Two-time Stuttgart Open champion Matteo Berrettini improved his impressive record here on Tuesday when he clawed past eighth seed Roman Safiullin in a three sets first-round thriller. Berrettini came back after losing the second set to beat Safiullin 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-5.

The Italian, playing for the first time since Monte-Carlo in April, saved one set point in the first set and raised his level in the decider. The former World No. 6 fired 13 aces in the third set and fended off all four break points he faced, according to ATP Infosys Stats, to advance after two hours and 57 minutes.

Berrettini clinched the crown in Stuttgart in 2019 and 2022 and will next meet Denis Shapovalov or Matteo Martineau at the grass-court ATP 250. Berrettini has often found his best level on grass. The 28-year-old won the Queen’s Club trophy in 2021 and 2022 and advanced to the Wimbledon final in 2021.

“First match after a few months and I was hoping for something easier,” Berrettini joked. “I think I am really happy with the way I fought on court. After not playing for months it is not easy to come back and play well and that is what I told myself, just to fight. Just to try to enjoy because I missed it and I am really happy to be back here,” he was quoted as saying by ATP Tour.

Marcos Giron earned his first win against a current or former World No. 1 when he defeated Andy Murray 6-3, 6-4 in Stuttgart. The American won 80 percent (33/41) of his first-serve points to set a second-round clash with Jack Draper.

Murray reached the final in Stuttgart in 2022 but will drop out of the Top 100 for the first time since January 2022 next Monday following his 11th tour-level loss of the year. The Scot has won seven of his 46 tour-level titles on grass.

Berrettini’s countryman Lorenzo Musetti also advanced to the second round in Germany. The fifth seed defeated French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(9), 7-6(11). The No. 30 in the PIF ATP Rankings saved two set points in the first set and one set point in the second set. Musetti, who reached the quarterfinals in Stuttgart last year, plays Germany’s Dominik Koepfer in the second round.

In other action, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech beat American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-5, while Australian James Duckworth eliminated Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6(2). Duckworth next faces second seed Ben Shelton.