Jo-Wilfried Tsonga began his bid for a second Lyon Open title with a gutsy win over fifth seed Dusan Lajovic.
The 2017 champion has played his way back into the world's top 100 after an injury-hit 2018 saw him drop as low as 259 in the rankings.
In a tricky opener in France, Tsonga came through 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 in a match lasting one hour and 44 minutes.
A break apiece in the first set meant a tie-break was required, which Tsonga dominated, and a solitary dropped service game from Lajovic in the second proved costly.
Sunday's other match at the tournament saw John Millman hammer Pablo Andujar 6-1 6-3.
At the Geneva Open, Ernests Gulbis and Juan Ignacio Londero defeated Yoshihito Nishioka and 2017 runner-up Mischa Zverev respectively in straight sets to progress.
