Tomas Berdych has avoided an upset in the second round of the Paris Masters thanks to a 6-4 6-7 6-2 victory over Adrian Mannarino.
It was a solid start from both players as they quickly found their rhythm on serve, but Berdych would soon apply the pressure to force Mannarino to save four break points in the sixth game.
However, the Czech ace would hit back again to break his opponent and take the first set 6-4.
Mannarino's errors on serve opened the door again early in the second set, but Berdych was unable to take advantage of his rival's struggles.
A tie-break was needed to split the two, and a couple of big ground strokes from Mannarino allowed him to level the scores with a 7-3 success.
The Frenchman was broken in the first game of the decider, but he responded impressively to break back immediately as Berdych lost his serve for the first time in the match.
Mannarino's weakness was clear as Berdych broke twice more to take complete control midway through the third set.
The world number five refused to offer Mannarino, who was unable to hold his serve in the decider, any hope of staging a comeback as he served out to take the match and continue his bid to win a second title in Paris.
Callum Mulvihill
