UMAG, July 19, 2016

Pablo Careno-Busta emerged victorious from the probably most eagerly awaited first round match of the Konzum Croatia Open in Umag on Tuesday. The sixth seed from Spain defeated Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 20 minutes.

Andreas Seppi

Both players arrived from their Davis Cup ties but the Italian didn’t return to the tour in best physical shape.

“I knew that it would become a difficult match. My preparation wasn’t the best, as I have been sidelined from the courts for three days. I felt problems with my right hand, which was swollen after my Davis Cup match on Friday. Nonetheless, I just tried to play and also had some chances to put a bit of pressure on him but unfortunately it didn’t work out,” Seppi told Tennis TourTalk and added that his doubles match with Frank Moser will be in doubt. The Italian has already withdrawn from the ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto next week.

Pablo Carreno Busta

Carreno-Busta was pleased with the result. The Spaniard had to adapt to the clay court conditions in Umag, coming from indoor hard in Romania.

“I arrived only yesterday. It was a tough match,as Andreas is a great player but I was very focused. I felt comfortable on court today. I had a good start into the match,” Carreno-Busta explained, being in control of the match until the sixth game of the second set, where he got broken.

“I controlled most of the match with my serve. I was a break up in the second game but lost my serve. Fortunately, I returned well and continued like that until the end of the encounter.”

Carreno-Busta played his first Davis Cup tie for Spain, winning his dead rubber against Adrian Ungur.

“The experience was incredible. Representing your country is the best and I hope to get another opportunity to do so in September.”

Carreno-Busta will next take on Teymuraz Gabashvili. The world number 101 from Russia edged past Croatian teenager Nino Serdarusic, who entered the tournament with a wild card, 6-4, 6-2. Gabashvili saved the only break point he faced, converting three of his own to finish the encounter in one hour and 25 minutes.

Damir Dzumhur

Damir Dzumhur caused the upset of the day, knocking out the tournament’s number five Nicolas Almagro 6-2, 5-7, 7-5. In the pair’s first tour meeting, The 24-year-old from Bosnia and Herzegovina withstood 10 aces, capitalizing on five of his nine break point opportunities to prevail in one hour and 58 minutes.

Dzumhur, who made his tournament debut in Umag last year, losing to Fabio Fognini in the second round will next play with Thomas Fabbiano another Italian. The world number 111 from Rome benefited from the retirement of local wild card Franko Skugor, leading 6-0, 4-1.

Hamburg champion Martin Klizan started his title bid with a   win over Spanish qualifier Enrique López-Pérez, who appeared in his first tour level main draw match. The left handed Slovakian

Klizan will next face his compatriot Andrej Martin. The 26-year-old from Bratislava rallied from 4-0 down in the opening set to overcome Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-6, 6-4 in two hours and five minutes.

Elsewhere, Gastao Elias set a second round clash with the tournament’s top seed Pablo Cuevas on Thursday. The 25-year-old from Portugal ousted Guillermo Garcia-López 6-1, 6-2. Elias saved 10 of the 11 break points he faced, converting five of his own to advance in one hour and 23 minutes.