Home favourite and top seed Victor Estrella-Burgos was unceremoniously beaten in his home Challenger as Josef Kovalik registered his biggest win of the season. The Slovakian who is ranked just outside the Top 200 played superbly to break Estrella-Burgos three times for a 6-3, 6-2 win. Kovalik did not face a single break point.
Frenchman Mathias Bourgue managed to defeat severely out-of-form eighth seed Joao Souza 6-1, 7-6. Souza capitulated in the first set, but did well to return after going behind in the second too. Bourgue called for the trainer and then won a tiebreak to take his place in the quarter-finals.
There are now only two seeds left in the draw, and both required come from behind victories to advance Thursday. Anddrej Martin started the comeback a little earlier than Roberto Carballes Baena, as he recovered from four-one down in the first set, winning the next five games, and the taking the second set on a tiebreak for a 6-4, 7-6 victory.
Carballes-Baena broke in the very first game against Gianluca Naso, but then struggled, losing five of the next six games. He broke as Naso attempted to serve the set out, but then was broken again himself. Carballes Baena won the last four games of the second set, and then broke for an early lead in the third. Naso, responded, broke and was holding the stronger of the two going into the tiebreak, but lost the first four points in the tiebreak and could not recover as Carballes-Baena eventually won 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.
Quarter final draw and picks:
Nicolas Kicker vs Alessandro Giannessi: Two unlikely quarter-final candidates with one thing in common; they are both in superb form. Kicker has dropped just seven games so far including dismissing Alejandro Gonzalez’s conqueror Jose Hernandez-Fernandez 6-3, 6-1 in the last round. Giannessi destroyed second seed Horacio Zeballos and then edged Frank Skugor. I think Kicker will take this. Winner: Kicker in straight sets.
Mathias Bourgue vs Roberto Carballes Baena: Two guys, both twenty-two, and in form. Bourgue beat Souza in the last round and Carballes Baena has shown tenacity to dig out a tough result against Naso. Baena did not play well in the last round, but I’m backing him to pick it up here. Winner: Carballes Baena in straight sets.
Guido Andreozzi vs Maxime Chazal: Andreozzi finally looks back in form. the Argentine is one hundred places removed from his career best, but wins over Gerald Melzer and Jordi-Samper Montana, both accomplished clay-courters shows he is up for this tournament. Chazal is also in form, defeating seventh seed Andre Ghem, and beating qualifier Roberto Quiroz, but even Ghem is not as strong as Melzer or Samper-Montana currently. Winner: Andreozzi in three sets.
Jozef Kovalik vs Andrej Martin: Perhaps the toughest match of the round to call. Kovalik’s win over Estrella-Burgos must carry some weight in this battle, and Martin had a slow start against Calvin Hemery. Winner: Kovalik in three sets.
