POZOBLANCO/STARNBERG, July 17, 2026
Izan Almazan completed a perfect day for the home nation by becoming the second Spanish player to reach the quarterfinals of the ATP Challenger 75 Open Ciudad de Pozoblanco Covap Memorial Fabián Dorado, joining compatriot Alejo Sanchez Quilez in the last eight.
The Mallorca native has emerged as one of the revelations of the tournament. After surviving a tough opening qualifying match, Almazan has now won eight consecutive sets and recorded the first ATP Challenger main-draw victories of his career, a run that is set to lift him 57 places in the ATP Rankings.
Having upset eighth seed Alastair Gray in the opening round, Almazan produced another impressive performance to defeat Czech Dominik Palan 7-5, 6-3 in a high-quality contest lasting more than two hours.
Palan raced into an early 2-0 lead and again struck first in the second set, but Almazan remained composed throughout a match dominated by long baseline rallies and entertaining exchanges. The Spaniard served exceptionally well under pressure, saving several break points and consistently producing his best tennis in the decisive moments. After opening a 5-2 lead in the second set, he held off one final challenge by saving two break points before serving out the match.
Former champion Hugo Grenier‘s hopes of becoming the first two-time singles winner in Pozoblanco came to an unfortunate end after the Frenchman retired through injury. The 2023 champion and fourth seed was trailing Japan’s Akira Santillan 6-3, 4-1 when persistent knee problems forced him to abandon the match.
Grenier had shown signs of discomfort during the opening set despite making the stronger start. As the match progressed, Santillan grew in confidence, matching the Frenchman’s aggressive play with solid serving and effective net approaches. After taking the first set and moving well ahead in the second, the Japanese player saw Grenier receive treatment before the Frenchman ultimately decided he could not continue.
Sixth seed Dan Added also secured his place in the quarterfinals after a hard-fought all-French battle against Antoine Ghibaudo. Added prevailed 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 49 minutes, matching his best singles result in Pozoblanco, where he has previously won the doubles title twice.
The decisive moment came midway through the third set. With the score locked at 3-3, Ghibaudo earned two break points that could have shifted the momentum decisively in his favour. Added held firm, saved both opportunities, and immediately broke serve in the following game before closing out the victory.
Awaiting Added in the quarterfinals is Belarusian Ilya Ivashka, who produced the most dominant performance of the day. The former Top 40 player needed just 50 minutes to dismantle Tunisia’s Aziz Ouakaa 6-1, 6-0, underlining his growing status as one of the tournament favourites after progressing through qualifying and winning all four of his matches in increasingly convincing fashion.
THURSDAY RESULTS
Singles – Second Round
Dan Added (FRA) def. Antoine Ghibaudo (FRA) 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3
Ilya Ivashka def. Aziz Ouakaa (TUN) 6-1, 6-0
Akira Santillan (JPN) def. Hugo Grenier (FRA) 6-3, 4-1 (retired)
Izan Almazán (ESP) def. Dominik Palan (CZE) 7-5, 6-3
