Top-seeded Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan needed only 79 minutes to launch his Generali Open title defense with a 6-3, 7-5 defeat of Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta on Wednesday in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
Bublik, ranked No. 11 in the ATP, served up eight aces and faced only one break point to advance to the quarterfinals. He will face Slovakia’s Alex Molcan, a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 winner over Germany’s Daniel Altmaier.
Argentina’s Sebastian Baez, who won the 2023 Generali Open on the clay, upset third-seeded Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 7-6 (6), 2-6, 6-4 as he earned the key break of serve in the seventh game of the deciding set. Second-seeded Valentin Vacherot of Monaco also fell victim to the upset bug, dropping a 6-3, 6-4 decision to France’s Quentin Halys.
Fourth-seeded Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry got through, ousting Austria’s Jurji Radionov, 6-2, 7-6 (4), while No. 5 Ignacio Buse of Peru outlasted Switzerland’s Kilian Feldbausch 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Sixth-seeded German Jan-Lennard Struff was not as fortunate as he dropped a 6-0, 6-3 decision to Argentine Mariano Navone. German veteran Yannick Hanfmann eliminated Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti 6-4, 7-6 (2).
Estoril Open
Wild card Tiago Torres, a 24-year-old Portugal resident playing in his first ATP event, pulled off his second upset in three days by knocking off third-seeded Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the quarterfinals in his home country.
Torres, ranked No. 427 in the world, staved off all but one of Tabilo’s eight break-point chances. He also earned breaks early in each sets to prevail. Torres will face Frenchman Hugo Gaston, who defeated countryman Tirouan Droguet, 6-0, 6-3.
Fourth-seeded Belgian Alexander Blockx moved on with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) triumph over France’s Kyrian Jacquet, but fifth-seeded Nuno Borges of Portugal fell 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga.
–Field Level Media
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