By Field Level Media
Oct 22 (Field Level Media) – Second-seeded Jiri Lehecka of Czechia served nine aces without a double fault while soaring to a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Belgium’s Raphael Collignon in the BNP Paribas Fortis European Open at Brussels.
Lehecka won 26 of 30 (86.7%) first-serve points and had 24 winners against 14 unforced errors in the victory. He will next face Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.
Fifth-seeded Alex Michelsen notched a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 35-year-old Belgian David Goffin, who played in the final singles match of his 18-year career. Goffin, the former world No. 7, had 23 winners and 32 unforced errors and was honored on the court after the match.
Michelsen will next face top-seeded Frenchman Arthur Fils, who won a walkover against Spain’s Jaume Munar (back discomfort). In the other match, sixth- seeded Belgian Zizou Bergs beat Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-4.
Grand Prix Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
Second-seeded Taylor Fritz won 29 of 35 (82.9%) first-serve points while recording a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert to advance to the quarterfinals at Lyon, France.
Fritz committed just 10 unforced errors, 19 fewer than Herbert. Fritz will next face Germany’s Daniel Altmaier, who beat Croatia’s Borna Gojo 6-3, 6-4.
Top-seeded Flavio Cobolli of Italy had a 22-10 edge in winners while dispatching Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-4. France’s Luca Van Assche knocked off No. 3 Valentin Vacherot of Monaco 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, and No. 5 Brandon Nakashima sailed to a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Kyrian Jacquet of France.
Almaty Open
Top-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia had seven aces and saved all three break points he faced while recording a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro to reach the quarterfinals in Kazakhstan.
Medvedev held a 20-9 edge in winners and won 25 of 31 (80.6%) first-serve points. Shimabukuro committed 21 unforced errors to Medvedev’s 10.
Medvedev will next face Frenchman Terence Atmane, who knocked off Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5). Also, No. 3 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan beat Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan (illness) in a walkover and No. 5 Karen Khachanov of Russia outlasted Czechia’s Thomas Machac 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7).
(–Field Level Media)
