Top-ranked Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci booked an all-South American quarter-final on Wednesday after he edged past Janko Tipsarevic at the Ecuador Open. The Brazilian fourth seed, a runner-up in Quito last season, saw off the Serbian wild card 7-6(8), 7-6(2) and will next face Argentine Renzo Olivo. Eighth-seeded Olivo ground out a 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 second-round victory over Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo to book his second straight Quito quarter-final berth. Giraldo was bidding to reach his first ATP World Tour quarter-final since Los Cabos in August last year. In the final first-round clash, two-time defending champion Victor Estrella Burgos won his 11th straight match in the Ecuadorian capital with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Slovakian Andrej Martin. The win secures a...
Follow all the latest off-court action on MyATP! Download the app for iPhone or Android or visit MyATP.com. Garanti Koza Sofia Open – Sofia, Bulgaria Top two seeds Dominic Thiem and David Goffin visited Ancient Serdica archaeological complex for a brief hit in the capital’s Ancient Roman complex. Read More “It’s a special occasion, a special area,” said Goffin. “I didn’t know it was such a special place here in Sofia. I saw this place and I will try to visit more if I have time this week because I heard it’s a very nice city.” Home favourite Grigor Dimitrov joined Thiem and Goffin to celebrate at the tournament’s players’ party at the Marinela Hotel. Defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut, Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski participated in...
Rajeev Ram ensured it was a day for the underdogs in the first round of the Ecuador Open on Tuesday. The unseeded American fought back from a set and a break down to stun the No. 5 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-3. Dologopolov, a former World No. 13 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, served for the match after breaking for 6-5 in the second set before Ram swung momentum in his favour to secure his first victory over the Ukrainian. “I think I was playing quite solid,” Dolgopolov said. “I was serving for the match and got a bit unlucky in that game. “He played really well and hit a few winners and then it was a tie-break and...
Former World No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic took a step closer to returning to the Top 100 on Monday with a first-round win against Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver at the Ecuador Open. The Serbian wild card advanced when Gimeno-Traver retired down 1-4. The 32-year-old Tipsarevic started the year at No. 144 in the Emirates ATP Rankings but has climbed to No. 101 after winning back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles in Bangkok last month. He hasn't been inside the Top 100 since April 2014 when he was No. 94. [ALSO LIKE] Tipsarevic, who's playing in his first ATP World Tour tournament since Moscow last October, will meet 2016 finalist Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil in the second round. Austrian Gerald Melzer hit 14 aces...
