Elmer Møller recorded one of the biggest wins of his career on Tuesday as he defeated Román Andrés Burruchaga 7-6, 0-6, 6-4 in the first round of the Chile Open to book his place in the second round.

Making his first main-draw appearance on the ATP Tour in six months, the 22-year-old Dane marked the occasion in style. However, the victory was anything but straightforward.

Møller edged a tight opening set in a tiebreak but was completely overrun in the second, failing to win a single game as Burruchaga raised his level and dominated proceedings. Showing resilience, the Dane regrouped in the deciding set, where he broke the Argentine’s serve three times to seal a hard-fought 7-6, 0-6, 6-4 triumph.

The contest was marked by a flurry of service breaks, underlining both players’ struggles on serve. In total, there were 14 breaks of serve during the match. Burruchaga managed more overall breaks, highlighting that Møller’s service game remains an area for improvement. Nevertheless, the Dane proved more clinical at key moments in the final set.

With the win, Møller advances to face top seed Francisco Cerúndolo, currently ranked world No. 19, in what will be a significant test of his progress.

Møller’s previous appearance in an ATP Tour main draw came at the US Open at the end of August, where he exited in the first round. Since then, he has primarily competed on the Challenger Tour — the tier below the ATP Tour. He claimed a Challenger title in Portugal in November but has otherwise struggled for consistent results.

Earlier this year, he attempted to qualify for the Australian Open but fell short of reaching the main draw. Tuesday’s victory in Santiago therefore represents a timely boost as he looks to re-establish himself at the sport’s top level.