SZCZECIN, September 14, 2015
The main draw of the 23rd edition of the € 106,500 ATP Challenger Pekao Szczecin Open started on Monday with three first round matches.
Grzegorz Panfil defeated Maxime Teiexeira, winning 6-4, 6-2. The world number 280 from Poland saved two of the four break points he faced and converted five of his own chances to seal victory in one hour and 19 minutes. Panfil will play the either seventh seed Jan-Lennard Struff or Marek Michalicka next.
Jan Mertl rallied back from a set down to overcome German wild card Oscar Otte 1-6, 6-3, 6-3. The 33-year-old Czech hit seven aces and won 78% of his first service points to advance after one hour and 45 minutes facing the winner of the match between fifth seed Iῆigo Cervantes and Vladimir Ivanov.
Ukrainian qualifier Artem Smirnov reached the second round through a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Fernando Romboli. The world number 407 didn’t face a break point and capitalized on four of his own to prevail in only 56 minutes. Smirnov will take on the winner of the encounter between the tournament’s number two Robin Haase and Kamil Majchrzak.
Top-seed Pablo Carreῆo-Busta, who lost an ATP Challenger final for the first time in Seville last Saturday, will face German qualifier Robin Kern.
Third favourite at Poland’s oldest and largest tennis tournament is Filip Krajinovic meeting Alessandro Giannessi. Fourth seed Marco Cecchinato, who lost Monday’s final in Genova to Nicolas Almagro will face Polish qualifier Mateusz Kowalczyk.
