MARBELLA, March 25, 2019
The European clay-court season kicked off on Monday with the second edition of the €46,600 Casino Admiral Trophy at the Puente Romano Tenis Club in scenic Marbella, situated at the Costa del Sol in Southern Spain.
The local favourites headlined first-round action with Bernabé Zapata Miralles fighting past Adam Pavlasek from the Czech Republic 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) in the opening match on Centre Court. The 22-year-old from Valencia outpointed his opponent 110-105 after two hours and 15 minutes. Zapata Miralles will next take on No. 10 seeded compatriot Pedro Martínez.
Primera victoria de la armada española en el ATP Challenger de Marbella Casino Admiral Trophy 2019, a manos de Bernabé Zapata @bernabezapata1 , por 6-3 3-6 7-6 ante Adam Pavlasek.
Así celebró Bernabé la victoria@casinoadmiralt
@PuenteTenis #Málaga #Tennis #marbellachallenger pic.twitter.com/8TtwpdFW8v— Tenis Málaga (@TenisMalaga) 25. März 2019
Carlos Taberner also had to go the distance against José Hernandez-Fernandez from the Dominican Republic. The Spanish wild card entry capitalized on seven of his 18 break point chances to prevail after two hours and 13 minutes. Up next for Taberner will be No. 4 seed Pedro Sousa from Portugal.
Veterans advance
Jürgen Melzer (photo: Casino Admiral Trophy Marbella)
Veterans Daniel Gimeno-Traver from Spain and Jürgen Melzer of Austria also advanced to the second round. Gimeno-Traver cruised past Kevin Krawietz from Germany, winning 6-1, 6-1 in only 57 minutes to meet No. 13 seeded Italian Andrea Arnaboldi next.
Melzer, who entered the main draw with a wild card and played his first singles match since Vienna in October last year, beat Spaniard Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol to set a second round clash with second favourite Pablo Andújar of Spain.
Top seed Benoit Paire of France will open his title bid on Wednesday against Pedro Cachín of Argentina, who defeated Thiemo de Bakker from the Netherlands 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. The encounter lasted two hours and nine minutes.
