ATP roundup: Jiri Lehecka pulls off upset at Dubai

 

[February 29, 2024]  Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic racked up 16 aces and rallied from an early deficit to pick up a 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov on Wednesday in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Lehecka also saved nine of 11 break points and collected 53 winners to pull off the day's only upset. He trailed 4-2 in the third set but proceeded to win the final four games to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals, where he will face seventh seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Bublik was a 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2) winner over the Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor on Wednesday.

No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia and countryman Andrey Rublev, the No. 2 seed, also made it through the second round. Medvedev fought back to oust Italian Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Rublev swept French qualifier Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 6-4.

In other action, No. 3 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, fifth-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert, eight-seeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and the United States' Sebastian Korda all prevailed.

Movistar Chile Open

Spain's Pedro Martinez outlasted sixth seed Facundo Diaz Acosta of Argentina for a 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-1 win in second-round action in Santiago, Chile.

After the first two sets were competitive, Martinez ran away with the third to cap a marathon match that lasted 3 hours, 8 minutes. He will next face third-seeded Frenchman Arthur Fils, who defeated Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday.

No. 1 seed Nicolas Jarry of Chile cruised past Argentina's Federico Coria 7-6 (4), 6-2, and French qualifier Corentin Moutet toppled Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2.

Tennis - ATP 500 - Dubai Tennis Championships - Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 28, 2024 Russia's Karen Khachanov in action during his round of 16 match against Czech Republic's Jiri Lehecka REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

Abierto Mexicano Telcel
 
 Germany's Dominik Koepfer won 12 of 14 points on his serve in the third set and emerged with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 win over eighth-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the United States in second-round action at Acapulco, Mexico.
 
 The top three seeds in action all earned straight-set victories. No. 2 Holger Rune of Denmark ousted the United States' Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6 (5), 6-2. No. 3 Alex de Minaur of Australia trounced Austria's Sebastian Ofner 6-1, 6-3, and No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece beat Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 7-6 (6).
 
 In other action, Great Britain's Jack Draper handled Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-0; Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic downed Germany's Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 6-4; and the United States' Ben Shelton defeated Italy's Matteo Arnaldi 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3.
 
 In the final match of the night, sixth-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway got the only two service breaks in the last game of each set en route to a 6-4, 7-5 win over Serbia's Dusan Lajovic.

 --Field Level Media

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