IT was a brutal day on the Uruguayan clay at the Punta Del Este Challenger 75 event. Of the six seeds in action, just two survived their first round encounters, with two losing to qualifiers in an unpredictable second day of action.

PUNTA DEL ESTE, URUGUAY:

The much anticipated battle between two former top 20 players turned out to be a fizzer as Italian Marco Cecchinato trumped second seed, Chilean Cristian Garin in a one-sided affair, 6-3 6-2. Cecchinato won 71 per cent of his first serve points compared to Garin’s 55 per cent, whilst breaking a massive eight times to two.

Despite coming in as one of the tournament favourites, Garin continued his free fall down the rankings with a disappointing serving performance. He won just one of 12 points off his second serve, and was unable to capitalise more than twice from 10 opportunities on return. In the end, he bowed out in just an hour and 19 minutes.

Garin was joined in the early exits by compatriot Tomas Barrios Vera who went down in three sets to Spanish qualifier, Nikolas Sanchez Izquierdo. The 24-year-old Spaniard won 3-6 6-4 6-4 to advance through to the second round alongside fellow qualifier, Renzo Olivo who stunned top seed, Argentinian Federico Coria in straight sets.

Seventh seed Mariano Navone also departed in straight sets to Argentinian compatriot Camilo Ugo Carabelli, while it was much was a good day overall for the South American nation with six players all advancing to the Round of 16. Among them were Facundo Bagnis and Juan Manuel Cerundolo who are potential title hopes on the clay. Fifth seed Thiago Monteiro is now the second highest ranked player in the tournament after an impressive day two win.

ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[Q] R. Olivo (ARG) defeated [1] F. Coria (ARG) 6-4 6-4
M. Cecchinato (ITA) defeated [2] C. Garin (CHI) 6-3 6-2
[Q] N. Sanchez Izquierdo (ESP) defeated [3] T. Barrios Vera (CHI) 3-6 6-4 6-4
[5] T. Monteiro (BRA) defeated [Q] F. Agustin Gomez (ARG) 6-1 6-4
[6] F. Comesana (ARG) defeated J. Fonseca (BRA) 6-3 6-2
C. Ugo Carabelli (ARG) defeated [7] M. Navone (ARG) 6-4 7-6
F. Bagnis (ARG) defeated L. Neumayer (AUT) 6-3 3-6 6-4
R. Burruchaga (ARG) defeated [LL] A. Guillen Meza (ECU) 6-4 7-5
J. Cerundolo (ARG) defeated A. Giannessi (ITA) 1-6 6-4 6-1
[Q] M. Dellien (BOL) defeated [Q] F. Gill (GBR) 6-3 6-4
[Q] G. Mager (ITA) defeated I. Gakhov (RUS) 3-6 7-6 7-6

BW OPEN, BELGIUM:

It was far from smooth sailing for raging tournament favourite Borna Coric, but the Croatian came up trump in the BW Open overnight. The world number 40 is looking for match practice via the Challenger 150 event, and having only recorded one win since August last year, steadied after a slow start to post a 7-5 5-7 6-2 win over Brazilian Felipe Meligeni Alves.

Taking on the world number 150, Coric was tipped to be hot favourite on the hardcourts of Belgium, but it was not the case as he struggled through the first set before a late break shook off the Brazilian. Meligeni Alves hit back in the second set with a critical break of his own to level the scores. Having survived through almost two hours on court, Coric’s game started to rise to the occasion and the talented former top 20 player ran away with it in the third set to post a 7-5 5-7 6-2 victory.

Coric’s ability to remain in the contest stood out, winning 59 per cent of points of Meligeni Alves’ second serve, as well as 85 per cent off his own first serve. He will rue having plenty of missed opportunities (3/14 break points converted), but still produced 11 aces and showed he has plenty of room for improvement going forward through the tournament.

In the all-Belgium first round match, David Goffin came from a set down to defeat his second highest ranked compatriot Zizou Bergs, 6-7 6-3 7-5. He and Coric are in line to face off in the quarter finals. Also winning on day one was Swiss duo Marc-Andrea Huesler and Alexander Ritschard. Belgium wildcard Raphael Collignon impressed in his victory over Germany’s Rudolf Molleker with a comprehensive 6-1 6-1 victory.

ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[1] B. Coric (CRO) defeated F. Meligeni Alves (BRA) 7-5 5-7 6-2
M. Huesler (SUI) defeated [4] J. Rodionov (AUT) 6-2 6-3
[5] D. Goffin (BEL) defeated Z. Bergs (BEL) 6-7 6-3 7-5
[7] Z. Piros (HUN) defeated J. De Loore (BEL) 6-3 7-5
A. Choinski (GBR) defeated A. Escoffier (FRA) 6-3 7-6
[WC] R. Collignon (BEL) defeated R. Molleker (GER) 6-1 6-1
A. Ritschard (SUI) defeated R. Brancaccio (ITA) 6-0 6-4

QUIMPER OPEN, FRANCE:

Finnish 22-year-old Otto Virtanen remains a danger to Top 100 players after downing Frenchman and top seed Gregoire Barrere in straight sets at Quimper. In a tight contest between the pair, Virtanen won against the homecourt hope in one hour and 25 minutes, 7-5 6-4.

Virtanen broke twice – once in each set – from seven chances while saving all four break point opportunities against him. Boasting an elite 88 per cent off his first serve, Virtanen was brilliant, while also capitalising on 61 per cent of his opponent’s second serves in the victory.

In a heavily weighted French tournament, second seed Arthur Rinderknech advanced to the second round alongside compatriots Kyrian Jacquet, Matteo Martineau and Harold Mayot. In the only non-French match, Canada’s Gabriel Diallo knocked off Sweden’s Elias Ymer 7-5 6-2.

ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

O. Virtanen (FIN) defeated [1] G. Barrere (FRA) 7-5 6-4
[2] A. Rinderknech (FRA) defeated U. Blanchet (FRA) 6-4 6-4
K. Jacquet (FRA) defeated [WC] M. Guinard (FRA) 7-5 7-5
H. Mayot (FRA) defeated F. Misolic (AUT) 4-6 6-1 6-4
G. Diallo (CAN) defeated E. Ymer (SWE) 7-5 6-2
[WC] M. Martineau (FRA) defeated G. Mpetshi Perricard (FRA) 3-6 6-4 7-6

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA OPEN 2, USA:

It was a great day for the Svjda family as brothers, Zachary and Trevor both picked up first round wins in the second Indian Wells challenger event. Top seed Zachary took care of teenage Frenchman Gabriel Debru in straight sets, 6-4 6-1. However it was younger brother Trevor’s win that really caught the eye.

Going up against two-time Australian Open quarter finalist Tennys Sandgren, the 17-year-old wildcard kept his composure after being bagelled in the first set to come back and grind out two tiebreak wins and secure a 0-6 7-6 7-6 victory in the Challenger 50 event.

The brothers were joined in the second round by Indian Wells 1 winner Mitchell Krueger and runner-up, Brandon Holt who both stamped their tickets into the Round of 16 with straight set victories over fellow Americans. Second seed Argentinian Marco Trungelliti also advanced into the next stage, though former world number 25 Vasek Pospisil suffered a shock loss.

ROUND OF 32 RESULTS:

[1] Z. Svajda (USA) defeated G. Debru (FRA) 6-4 6-1
[3] M. Trungelliti (ARG) defeated L. Gerch (GER) 6-2 6-3
[4] B. Holt (USA) defeated [WC] R. Seggerman (USA) 6-3 6-4
[WC] T. Svajda (USA) defeated [5] T. Sandgren (USA) 0-6 7-6 7-6
[6] M. Krueger (USA) defeated O. Kumar (US) 7-6 6-3
B. Bicknell (JAM) defeated [7] A. Mayo (USA) 6-3 6-4
S. Fanselow (GER) defeated V. Pospisil (CAN) 6-2 7-5
S. Kirchheimer (USA) defeated E. Zhu (USA) 6-4 6-4
Y. Oliel (ISR) defeated B. Lock (ZIM) 3-6 7-6 6-0
L. Tien (USA) defeated G. Oradini (ITA) 6-2 6-3