JETLAG certainly became a topic of conversation in both Austria and Turkey as key players dropped matches in uncharacteristic fashion, backing up for their Round of 16 matches today.

FOGNINI BELTED AS SCHWARTZMAN SOLE SEED THROUGH IN AUSTRIA

Returning to the circuit after opting to miss the US Open, world number 12 Fabio Fognini had a match he would rather forget in Kitzbuhel, copping an absolute shellacking from 303rd ranked Marc-Andrea Huesler in the Round of 16. The Italian was fresh off a seven-month break after not taking to the court since Dubai in February, but he was miles from his best, suffering a 6-1 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Swiss qualifier. In fairness to the firebrand, he had surgery on his ankles back in May, but if he is to challenge at Roland Garros will need to pick up real quick.

Fognini was far from the only seed to fall on a day of upsets, with third seed Dusan Lajovic, fourth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili, fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz and seventh seed Guido Pella all going down. All four players travelled to the US Open and might be suffering some form of jetlag, but it was great work by their opponents to open up the draw. German qualifier, Yannick Hanfmann knocked off Lajovic in a come-from-behind win, 4-6 6-3 6-4 to take on fellow German qualifier, Maximilian Marterer in the quarter finals. Marterer took care of Hurkacz in straight sets, 6-1 6-4 in a huge upset.

Meanwhile Feliciano Lopez will get a crack at Huesler in the last eight, defeating seventh seed Pella in three tight sets, 7-5 6-7 7-6 to book his spot in the next round. The final upset was Federico Delbonis who took out Basilashvili in straight sets, 7-5 6-3. Meanwhile Miomir Kecmanovic had no troubles against an in-form Jordan Thompson to win 6-2 6-2 and move through to the last eight, whilst Laslo Djere also booked safe passage with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Jannik Sinner.

In the only predictable result of the day, second seed Diego Schwartzman became the only seeded player to advance into the quarter finals. The world number 13 had to overcome a real right from Austrian wildcard Sebastian Ofner, winning 6-2 2-6 7-5 in two hours and 16 minutes. Neither player was particularly clinical, with Schwartzman being more consistent, winning 71 per cent of his first serve points, and breaking five times to four on his way to winning three more points than the 159th ranked Ofner.

“It was difficult for both of us, too many mistakes in the first set,” Schwartzman said post-match. “But I got lucky at the end and I’ve very happy to be in the next round. “I’m trying to get my confidence back after a difficult US swing.”

BOUCHARD STUNS TOP SEED KUZNETSOVA TO KEEP FORM ROLLING

Canadian qualifier Eugenie Bouchard continues to make the right strides towards getting back to her best, after the former top five player knocked off top seed, Svetlana Kuznetsova at the BNP Paribas Tennis Championships. Ranked just inside the top 300, Bouchard took a couple of tiebreakers before she could get some freedom, winning 7-6 6-7 6-2 in two hours and 50 minutes.

Bouchard served at a 69.3 per cent efficiency, winning 67.1 per cent of her first serve points, and 61.3 per cent of her second serve points. She broke five times to three to be the difference, and was more consistent than Kuznetsova, who was playing her first tournament since the break due to Russia’s strict COVID-19 regulations. Bouchard had three match points in the second set and led by 4-1 at one stage, then had to overcome the pressure of potentially choking from a winning position to settle and take out the win.

“That was extremely tough mentally,” Bouchard said post-match. “I honestly just tried to not think about [losing a lead] at all, to block it from my mind – because if I did think about it I would be frustrated and angry, and that wasn’t going to help me. “I literally tried to have amnesia and forget about it.”

The number one seed was joined on the sidelines by fourth seed Caroline Garcia whose great form of late came to an end at the hands of Tereza Martincova. The Czech qualifier needed just 69 minutes to knocked off the US Open third round competitor, 6-1 6-4. It showed that Garcia could do with a break after the long trip back to Europe.

Meanwhile Macedonian hope Danka Kovinic moved through to face Bouchard in the quarter finals after defeating sixth seed Alison Van Uytvanck. Kovinic won 6-3 6-4 in 90 minutes of matchplay to book her spot in the final eight, as did Romanian Patricia Maria Tig who destroyed eighth seed Misaki Doi 6-2 6-0 in just 64 minutes. In the other seeded matches, Rebecca Peterson won after just five games following opponent Margarita Gasparyan‘s retirement at 2-3, while third seed Polona Hercog also made it into the quarter finals after defeating Jasmine Paolini 7-5 6-4.

In other results, Aliaksandra Sasnovich needed three sets, but overcame Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-7 6-4 6-3 to take on Martincova in the quarter finals, while Paula Badosa won the battle of the Spaniards, defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-1 6-4 to now lock horns with Hercog.

Picture: Gokhan Taner