OSTRAVA, August 31, 2020
The ATP Challenger Tour has returned to Ostrava this week for a 17th straight year on the circuit. The €132,280 Ostrava Open by Moneta is part of the Czech clay-court swing in August, marking the tour’s return during the COVID-19 pandemic. After kicking off in Prague, players traveled to the Moravian-Silesian Region, situated in the north-east of the country, to compete in the ATP Challenger 125 tournament.
Main draw action kicked off on Monday at the SC Ostrava headlined by No. 4 seed Ernests Gulbis. The World No. 158 from Latvia remained untroubled in his opening match against local wild card entry Dalibor Svrcina, winning 6-4, 6-1. Gulbis sent down seven aces, saved all of the six break points he faced and converted three of his own six chances. He advanced to the second round after one hour and 14 minutes and will next take on either last week’s RPM Prague Open by Moneta champion Aslan Karatsev of Russia or Czech wild card Tomas Machac, who clinched his maiden Challenger title at the Koblenz Open earlier this year.
Sergiy Stakhovsky began his Ostrava campaign with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Peter Polansky from Canada. The No. 8 seed from the Ukraine won 83 per cent of his first service points and 54 per cent of the total points played to prevail after two hours and one minute. Up next for Stakhovsky will be German qualifier Mats Moraing, who beat Renzo Olivo of Argentina 7-5, 6-0.
Viktor Troicki celebrated a successful comeback to the tour following a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Swiss qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler. The 34-year-old from Serbia is playing his first tournament since the re-start of the Challenger Tour. Troicki booked his spot in the second round after spending almost two and a half hours on court. He awaits the winner of the encounter between No. 2 seed Ilya Ivashka of Belarus and Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva.
Frederico Ferreira Silva of Portugal caused the upset of the day by knocking out No. 5 seed Martin Klizan from Slovakia. The World No. 193 from Caldas da Rainha broke his opponent’s serve three times to secure a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory in one hour and 30 minutes. Ferreira Silva will take on Lukas Lacko next.
