PARIS, April 14 -- Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka and ninth-seeded Borna Coric secured their berths in the second round of ATP Monte-Carlo Masters on Sunday.
The 2017 champion Wawrinka found himself 3-5 down in the first set, before staging strong response with seven games in a row for a 7-5, 3-0 lead.
Despite failing on his first two match points, Wawrinka converted his third opportunity with a forehand.
Wawrinka will next face the winner between Marco Cecchinato and Damir Dzumhur.
The 22-year-old Coric overcame Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 in two hours and 52 minutes.
Last year's semifinalist Grigor Dimitrov and Argentine Guido Pella also found their way through.
Monte-Carlo Masters is the first ATP 1000 level tournament on clay every season. The 2019 edition of the competition is underway from April 14 to 21.
Eight top seeds, including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, enjoy a first-round bye.