POPRAD TATRY, 15 June, 2016

The favourites at the €42,500 Poprad Tatry Challenger Tour advanced to the quarterfinals with top-seed Martin Klizan easing past Oriol Roca Batalla 6-1, 6-0 on Wednesday afternoon.

The world number 50 from Slovakia didn’t face a single break point, converting six of his own to close the encounter in only 56 minutes. Klizan will play defending champion Adam Pavlasek next. The in-form-Czech, who captured the Sparta Prague Open title last Saturday, beat his fellow countryman Robin Stanek 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 11 minutes. Klizan and Pavlasek will meet for the first time.

Second seed Horacio Zeballos dismissed Uladzimir Ignatik 6-2, 6-4. The 31-year-old Argentine hit eight aces, winning 79% of his first service points to advance in one hour and 15 minutes. Zeballos will next take on seventh seed Jozef Kovalik. The world number 130 from Slovakia defeated Mohamed Safwat 6-3, 7-6 in one hour and 36 minutes.

Kovalik will be joined in the quarterfinals by his compatriot Andrej Martin. The fourth seed fought past Dennis Novak 6-2, 7-5, winning 77% of his first service points to prevail in one hour and 18 minutes. Martin will square off with Belgian Kimmer Coppejans, who gained a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Marek Michalicka in one hour and 25 minutes. In the fourth quarterfinal Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo faces sixth favourite Gerald Melzer.