British number one Jack Draper came from behind to beat Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6 6-3 6-2 to start his title defence in Indian Wells.
Draper is continuing his comeback from eight months out with an arm injury and played his first ATP Tour event since Queen’s last June in Dubai last week, losing in the second round.
The 24-year-old, who still wears a protective sleeve on his left arm, looked out of sorts during the opening set on Saturday, some wayward returns proving costly.
But he rallied at the start of the second, opting for power as a string of well-struck returns was capped by a backhand winner down the line to break Bautista Agut for a 2-0 lead.
Another confident hold from the world No 14 put him back on track and he moved 5-2 in front with another love service game and confidently closed out the second set.
Draper mixed things up in the decider, forcing breaks in the third and seventh game to take control at 5-2.
Although Bautista Agut dug in to have three break-point chances in the next game, Draper saved them all with some booming serves before closing out a hard-earned win in one hour and 46 minutes.
“It felt amazing. I have really felt good here,” Draper said in his on-court interview, broadcast by Sky Sports.
“It is good to be back somewhere I have great memories, but at the same time I was a little bit under-prepared because of the amount of tennis I have missed.
“I was coming out today against a really formidable opponent in Roberto Bautista. The first set was a bit edgy, but then I have managed to find a little bit of spark.
“Hopefully I can keep on progressing from here with how I want to play. These wins are massive for me, especially on my return to the tour.
“The injury I had, it wasn’t like a couple of weeks – it was eight months. I missed so much competitive tennis and I do feel that. I feel a little bit off. My levels in practice are always good, but when it comes to the match court, I am definitely a bit in and out with my consistency.
“But I think that is going to come the more I play, the more I get myself out in front of these top players. I am improving most days, so hopefully I can just carry on doing what I do with the right attitude and give myself the best chance of going a long way in these events.”
