PARIS, France - Auburn tennis alumnus Tim Puetz and partner Kevin Krawietz earned an opening-round victory in men’s doubles on Sunday morning. Puetz and Krawietz defeated Daniil Medvedev and Roman Safiullin, a Russian duo playing as individual neutral athletes, 6-4 to advance to the second round.
In the first set, the two sides held serve through nine games to give the German tandem a 5-4 lead. In game ten, Puetz and Krawietz won three consecutive points in a return game to take a 40-15 lead and force a set point. They went on to win the game and the set with a forehand passing shot. In the second set, Puetz and Krawietz fell behind 3-2 after giving up a break in game five. The two then earned a break of their own in a lengthy game eight that reached a deuce point to tie the set 4-4. The German doubles team then held serve in a tight game nine to take a 5-4 lead in the second set and move to within one game of victory. Puetz and Krawietz dominated game ten, a return game, by winning four consecutive points to win the match in straight sets.
Puetz and Krawietz will now face Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France in the second round at historic Roland-Garros on Tuesday.