China Open: Kyle Edmund beats Peter Gojowczyk to reach second round
- Published
British number one Kyle Edmund also beat Germany's Peter Gojowczyk at the Atlanta Open last year
British number one Kyle Edmund fought back from a set down to reach the second round of the China Open with victory over Peter Gojowczyk.
Fifth seed Edmund won 3-6 6-1 6-2 in 91 minutes in Beijing against the world number 70 from Germany.
Edmund will face Italian qualifier Matteo Berrettini or Argentina's Leonardo Mayer next.
The world number 16 is playing his first competitive event since his US Open first-round loss in August.
The 23-year-old has had a tough year because of illness, including recurring bouts of tonsillitis.
Before heading to China, he helped Team Europe beat Team World in the Laver Cup exhibition event in Chicago at the end of September.
Edmund was broken in his first service game against Gojowczyk, falling 3-0 behind following several unforced errors, before responding to get the set back on serve at 3-2.
But Gojowczyk broke again for a 5-3 lead, eventually converting his first set point with an ace after 31 minutes.
Edmund, though, broke the German three times in the second to force a decider after converting the second of three set points with an ace.
The Briton claimed the key break for a 3-2 lead in the third set before pulling clear to seal victory at the first opportunity with an ace.
Elsewhere, seventh seed Borna Coric lost 7-5 5-7 7-5 to Spanish wildcard Feliciano Lopez, while American Sam Querrey was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Russia's Karen Khachanov.
In the women's event, world number two Caroline Wozniacki beat Canada's Belinda Bencic 6-2 6-3.
The Dane is the highest remaining seed after world number one Simona Halep retired injured during her first-round tie on Sunday.
Japanese US Open champion Naomi Osaka opened her campaign with a 6-4 6-3 win over Zarina Diyas from Kazakhstan, while two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza from Spain beat Russia's Ekaterina Makarov 6-0 6-4.
At the Japan Open, world number 12 and two-time champion Kei Nishikori beat Japanese compatriot Yuichi Sugita 6-4 6-1 in the first round.
Three-time Tokyo finalist Milos Raonic from Canada beat 2017 runner-up Adrian Mannarino from France 6-3 6-4.