PUNE/STARNBERG, February 3, 2022
Sweden’s Elias Ymer has recorded the biggest win in his career by reaching the quarterfinals of the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune, India. The 25-year-old qualifier knocked out World No. 15 and top seed of the ATP 250 hard-court event, Aslan Karatsev from Russia, 6-2, 7-6(3) on Thursday afternoon.
In a dominant performance on Centre Court, Ymer struck 10 aces and won 80 per cent of his first-service points to secure victory in one hour and 35 minutes.
HUGE UPSET 😳@eliasymer gets his first top 20 win after defeating top seed Karatsev 6-2 7-6 to move into the quarter-finals at the #TataOpenMaharastra pic.twitter.com/YLgJJw64qv
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 3, 2022
“He (Elias) played well. I didn’t start the match well and tried to find a solution in the second set to get back into the game,” Karatsev had to admit.
“It is my highest win ever,” Ymer said afterwards. “I am really happy. It is big for me. I have been fighting a lot and I was serving amazing today. I hope to keep it going. I am so happy to finally get this win.”
It is the first time the World No. 163 has advanced to the last eight at an ATP Tour event since 2016, when he reached the quarterfinals at the Swiss Open in Gstaad.
Up next for Ymer will be Italian Stefano Travaglia. The No. 8 seed defeated local favourite Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 13 minutes.
In the bottom half of the draw, defending champion and fourth seed Jiri Vesely moved past Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3, 6-4. The World No. 80 from Czech Republic capitalized on four of his 10 break-point chances to advance after one hour and 29 minutes.
Vesely will next take on sixth favourite Emil Ruusuvuori after the Finn edged past Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva 6-3, 6-3 in their first meeting on the ATP Tour. The encounter lasted one hour and 18 minutes.
