IRVING, March 18, 2016
Second seed Gilles Muller fell in the second round of the $125,000 BMW Of Dallas Irving Tennis Classic on Thursday. The world number 45 from Luxembourg lost 6-7, 3-6 to Diego Schwartzman. The Argentine broke his opponent’s service three times to advance after one hour and 20 minutes.
Schwartzman will take on Ivan Dodig next. The 31-year-old Croatian defeated eighth seed Illya Marchenko 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in one hour and 51 minutes.
Marcel Granollers
The tournament’s number three Lukas Rosol beat Denis Istomin 6-2, 1-6, 7-6. The 30-year-old Czech won 77% of his first service points and converted two of his three break point chances to set a quarterfinals match with Marchel Granollers. The world number 92 from Spain ousted Mischa Zverev for the third time in as many tour meetings between the two. Granollers fought back from a set down, winning 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 in two hours and nine minutes.
“After the first set I told myself to keep fighting, and it’s what I did, and it worked…I’m very happy to win this match,” Granollers told.
The youngsters also advanced to the stage of the final eight. Andrey Rublev emerged victorious from the all-Russian-affair with Evgeny Donskoy, winning 7-6, 1-6, 6-3. In the pair’s first tour meeting, the 18-year-old from Moscow fired 12 aces, winning 74% of his first service points to prevail in one hour and 47 minutes. Rublev will face fellow teen Jared Donaldson next. The 19-year-old US-American overcame Michael Venus 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in two hours and 26 minutes.
Aljaz Bedene (photo: Tessa Kolodny)
Wild card Frances Tiafoe also had to go the distance, winning 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 against Giovanni Lapentti. The 18-year-old Florida resident sent down six aces and capitalized on four of his nine break point opportunities to meet fourth seed Aljaz Bedene in the quarterfinal. The Brit rallied back against Russian wild card Dmitry Tursonov, smashing 17 aces, losing his service three times but capitalized on three of his own break point chances to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 victory in two hours and 15 minutes.
