STARNBERG, November 30, 2020
Main draw matches of the Maia Open, the final ATP Challenger tournament held on European soil this season, kicked off Monday with four seeds in first-round action. No. 4 seed Henri Laaksonen opened his title bid at the €44,820 indoor clay-court event with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Zdenek Kolar from the Czech Republic.
The World No. 135 from Switzerland converted four of his nine break-point chances to seal victory in one hour and 27 minutes. Laaksonen will next take on Frenchman Quentin Halys, who battled past compatriot Geoffrey Blancaneaux 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in two hours and 28 minutes.
No. 6 seeded Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi booked his spot in the second round at the Complexo Municipal de Ténis da Maia following a 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-2 hard-fought win over Michael Vrbensky from the Czech Republic. The 38-year-old Rome native outpointed his rival 111-100 after three hours and five minutes, the longest match of the day. Lorenzi, a winner of 21 ATP Challenger titles, will next play Bernabe Zapata Miralles of Spain, who eased past Portuguese wild card entry Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-1 in 78 minutes.
Here’s 38yo Paolo Lorenzi fighting from a set down to defeat 20yo Michael Vrbenksy 5-7, 7-6(7), 6-2 in 3h05 to reach #MaiaOpen R2.
Lorenzi now has 418 singles wins on the #ATPChallenger Tour, five away from @ramirez record (423).
“He told me he will comeback if I pass him 😂” pic.twitter.com/39w3ZD7oTw
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) November 30, 2020
In other action, Arthur Rinderknech emerged victorious from the all-French encounter with Tristan Lamasine 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to next face Croatian qualifier Duje Ajdukovic. The 19-year-old Split native knocked out No. 7 seed Lorenzo Giustino 7-5, 6-2 in one hour and 26 minutes.
Marco Trungelliti upset No. 5 seed Nikola Milojevic of Serbia. The 30-year-old from Argentina didn’t face a break point and capitalized on four of his own 10 break-point opportunities to prevail 6-3, 6-1 after 61 minutes. Up next for Trungelliti will be Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium, who edged out Daniel Masur from Germany 6-2, 7-5. The match lasted one hour and 27 minutes.
