Ajdukovic Advances To Maia Open Quarterfinals

Duje Ajdukovic (photo: Beatriz Ruivo/FPT)

STARNBERG, December 2, 2020

Qualifier Duje Ajdukovic has booked his spot in the quarterfinals of the €44,280 Maia Open, the last ATP Challenger Tour event held on European soil this season. The 19-year-old Croatian overcame Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, a winner of two Challenger titles in 2020 on home soil in Rennes as well as in Calgary, Canada, in a topsy-turvy second-round match 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 on Wednesday afternoon in Portugal.

Ajdukovic capitalized on six of his 17 break-point chances to secure victory in one hour and 56 minutes. The teenager, who advanced to the his first semi-final at Challenger level at his home club in Split in early October, will next take on either Andrea Arnadoldi of Italy or in-form Portuguese Frederico Ferreira Silva, runner-up at last week’s Sao Paulo Open Tennis in Brazil.

No. 4 seed Henri Laaksonen eased past Quentin Halys of France 6-3, 6-1 in only 61 minutes to face Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the stage of the final eight at the Complexo Municipal de Ténis da Maia. The 23-year-old Spaniard knocked out No. 6 seeded Italian veteran Paolo Lorenzi 6-1, 6-0. The encounter lasted only 60 minutes.

“I noticed that he was a little tired because he had a tough encounter against Vrbensky. I knew I could take advantage and that’s why I was very aggressive,” Zapata Miralles said.

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Federação Portuguesa de Ténis (@fptenis)