CIUTADELLA, MENORCA/STARNBERG, April 3, 2025
Sebastian Ofner leads the quarerfinals line-up of the inaugural Open Menorca. The No. 2 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 100 clay-court tournament being held at the Club Tenis Ciutadella defeated Javier Barranco Cosano from Spain 6-1, 7-6(0) in Thursday’s second round.
Ofner sent down four aces and won 80 per cent of his first-service points. The 28-year-old Austrian broke his rival five times to advance in one hour and 32 minutes.
Last fall, Ofner underwent surgery on both heels, which kept him off the court for several months. The World No. 134 is competing in his only third tournament of the season, facing seventh favourite Vilius Gaubas in the stage of the last eight in Menorca. The 20-year-old Lithuanian edged past Frenchman Arthur Gea 7-5, 6-3 in two hours and seven minutes.
Hungarian qualifier Zsombor Piros continued his impressive run this week on the Balearic Islands, beating Briton Jan Choinski 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 24 minutes. Piros will next oppose in-form Peruvian Ignacio Buse, who was a 6-0, 6-1 winner over Spaniard Daniel Rincon.
Flawless Buse
The Peruvian storms past Rincon 6-0, 6-1 to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals in Menorca#ATPChallenger | @open_menorca pic.twitter.com/mnJ4CLDmPZ
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 3, 2025
Taberner outlasts Merida
In the top half of the draw, No. 5 seed Carlos Taberner rallied past his compatriot and qualifier Daniel Merida 3-6, 7-5, 6-0. The 27-year-old Valencia native capitalized on eight of his 15 break-point opportunities to prevail after two hours and 29 minutes. Up next will be Pol Martin Tiffon, who emerged victorious from the all-Spanish affair with Albert Ramos-Vinolas, winning 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 27 minutes.
No. 4 seed Elmer Moller of Denmark defeated Benjamin Hassan from Lebanon 7-6(7), 6-0 in one hour and 28 minutes and will next play Lukas Neumayer. The 208th-ranked Austrian beat Argentine wild card entry Pedro Cachin 7-6(2), 6-0. The encounter lasted one hour and 30 minutes.
“I didn’t play well in the first games,” said Neumayer, who overcame a 5-1 deficit in the opening set. “Pedro did a good job. I was trying to make something but he was very good on his backhand. Then I managed to play more aggressive, I won the first set and it was pretty good in the end.”
