Griekspoor saves five match points, prevails in Bastad

New Straits Times

5 days ago

BASTAD: Second-seeded Tallon Griekspoor fended off five match points and rallied to defeat Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Nordea Open on Wednesday in Bastad, Sweden.
Griekspoor, a three-time winner on the ATP Tour, trailed 6-3 in the second-set tiebreaker but won five consecutive points to overtake Pellegrino and extend the match.
The Dutchman will now face countryman Jesper de Jong, who upset Czech eighth seed Vit Kopriva 7-6 (7-3), 7-5. de Jong defeated Griekspoor in their lone meeting in Montpellier in February.
In other second-round matches, fourth-seeded Sebastian Baez of Argentina edged Norwegian qualifier Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, while sixth-seeded Luciano Darderi of Italy breezed past Sweden's Elias Ymer 6-2, 6-2.
The first round also wrapped up Wednesday, with Austria's Filip Misolic, Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands and Argentines Mariano Navone and Camilo Ugo Carabelli advancing.
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EFG SWISS OPEN GSTAAD
After a six-week layoff, top-seeded Casper Ruud encountered a tough return, but was able to knock off Swiss wild card Dominic Stricker 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) to reach the quarterfinals in Gstaad, Switzerland.
The former world No. 2 from Norway saved two set points in the second-set tiebreaker to prevail.
On Ruud's side of the draw, Ignacio Buse, a qualifier from Peru, rallied from a set down, then dominated the third set in a 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Poland's Kamil Majchrzak. Buse will take on Argentina's Roman Andres Burruchaga in the quarterfinals. Burruchaga also came from behind, eliminating Germany's Patrick Zahraj 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
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MIFEL OPEN
Top-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia and Mexican Juan Alejandro Hernandez squared off in the second round in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Wednesday night, with Rubley prevailing 6-3, 6-2 in 1:15. It was their first-ever meeting. Rubley had 31 winners compared to two for Hernandez.
In other second-round action, Canadian Denis Shapovalov, the third seed, easily topped American Govind Nanda 6-1, 6-2, while fellow American Emilio Nava upset six-seeded Yunchaokete Bu of China 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) in a little over three hours.
In Tuesday's late-night action, a pair of Australians earned different results in first-round play.
Eighth-seeded Adam Walton shook off a break of serve in the first game of the match and eliminated Mexican qualifier Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez 7-6 (7-5), 6-2. Meanwhile, a Mexican wild-card entry, Luis Carlos Alvarez, ranked No. 784 in the world, cruised past James McCabe 6-1, 6-2. Alvarez converted 5 of 7 break chances, while McCabe went 0-for-6. - REUTERS