GRODZISK MAZOWIECKI, August 13, 2024
The top two seeds were in first-round action at the Kozerki Open on Tuesday, however, with different outcome. Vit Kopriva from the Czech Republic defeated local wild card entry Martyn Pawelski 6-4, 6-3 on a sunny afternoon at the Akademia Tenisowa Tenis Kozerki.
The No. 1 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 75 hard-court event converted five of his nine break-point chances to advance in one hour and 35 minutes. Kopriva, a winner of three Challenger titles, will next take on Polish qualifier Filip Peliwo.
Meanwhile, Laurent Lokoli knocked out No. 2 seed August Holmgren of Denmark, rallying 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. The 29-year-old French qualifier withstood six aces and broke his rival’s serve four times to secure victory in two hours and 28 minutes. Up next for Lokoli will be Spaniard Alberto Barroso Campos.
Home favourite and No. 3 seed Mats Kasnikowski also fell in the opening round, losing to Michael Geerts 7-5, 6-4. The 29-year-old Belgian won 53 per cent of the total points played to succeed in one hour and 36 minutes. Geerts will next play Manuel Guinard of France.
Stricker with successful hard-court debut
In other action, Dominic Stricker made a successful hard-court debut this season by fighting past Ramkumar Ramanathan of India 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. The 21-year-old Swiss, who was sidelined from the courts half of the season due to a lower back injury, prevailed after two hours and 22 minutes.
“It’s never easy playing against such opponents. He serves very well. The court is extremely slow. I also have to get used to hard courts again since I was playing on clay just last week. In the end, I took control of the match and was more efficient,” Stricker told Tennis TourTalk afterwards.
The World No. 190 is facing Mark Lajal of Estonia in the second round, who also needed to go the distance against Italian Giovanni Oradini, winning 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 after two hours and 33 minutes.
Antoine Escoffier, who captured his maiden Challenger title in Segovia, Spain two weeks ago, emerged victorious from the all-French encounter with Robin Bertrand, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in two hours and seven minutes.
“He is a good player. The fighting spirit made the difference today,” said Escoffier. “I gave my best out there and I tried to fight for every point and giving him some hard work.”
The 32-year-old will next play Adolfo Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay, who was a 7-5, 6-2 winner over local wild card entry Marcel Kamrowski.
In the final match of the day and under the lights on Center court, French veteran Benoit Paire started his Kozerki Open debut with a solid 6-4, 6-2 win over fifth favourite Timofey Skatov of Kazakhstan.
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