Dodig/Krajicek Survive Rome Opener

Third seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek had to rally from a set down Friday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia to keep their hopes alive for a second ATP Masters 1000 title.

The Croatian-American duo, who won this year’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, downed Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Fabrice Martin 5-7, 6-2, 10-6 after winning 31 of 38 first-serve points during the opening-round encounter. Dodig and Krajicek will next face Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski, whom they beat in the Monte-Carlo first round.

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz also needed a Match Tie-break to survive their Rome opener. The German pair ousted Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 10-6 in one hour, 22 minutes.

Krawietz and Puetz, who were finalists at last month’s ATP 250 event in Munich, await the winner of Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp and eighth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.