POPRAD TATRY, June 16, 2015
On a pretty cold Tuesday with temperatures of about 14 degrees Celsius at the new ATP Challenger in Poprad Tatry, the tournament’s top-seed and only top 100 player Blaz Kavcic crashed out, losing in straight sets to Hans Podlipnik-Castillo 3-6, 4-6. The 28-year-old Slovenian suffered his sixth first round defeat in a row, winning only 54% of his first service points. The world number 199 from Chile converted four of his seven break points to seal victory in one hour and 38 minutes to face Peter Vajda in the second round.
Hans Podlipnik-Castillo knocks out top-seed Blaz Kavcic
Blaz Kavcic lost in the opening round
The tournament’s number five Norbert Gombos gained his fifth consecutive match win on the ATP Challenger Tour beating Dennis Novak 6-4, 6-4. The Slovakian number three and Poprad’s top-ranked local player, captured his second Challenger title in the longest final of the season in Prague last week. Before coming to his home country, he overcame Albert Montaῆes in a more than three hours battle last Saturday, but seemed to be in good shape again. Gombos hit eight service winners to prevail after one hour and 16 minutes.
Austrian Dennis Novak
Norbert Gombos advances to the second round
Eighth seed Uladzimir Ignatik advanced to the second round beating Pedja Krstin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6. The world number 204 from Belarus, who reached at least the semi-finals in the last four tournaments he played, fired eleven aces to seal victory in two hours and 23 minutes to face Pere Riba next. The only Spaniard in the main draw, defeated Ivo Klec winning 6-4, 6-3. The 27-year-old from Barcelona capitalized on four of his ten break point opportunities to prevail after one hour and 19 minutes.
Pere Riba is playing his only fifth tournament of the season
Qualifier Jan Satral rallied back from a set down to eventually upset seventh seed Jozef Kovalik, winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The in-form 24-year-old Czech, who arrived in Poprad after claiming his second ITF Future title of the season in Most two weeks ago, capitalized on his third break point to close the match after two hours and three minutes. Satral beat his Slovakian opponent for the third time in their third meeting taking on Fabiano de Paula in the second round.
