Rodrigo Pacheco resists in France

After winning the David Cup with Mexico, Yucatecan Rodrigo Pacheco yesterday began his bid to qualify for the Challenger 125 in Saint Tropez, France.

The left-hander won his first match of the qualifying tournament, although it took more than three hours, against Britain's Aidan McHugh, 6-3, 7-6, 7-6.

Rodrigo, 211 on the ATP lists, was ranked as the first seed in the qualifying round, but McHugh (511) stood up to him and started dominating the game, winning the first set.

From the second round onward, it was a back-and-forth affair until they reached sudden death. In the second round, Pacheco will face off against the 488th-ranked Russian Nicolay Vilegzhanin, seeking a spot in the main draw of this $200,000 tournament.