AMERICAN qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic is through to the quarter finals of the 2025 Open Occitanie after a hard-fought triumph over Italian Mattia Bellucci in the second round. Ranked just four places behind Bellucci coming into the tournament, Kovacevic was forced to qualify for the ATP 250 event, doing just that then winning back-to-back main draw matches to book his place in the final eight.

The 26-year-old moved into the Top 100, leapfrogging Bellucci to 89th in the world, just 17 places off his career-best of 72nd from September last year. He hit the same amount of winners as unforced errors (28) in the 7-5 7-6 battle, overcoming the Italian in the tightest of tiebreakers in the second set.

Kovacevic saved his best until last in the first set, breaking in the final game in what was his first break point for the set, which handed the American an early 7-5 lead. The second set went exactly the same way, though neither player conjured up a break point with largely safe holds throughout the set.

In the tiebreaker, Kovacevic went out to a 4-2 lead at one stage, then had three match points at 6-3. Bellucci saved two of them to go back to 5-6, but the American’s reliable serve came to the fore, holding with the third and final match point to win the tiebreaker 7-5.

Both players served at a high rate, with Kovacevic’s rating up at 312, ahead of Bellucci’s still impressive 275, which included eight aces. The American was impenetrable though, winning a ridiculous 20 of 22 points (91 per cent) off his first serve and winning half of his second serve points (5/10). Both players also only had one break point each, with Kovacevic taking his, and Bellucci unable to convert.

Kovacevic will now take on fourth seeded Kazakhstan player Alexander Bublik in the quarter finals, which will prove a tough gig for the American. He is not the onyl qualifier into the last eight though, with Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili destroying seventh seed local Arthur Rinderknech in the first set with a bagel, before holding on in a tighter second set tiebreak.

In the other two matches, Dutch fans had plenty of reasons to celebrate with fifth seed Tallon Griekspoor and unseeded Jesper De Jong both winning. Griekspoor ground past French veteran Richard Gasquet in three sets 6-3 3-6 7-5, while De Jong had an easier time with an upset over third seed Italian Flavio Cobolli thanks to a 6-4 7-6 victory.

Unfortunately the Dutch fans will need to pick a favourite in the quarter finals, with Griekspoor playing De Jong, the second Netherlands compatriot he has faced this tournament after defeating Botic Van de Zandschulp in the opening round. Basilashvili will face top seed Andrey Rublev, while the other quarter final pits second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime up against eighth seed Yunchaokete Bu.

2025 OPEN OCCITANIE ATP 250 – ROUND OF 16 RESULTS:

Jesper De Jong (NED) defeated [3] Flavio Cobolli (ITA) 6-3 7-6
[5] Tallon Griekspoor (NED) defeated Richard Gasquet (FRA) 6-3 3-6 7-5
[Q] Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) defeated [7] Arthur Rinderknecht (FRA) 6-0 7-6
[Q] Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA) defeated Mattia Bellucci (ITA) 7-5 7-6