TROISDORF/STARNBERG, June 1, 2023
The ATP Challenger Tour is back in Germany for the second edition of the Saturn Oil Open being held at the Tennis Club Rot Weiss Troisdorf. The quarterfinals line-up is led by World No. 121 Pavel Kotov of Russia. The top seed of the €73,000 clay-court event opened his title bid with a 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 first-round win over Joris de Loore from Belgium followed by a 6-2, 6-2 victory over French qualifier Terence Atmane on Thursday.
Kotov, a winner of three ATP Challenger Tour crowns, won 93 per cent of his first-service points and broke his rival four times to prevail after one hour and five minutes. The 24-year-old will next play Latvian qualifier Robert Strombachs, who defeated Argentine alternate Hernan Casanova 6-4, 6-0 in one hour and 22 minutes to reach his first quarterfinal on the Challenger Tour.
Ivan Gakhov of Russia and Nick Hardt, a qualifier from the Dominican Republic also advanced to the stage of the final eight.
Into his first #ATPChallenger quarterfinal 🙌
Qualifier Robert Strombachs gets past Casanova 6-4, 6-0 to advance in Troisdorf! pic.twitter.com/5ObRay3Yoa
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 1, 2023
In the bottom half of the draw, Renzo Olivo of Argentina will take on Frederico Ferreira Silva from Portugal and Indian lucky loser Sumit Nagal will face Oleksii Krutykh.
The 23-year-old Ukrainian rallied from a set down to overcome Swedish lucky loser Karl Friberg 1-6, 6-1, 6-4. Krutykh won four points more than his opponent to secure victory in one hour and 52 minutes.
