January 26, 2016 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Calvin Rhoden
A week after scoring the biggest win of his career, a straight set win over 17th-seeded Benoit Paire in the first round of the Australian Open, Long Island’s Noah Rubin defeated Thibaud Berland 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Monday to reach the second round of the SportMaster Tennis Championships of Maui.
Rubin secured one break point and saved both of the ones he faced to take the opening set 6-4. In the second set, Berland’s return game picked up as the Frenchman notched two break points in six opportunities to force the match into a deciding third set.
But Rubin, who played his collegiate tennis at Wake Forest, responded in the third set with excellent service games. He converted on 89 percent of his first serve points and never faced a break point, while converting on one of his four break chances to close out Berland and advance to the second round.
In the second round, Rubin will take on fellow American Mitchell Krueger, who ousted fourth-seeded American Bjorn Fratangelo 7-5, 6-4 on Monday.
Other first round winners in Maui included third-seed James Duckworth, eighth-seed Dennis Novikov and Frances Tiafoe.
