BANGKOK (AFP) - Holder Taylor Dent struggled with the big game of journeyman Justin Gimelstob before finally cracking the challenger to post a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory into the second round of the 585,000-dollar Thailand Open.
Dent, seeded fifth, provided the appetiser for a crowd keenly awaiting the evening debut of world number Roger Federer, whose match against the 507th-ranked Nicolas Thomann of France was set for later.
Thailand's prime minister was to officially open the second edition of the indoor event which features Federer in search of a 10th title this season after winning three of the four Grand Slams.
Dent, who upset Juan Carlos Ferrero for the inaugural title a year ago, only barely escaped an upset against Gimelstob, winner of a Challenger title last week in Beijing.
Dent found his trademark serve-and-volley attack thwarted early on by his American compatriot as Gimelstob won the opening set.
The seed began constructing his fight-back in the second set as more breaks followed.
Dent got on top to level the contest at a set each with a break of Gimelstob for 6-4. The third went Dent's way, but only after he dropped serve while serving for victory thanks to his seventh and eighth double of a long afternoon.
But after that mishap for 5-4, Dent then broke for victory a game later as Gimelstob doubled to lose it after saving two match points.
Two more Americans advanced in opening matches, with Alex Bogomolov stopping Australian qualifier Jaymon Crabb 6-3, 6-2 and Jeff Morrison defeating another qualifier, German Michael Kohlmann, 6-3, 6-4.
Swiss Ivo Heuberger earned a place opposite the Federer-Thomann winner as he took out Hungary's Attila Savolt 6-4, 6-1.