Borges recovers to win in Montreal
Nuno Borges dropped the opening set, then did what he now does with growing regularity. The Portuguese fought back to beat American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the National Bank Open, losing the early exchanges before taking control of the middle set and holding firm in the decider.
The first-set tie-break slipped away 9-7, the kind of margin that can unsettle a player. Borges instead raised his level, breaking early in the second and never allowing Kovacevic back to parity.
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The victory was his 20th at tour level this season. That makes it the third consecutive campaign in which Borges has reached 20 match wins, a consistency that has quietly carried him to a settled place around the top 50. Two or three years ago that kind of durability looked unlikely for a player who arrived late to the main tour.
Canada has become reliable ground for him as well. He has kept advancing on recent visits, and the surface rewards the patient, percentage tennis that suits his baseline game rather than raw power.
Etcheverry the next test
Next comes Tomas Martin Etcheverry, a player Borges has already beaten twice this season. That head-to-head gives him reason for confidence, though the Argentine’s heavy forehand on a quick court poses a different question from the one Kovacevic asked. Borges has shown he can solve problems in the middle of a match, and he will need that again.
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