Opelka Continues Last Week’s Success

Reilly Opelka (photo: Atlantic Tire Championships)

CARY, September 12, 2018

Reilly Opelka continued his success from last week’s ATP Challenger in Chicago by defeating fellow US-American Ernesto Escobedo 7-6(11), 6-4 in the first round of the $50,000 Atlantic Tire Championships on Tuesday at Cary Park. This was the pair’s second meeting, having met last August at the qualifying rounds of the Canadian Open. Opelka, a finalist in last week’s Oracle Challenger Series, fired 25 faces during the match and won 93 per cent of his first serve points to prevail after one hour and 40 minutes.

No. 5 seed Bjorn Fratangelo defeated North Carolina State player Alexis Galarneau 6-4, 6-3. Fratangelo, who trains at the USTA National Campus at Lake Nona, holds 10 USTA Pro Circuit singles titles. The 25-year-old will take on former Georgia Tech player Christopher Eubanks in the second round.

Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador edged past US-American teenager Jeffrey John Wolf 6-3, 6-3. The tournament’s No. 3 struck 12 aces and broke his opponent four times to seal victory in one hour and 18 minutes. Next up for Arevalo will be Belgian qualifier Joris de Loore.

Tuesday September 11 – RESULTS
Singles – First Round
Mikael Ymer (SWE) def David Perez Sanz (ESP) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(2)

(5) Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) def (WC) Alexis Galarneau (CAN) 6-4, 6-3

(3) Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) def (Q) Jeffrey John Wolf (USA) 6-3, 6-3

(Q) Joris De Loore (BEL) def (WC) Sebastian Korda (USA) 7-6(3), 6-4

Evan Song (USA) def Nick Stachowiak (USA) 6-3, 6-2

James Duckworth (AUS) def (6) Kevin King (USA) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

(7) Alexei Popyrin (AUS) def JC Aragone (USA) 6-3, 6-4

(4) Reilly Opelka (USA) def Ernesto Escobedo (USA) 7-6 (11), 6-4

Dominik Koepfer (GER)def Roberto Ortega-Olmedo (ESP) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1

Donald Young (USA) def Jan Choinski (GER) 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-1

Doubles – First Round
(3) Peter Polansky (CAN) /Jackson Withrow (USA) def Ruben Gonzales (PHI)/Nathaniel Lammons (USA) 7-5, 6-2

Evan King/Hunter Reese (USA) def Maverick Banes/Luke Saville (AUS) 6-3, 6-1

Hans Hach Verdugo (MEX) / Andreas Siljestrom (SWE) def (WC) Catalin Mateas /Nick Stachowiak (USA) 7-6(5), 7-5