Two-time defending champion Victor Estrella Burgos is one match away from a three-peat at the Ecuador Open, fighting through a tight semi-final against fourth seed Thomaz Bellucci 7-6(4), 7-6(3). Up 5-2 in the opening set, Estrella Burgos squandered two chances to serve for the opener, but he regrouped by racing through the tie-break to grab a commanding lead. Both players traded routine service holds throughout the second set, but the Dominican Republican player raced through the final four points of the match to prevail in two hours and four minutes. The World No. 156 in the Emirates ATP Rankings improves to 14-0 in Quito. He also boosts his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Bellucci to 3-0, with all three wins...
Second seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas came out on top in an all-Spanish battle on Friday against qualifier Roberto Carballes Baena, prevailing 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 to move into the semi-finals of the Ecuador Open in Quito. Little separated the two players for most of the match, but Ramos-Vinolas relied on his outstanding stamina to power through the final four games and advance in two hours and 54 minutes. He has now matched his semi-final result from last year in Quito (l. Estrella Burgos). Next up for Ramos-Vinolas is third seed Paolo Lorenzi, who continued his outstanding form by cruising past Rajeev Ram 6-3, 6-4 and matching his semi-final result from last year in Quito. The Italian, who has yet to drop serve...
Ivo Karlovic approaches the practice desk at the Ecuador Open, writes his name with a blue pen on the sheet to book a court from 11.30-1.30, and specifies that he is looking for a practice partner. He goes back to the hotel to sleep. Maybe when he returns to the Club Jacarandá, someone will have signed up to be his practice partner, so he can play some points. But when he gets back and checks the sheet, no one has written their name down next to his. In other columns he reads: Bellucci + Monteiro, Estrella + Zampieri, Cerratani + Oswald. All the practice courts at 11.30 have at least two players booked in. All except for the court of...
Watch highlights as Victor Estrella Burgos saves three match points to defeat top seed Ivo Karlovic and reach the quarter-finals of the Ecuador Open in Quito. Photo: ATP 250 Ecuador Open
Two-time defending champion Victor Estrella Burgos continued his dominance in Quito on Thursday at the Ecuador Open, surviving 39 aces and three match points to defeat top seed Ivo Karlovic 6-7(7), 7-6(5), 7-6(8). Neither Karlovic nor Estrella Burgos faced a break point in the 36 games played. Estrella Burgos squandered four set points in the first-set tie-break, but played a much cleaner tie-break in the second set to level the match. The top seed held match points at 6/4 in the third-set tie-break, but gave them away with a double fault and a forehand error. Karlovic saved a match point with an ace at 6/7, but missed a forehand just wide up 8/7. The determined Estrella Burgos made good on...