ZADAR/STARNBERG, March 22, 2022
Serbian teenager Hamad Medjedovic headlined Tuesday’s first-round action at the Falkensteiner Punta Skala – Zadar Open by knocking out World No. 137 and fourth-seeded Czech Zdenek Kolar 6-2, 7-6(7). The 18-year-old, who entered the main draw of the €45,730 ATP Challenger Tour clay-court tournament hosted by the Tenis Klub Borik with a wild card, sent down eight aces and won 69 per cent of his first-service points to seal victory in one hour and 54 minutes.
In his third appearance at Challenger level, Medjedovic recorded his third match win. The Novi Pazar native outlasted Germany’s Oscar Otte in three sets at the Serbia Challenger Open in Belgrade in April last year and beat Belgian veteran Ruben Bemelmans at the Biella 5 event in Italy one month later.
Medjedovic is currently sitting on a career-high ranking of World No. 577. Alongside his compatriot Marko Tepavac, the rising star clinched his maiden title on the Pro Circuit in 2021 by winning the doubles tournament of the ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in Prijedor, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Up next for Medjedovic in Zadar will be Italian Andrea Vavassori.
Defending champ Milojevic knocked out
After Monday’s exit of top-seeded Italian Gianluca Mager, today the tournament’s No. 2 seed also fell in the opening round. Eduard Esteve Lobato knocked out World No. 127 and defending champion Nikola Milojevic of Serbia 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. The 27-year-old Spaniard capitalized on seven of his 25 break-point chances to succeed after two hours and 24 minutes. World No. 300 Esteve Lobato will next play Raul Brancaccio of Italy, who defeated Spaniard Javier Barranco Cosano 6-2, 7-5 in one hour and 50 minutes.
World No. 128 Andrej Martin remains the highest-ranked player left in the singles draw. The No. 3 seed from Slovakia began his title bid with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Italian qualifier Riccardo Balzerani. Martin won 57 per cent of the total points played to advance after one hour and 17 minutes. The Bratislava native will next take on Czech teenager Dalibor Svrcina. The 19-year-old edged past qualifier Matto Arnaldi of Italy 6-2, 6-2. The encounter lasted one hour and 16 minutes.
Planting trees in Zadar
Off the courts and for the second year in a row, players of the Zadar Open as well as tournament director Toni Dujmenovic took part in a national tree planting project. Under the motto, ‘Plant a tree, don’t be a stump’, the campaign has been going on for many years in Croatia.
So far, more than 200,000 trees have been planted in total. Participants will forever have their own tree at the Falkensteiner Resort Punta Skala and received a planting certificate. After the olive trees, which were planted last season, now it was the turn of other types of trees and low shrubs.
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