Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was given a scare by Spanish teenager Javier Marti before rallying to win yesterday's first-round match at the Valencia Open 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Tsonga trailed early owing to unforced errors and the smooth backhand of the 19-year-old wild card, who was playing his first match against a top 10 player.
Tsonga will play Sam Querrey after the American won his first match since June in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Ernests Gulbis of Latvia. Top-seeded David Ferrer opened his title defence by easily beating fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-2.
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