Photo: Cyprus Tennis Federation
Marcos is through to the second round of the LA Tennis Open after defeating in-form Canadian Frank Dancevic 7-6(3), 6-3 on Tuesday at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament.
Victory marked Marcos’ first win in LA after losing on his debut in 2005 and was the perfect remedy for the first-round defeat he suffered last week in Indianapolis.
"I am happy to win my first match here and I feel like I'm playing much better,” Marcos said. “I've been practising really hard and I am trying to get back to my old form."
Playing just his second ATP World Tour match since straining the ligaments in his left knee at ‘s-Hertogenbosch last month, Marcos played a tight match to dispatch last week’s Indianapolis semi-finalist Dancevic.
In a strong serving display, Marcos fired 11 aces and won 72 per cent of points behind his first serve. Crucially, he also saved eight of nine break points he faced, while converting two of three opportunities he created on Dancevic’s serve to seal victory after one hour and 40 minutes.
For a place in the quarter-finals, Marcos will take on towering American John Isner – who ousted seventh-seeded German Benjamin Becker in two tie-breaks on Tuesday.
World No. 77 Isner, who Marcos will play for the first time, is currently at a career-high position in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings after reaching the semi-finals last week in Indianapolis.
The second-round match will take place second on Straus Stadium, with play beginning at 12 noon (8 p.m. BST, 9 p.m. CET).
See the full order of play here.
You can follow live scores of the match here.
Go, Marcos!
