SEVILLA, September 5, 2017

Roberto Carballés-Baena opened his title bid at the €64,000 LV Copa Sevilla with a 6-0, 2-6, 6-0 win over Marek Jaloviec from the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening.

The second seeded Spaniard won 76 per cent of his first service points and broke serve six times to prevail after one hour and 48 minutes. Carballés-Baena, champion of the ATP Challenger in Manerbio two weeks ago, will next play compatriot Bernabé Zapata Miralles, who beat Laurynas Grigelis of Lithuania 6-3, 6-2.

Earlier in the day, Taro Daniel battled past Carlos Taberner 6-1, 5-7, 6-4. Both players practice at the Lozano Altur Tennis Academy in Valencia but in the end the 24-year-old from Japan was the more solid player converting his first match point after two hours and 34 minutes.

“It was physically a tough match today, very hot,” the fourth seed told afterwards, who will next face Daniel Gimeno-Traver. “It will be another derby against another player from our academy. It is going to be another tough test.”

Third seed and defending champion Casper Ruud was forced to retire in his opening match against Inigo Cervantes of Spain, trailing 4-6, 0-3. The 18-year-old from Norway celebrated his first ATP Challenger title in Sevilla last year. Cervantes moves on to play compatriot Ricardo Ojeda Lara.

On Monday evening, the tournament’s top seed Nicolas Almagro fell in his opening round match against Viktor Galovic. The Croat won 7-6, 6-2 in one hour and 22 minutes.