Eighth seed Gilles Muller of Luxembourg has launched the ATP Chennai Open with a gruelling three-set win over last year's finalist Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France.
The big-serving Muller was stretched by the valiant Frenchman before winning 6-7 (11/13), 6-1 7-6 (7/3) in two hours and 23 minutes on a stifling, humid evening in Chennai.
Seventh seed Marcel Granollers of Spain conceded his first round match against Andreas Haider-Maurer due to a knee injury after the Austrian took a 2-0 lead in the third set.
Haider-Maurer won 3-6 7-6 (8/6) 2-0 after two hours on an outside court at the Nungambakkam tennis stadium.
Roger-Vasselin, who squeezed through in the first set tie-breaker, paid the price for gifting the second set to Muller so that he could return fresh for the decider.
Muller seized the opportunity and played consistent tennis in the final set to advance to the second round of the $US450,000 ($A486,881) season-opening event.
"I must admit the tactic of giving up the second set so that I could be ready for the third did not work," the 31-year-old Roger-Vasellin said on Monday.
"I had my chances in the third set, but he played better than me, especially in the tie-breaker."
The Frenchman, who lost to Stanislas Wawrinka in the 2014 final, will play next week in Sydney.
Muller, ranked 46th in the world, said he was relieved to start the new season with a win.
"My game is not consistent and it showed again today," he said. "I should learn to be more aggressive. I should have won the first set but I am happy I did not give in."
In the last match on Monday night, Croatia's rising star Borna Coric brushed aside Robin Haase of the Netherlands 6-2 6-2.
Wawrinka, the Australian Open champion and world number four, leads the 32-man field.
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