Sonego Wins Three-Hour, 36-Minute Marathon In Kitzbuhel

Earlier this year, Lorenzo Sonego defeated Federico Delbonis in their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting at the Brasil Open, triumphing in straight sets after one hour and 24 minutes. On Monday, the Italian needed more than two and a half times that long to oust the Argentine.

Sonego defeated Delbonis 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 7-6(4) in a three-hour, 36-minute marathon to reach the second round of the Generali Open, an ATP 250 tournament held in Kitzbühel, Austria. The seventh seed won seven fewer points than Delbonis in their battle, but emerged victorious in large part due to saving all eight break points he faced in the deciding set.

The World No. 56, who claimed his maiden ATP Tour title last month on the grass of Antalya, was No. 116 in the ATP Rankings at this point last year. But he has climbed as high as No. 46 in 2019, reaching his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Sonego will play Roberto Carballes Baena for a spot in the last eight. The Spaniard rallied past Bolivian Hugo Dellien 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 49 minutes. Carballes Baena defeated Sonego in Buenos Aires in straight sets earlier this year.

Qualifier Matthias Bachinger outlasted Slovakian Martin Klizan 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-6(4) after two hours and 58 minutes. The German had not won a tour-level main draw match since February, when he made the quarter-finals of the Open 13 Provence (l. to Humbert). Bachinger will next face eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta or Casper Ruud.

In other action, Dennis Novak advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against fellow wild card Jurij Rodionov. He will next try to upset fourth seed Pablo Cuevas.