SEVILLA/STARNBERG, September 8, 2022
Bernabe Zapata Miralles leads the quarterfinal line-up at the LIX Copa Sevilla played on yellow clay at the Real Club De Tenis Betis. The No. 2 seed of the €67,960 ATP Challenger Tour 90 event defeated Italian qualifier Giovanni Fonio 7-6(4), 6-4 on Wednesday.
Zapata Miralles sent down five aces and won 69 per cent of his first-service points to seal victory in one hour and 40 minutes. The World No. 79 from Spain is bidding for his fifth Challenger career crown, his second of the season following his triumph in Meerbusch, Germany last month. Zapata Miralles will next take on Fabian Marozsan of Hungary, who fought past Italy’s Riccardo Bonadio 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 in one hour and 43 minutes.
The pair will be joined in the bottom half of the draw by Polish wild card entry Jerzy Janowicz, who upset fourth favourite Carlos Taberner of Spain in three sets, and Timofey Skatov from Kazakhstan, who benefited from the retirement of Spaniard Javier Barranco Cosano.
Coppejans remains unstoppable
In the top half of the draw, Kimmer Coppejans of Belgium continued his excellent run of form by winning his ninth consecutive match. The champion of last weeks ATP Challenger in Toulouse rallied past 17-year-old Spanish qualifier Daniel Merida 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) in two hours and 50 minutes.
“On the one hand, it’s a shame to lose, on the other I feel that we are on the right track. I faced a top rival today and had the opportunity to win. Thanks to Sevilla, its people and their love… I will come back stronger,” Merida stated on Twitter.
Coppejans will next oppose Argentine Facundo Diaz Costa, who beat Norwegian qualifier Viktor Durasovic 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 26 minutes.
In other action, third-seeded Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena eased past Russian qualifier Bogdan Bobrov 6-3, 6-3 in 78 minutes and will play No. 6 seed Federico Delbonis of Argentina, who edged out Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo 6-3, 6-2. The encounter lasted one hour and 28 minutes.
♥️ Gran miércoles en la Copa Sevilla que acabó con los cuatro integrantes de los cuartos de final. Os lo mostramos en vídeo #sevillachallenger pic.twitter.com/IcoJ84xEHr
— Copa Sevilla (@CopaSevillaCh) September 8, 2022
