APTOS, August 9, 2019
The quarterfinals at the Nordic Naturals Challenger held at the Seascape Sports Club in Aptos are set. No. 3 seed Taro Daniel rallied past US-American Michael Redlicki 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) on Thursday afternoon.
The World No. 119 from Japan won six points more than his opponent to secure victory in two hours and 18 minutes. Both players traded breaks of serve throughout the match. Daniel’s father and his family is from Santa Cruz.
“It’s a place that is very, very close to my heart,” he said speaking of Santa Cruz. “I got my uncle, my aunt, my cousins, and until a few years ago, I had my grandparents too, but yeah, I love it here, and I spent every summer here until I was 15, 16. It basically feels like home, my first home.” Daniel will next take on No. 6 seed Egor Gerasimov of Belarus, who defeated Emilio Gomez of Ecuador 6-3, 7-5.
The top seed of the $81,240 ATP Challenger 90 hard-court event also booked his spot in the stage of the final eight, as Damir Dzumhur battled past Lukas Lacko of Slovakia, winning 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-6(9). The 27-year-old from Bosnia and Herzegovina withstood 13 aces, breaking his opponent’s serve four times to prevail after two hours and 20 minutes. Up next for Dzumhur will be Ernesto Escobedo, who clinched a wild card into the US Open main draw by defeating fellow US-American Bjorn Fratangelo, 7-6(2), 6-7(5), 7-6(12), in a nearly three-hour third-round match.
RESULTS – AUGUST 08, 2019
Men’s
Singles – Third Round
[1] D. Dzumhur (BIH) d L. Lacko (SVK) 67(6) 63 76(9)
[2] S. Johnson (USA) d L. Broady (GBR) 75 61
[3] T. Daniel (JPN) d [Alt] Mi. Redlicki (USA) 36 75 76(3)
[4] D. Koepfer (GER) d [Alt] A. Sarkissian (USA) 63 76(2)
E. Escobedo (USA) d [5] B. Fratangelo (USA) 76(2) 67(5) 76(12)
[6] E. Gerasimov (BLR) d [12] E. Gomez (ECU) 63 75
[7] M. Giron (USA) d B. Gojo (CRO) 36 76(2) 64
[10] G. Soeda (JPN) d M. Purcell (AUS) 76(3) 63
Men’s
Doubles – Quarterfinals
N. Lammons (USA) / A. Lawson (USA) d [4] J. Cerretani (USA) / J. Erlich (ISR) 63 63
First Round
[Alt] N. Pasha (USA) / M. Schnur (USA) d H. Hach Verdugo (MEX) / S. Verbeek (NED) 64 61
