SEGOVIA, August 6, 2015
The second part of the second round matches took place on Thursday at the € 42,500 ATP Challenger Open Castillo y León in El Espinar with the tournament’s top favourites in action.
Top-seed Marcel Granollers dismissed fellow Spaniard Georgi Rumenov Payakov, winning 7-5, 6-2. The world number 74 from Barcelona fired eight aces and won 68% of his first service points to prevail after one hour and 39 minutes. Granollers will face Yannick Mertens next.
“It was complicated in the first set when I was 3-5 down but I used my chances to find back into the match and eventually took the frame. In the second set, my game was more solid and I am pleased with this victory to reach the next round,” Granollers told. “The most important thing is to think only from match to match. Mertens has a great serve and a very flat game. I hope that I am able to improve gaining another victory tomorrow.”
Marcel Granollers advanced to the quarterfinals (photo: Alberto Simon)
Fifth seed Mirza Basic, who claimed his maiden Challenger title in Recanati two weeks ago, also advanced to the quarterfinals beating Croatian qualifier Nikola Mektic 6-4, 6-4. The 24-year-old from Bosnia-Herzegovina saved all three break points he faced and capitalized on two of his own to seal victory in one hour and 22 minutes.
Basic will take on Connor Smith in the round of the final eight. The world number 242 from the United States upset second seed Dustin Brown, winning 6-4, 6-2 without facing a break point. Smith withstood 12 aces and won 79% of his second service points to reach his first quarterfinals since Gimcheon in June.
“I served and played really well today. I really like this tournament. It is my first time playing in Spain and it is very nice to be here. The only thing I don’t really like is the heat but so far everything went fine. I was pleased with my first match as well as with my second, so we will see what will happen next,” Connor told.
Dustin Brown (photo: Alberto Simon)
Connor Smith (photo: Alberto Simon)
Evgeny Donskoy took out fourth seed Adrián Menéndez-Maceiras, winning 6-2, 6-4. The world number 164 from Moscow saved all four break points he faced and won 71% of his first service points to advance after 71 minutes.
Donskoy set an all-Russian-quarterfinals, as fellow countryman Konstantin Kravchuk knocked off sixth seed Peter Gojowczyk, winning 6-4, 6-2. The 30-year-old Russian saved the only break point he faced and converted three of his own to advance after 68 minutes.
