open by American Express with an upset of seventh seed Roberto Carballes Baena on Monday in Munich.

The American earned a 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory against the Spaniard in his second appearance at the ATP 250. In fourth seed Botic van de Zandschulp’s quarter, Giron will meet Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff or Swiss qualifier Alexander Ritschard in the second round. Now 10-9 on the season, he can reach his fourth tour-level quarter-final of 2023 with another victory in Munich. 

“I’m really happy with the win,” he said in an on-court interview. “It was kind of a tale of three sets. The first set I came out and played great. The second set [I was] a little sloppier, he raised his level, and the third I’m really happy with it. There were a few close moments and I did well.”

Giron was a constant threat on return in the two-hour, 12-minute match, creating 14 break chances and converting five of them. He also fired five aces and won 81 per cent of his first-serve points, saving two of four break points.

Flavio Cobolli also advanced on Monday in Munich with a 7-5, 6-1 win against Aussie Jordan Thompson. The Italian was an efficient five-of-six on break points and now awaits fifth seed Sebastian Baez or Germany’s Oscar Otte in the second round.

Eighth seed Marc-Andrea Huesler will meet Kyle Edmund to close the day’s play on the Munich centre court.