JÖNKÖPING, March 9, 2016
The first round concluded on Day 3 at the €42,500 RC Hotel Open with four locals headlining the action in Jönköping.
19-year-old Elias Ymer defeated Aleksandr Nedovysesov 6-2, 6-3 to start his home campaign. The world number 152 and therewith Sweden’s best ranked tennis player saved the only break point he faced, converting three of his own to advance after 68 minutes. Ymer will face French qualifier Constant Lestienne next.
Swedish wild card Isak Arvidsson, who played his first main draw match on Challenger level since Tampere in July 2014 and took his first tennis lessons only one hour drive away from the venue, knocked out second seed Dustin Brown 5-7, 7-5, 6-3. The world number 658 from Bastad withstood 16 aces, hitting nine of his own to celebrate victory in one hour and 37 minutes.
“I met three top 100 players in the last six days,” told Arvidsson, who played Davis Cup for Sweden but lost his two singles rubbers against Andrey Kuznetsov and Teymuraz Gabashvili. “It’s clear that they have the momentum. It is incredibly important. That’s what you need. Today’s win against Dustin has been my best so far, especially with this support. It’s fantastic.” Arvidsson takes on Andrey Golubev in the second round.
Local wild card Daniel Windahl, who made his Davis Cup debut last weekend, fought hard but eventually lost 1-6, 7-5, 5-7 to Jurgen Zopp. The world number 961 from Stockholm lost his serve five times and Zopp won 54% of the total points to prevail in one hour and 41 minutes. Zopp will play third seed Jan-Lennard Struff next.
Swedish qualifier Patrik Rosenholm, who is competing in his first ATP Challenger event since Rome in May 2015, upset seventh seed Mirza Basic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. The world number 1026 from Stockholm hit 12 aces and converted three of his 10 break point chances to prevail in one hour and 49 minutes to reach the second round at Challenger level for the first time since IPP Open in Helsinki in November 2014. He will take on Grega Zemlja next, who beat Spanish qualifier Roberto Ortega-Olmedo 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutees.
Matwe Middelkoop, who battled through the qualifying and is playing his first singles main draw of the season, set a second round meeting with fifth seed Gastao Elias, after he secured a 6-4, 7-5 win over Yannick Mertens in 77 minutes. The 32-year-old Dutch has already captured two doubles titles this season, winning the ATP Challenger event in Bangkok as well as the ATP 250 Garanti Koza Sofia Open, partnering Wesley Koolhof. The Dutch combination is also the top-seeded pair in Jönköping this week.
In both of the second round matches scheduled on Wednesday, two seeded players were knocked out. Karen Khachanov upsed the tournament’s number one Filip Krajinovic 7-6, 6-4 in 70 minutes and Andrea Arnaboldi rallied past sixth seed Konstantin Kravchuk 4-6, 7-6, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinal.
