POZOBLANCO, July 22, 2021

The quarterfinals of the €44,820 Open Ciudad de Pozoblanco hard-court ATP Challenger event are set. Two qualifiers headlined the action on a sunny and hot Thursday afternoon at the C.D. Open de Tenis Ciudad de Pozoblanco.

Michael Geerts continued his great run of form this week in Andalusia, Spain by knocking out top seed Benjamin Bonzi from France 7-6(3), 6-2. The World No. 348 from Belgium fired 10 aces and won 87 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after one hour and 27 minutes. Geerts, a winner of six singles titles on the ITF Pro Circuit, will appear in the stage of the final eight at Challenger level for the second time after Cherbourg in France in February.

The 26-year-old Antwerp native will next take on fellow qualifier Emilio Nava. The World No. 435 from the United States fought past Italian Matteo Viola 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. Nava, who practices at the JC Ferrero Sports Academy in Alicante, capitalized on six of his nine break-point chances to secure victory in two hours and nine minutes.

The 19-year-old from California reached two finals of the Boys’ Singles Grand Slam tournaments, losing to Lorenzo Musetti in the 2019 Australian Open and to Jonas Forejtek at the US Open the same year. Nava will play his first quarterfinal on the ATP Challenger Tour.

📸 Imágenes de la jornada del jueves en el Open de Tenis Ciudad de Pozoblanco.#Deportes #Pozoblanco @PozoblancoOpen pic.twitter.com/hUwNVmKTh5

— Deportes Pozoblanco (@pozodeportes) July 22, 2021

In other action, Cem Ilkel defeated Hiroki Moriya of Japan 6-3, 6-2. The No. 4 seed from Turkey didn’t face a break point and broke his rival’s serve three times to advance after one hour and four minutes.

Ilkel will next play Tim van Rijthoven, who emerged victorious from the all-Dutch encounter with Igor Sijsling, winning 6-4, 6-4. The World No. 296 from Amstelveen struck 11 aces and won 85 per cent of his first-service points to succeed after 65 minutes.