Nishikori advances, Zverev eliminated early in Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Second-seeded Alexander Zverev lost to 81st-ranked Nicolas Jarry in the Barcelona Open on Tuesday after failing to convert a match point, while former champion Kei Nishikori easily advanced to the third round.

Zverev lost 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5) to Jarry, a 23-year-old Chilean who was given a lucky loser spot in the tournament. The German cruised in the first set but was broken late in the second and then three times in the third before falling in the decisive tiebreaker after more than 2 ½ hours.

It was the fifth win of the year for Jarry, who saved seven break points in total and a match point when Zverev led 6-5 in the third set.

Nishikori, the Barcelona champion in 2014 and 2015, defeated American Taylor Fritz 7-5, 6-2 for his 14th victory of the year. The fourth-seeded Japanese player lost his serve early but recovered with two breaks in each set to stay in contention for his second title of the season after winning in Brisbane in January. He had lost his first match in his last two tournaments, in Miami and Monte Carlo.

Nishikori is the only player other than Rafael Nadal to win the Barcelona title in the last eight years. The second-ranked Nadal, an 11-time champion in Barcelona, will play Leonardo Mayer in the second round on Wednesday.

Fabio Fognini, who won the Monte Carlo title after eliminating Nadal in the semifinals, will make his debut in Barcelona against Spaniard Nicola Kuhn, who on Tuesday defeated qualifier Federico Delbonis 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2.

Jaume Munar advanced to the third round by defeating 14th-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-3. In first-round results, David Ferrer defeated Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-1, Malek Jaziri beat Guido Andreozzi 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, and Albert Ramos-Vinolas ousted Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-2.