LILLE, March 21, 2019
Defending champion Gregoire Barrere headlined Thursday’s third round action of the Play In Challenger Lille held at the Tennis Club Lillois Lille Metropole. The No. 3 seed of the €46,600 hard-court event rallied past former World No. 12 Viktor Troicki of Serbia 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Barrere struck eight aces, winning 66 per cent of his first service points. The 25-year-old Frenchman broke serve six times to finish the encounter after one hour and 33 minutes.
Victoire finale de @GregBarrere qui a pris le dessus sur @troicki_viktor dans le 3ème set après un match qui a tenu toutes ses promesses ! Quelle night session! pic.twitter.com/CJq5mZTk7r
— Play In Challenger Lille (@PlayinLille) 21. März 2019
Barrere will next take on qualifier Aslan Karatsev, who emerged victorious from the all-Russian affair with Alexey Vatutin, winning 7-5, 6-1 in one hour and 12 minutes.
Earlier in the day, Yannick Maden of Germany booked his place in the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Arthur de Greef from Belgium. The highest-ranked players left in the singles draw saved two of the three break points he faced, converting four of his own seven opportunities to prevail after one hour and 24 minutes. Up next for Maden will be Jan Choinski from Great Britain, who stopped the run of 18-year-old Frenchman Rayane Roumane. Choinski won five points more than the teenager to secure a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory in one hour and 42 minutes.
In the remaining quarterfinals No. 15 seeded Austrian Stefan Ofner will face Norbert Gombos of Slovakia and Tobias Kamke of Germany will meet No. 13 seed Quentin Halys of France.
