VILLENA, October 5, 2023
British qualifier Billy Harris headlined Thursday’s second-round action at the Alicante Ferrero Challenger by knocking out No. 3 seed Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-1, 6-2.
The World No. 304 struck 10 aces and won 88 per cent of his first-service points to advance in exactly one hour of play. The 28-year-old Harris, a winner of five titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour, will next take on Hugo Grenier. The Frenchman defeated Tunisian qualifier Moez Echargui 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and one minute.
In other action in the bottom half of the €118,000 hard-court event in Villena, Elias Ymer overcame a one-set deficit to beat sixth-seeded Italian Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-3. The 27-year-old Swede withstood 12 aces and broke his rival’s serve one time to prevail after two hours and 26 minutes.
Sealed with a drop shot 🪄@eliasymer is through to the last 8 in Alicante after beating Bellucci 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-3#ATPChallenger | @EqueliteFerrero pic.twitter.com/EQhdoaJcuB
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 5, 2023
Up next for Ymer will be Dennis Novak of Austria, who fought past Frederico Ferreira Silva from Portugal 7-5, 7-6(7). The encounter lasted one hour and 59 minutes.
