In a thrilling encounter at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech, Morocco, American qualifier Nicolas Moreno De Alboran emerged victorious against Argentine No. 5 seed Facundo Diaz Acosta. The match, which unfolded in three sets, saw Moreno De Alboran clinching a hard-fought victory with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Moreno De Alboran’s impressive performance was marked by his dominance on his first serves, winning an impressive 79 percent of his first-service points. Additionally, he showcased resilience by saving two out of three break points, ultimately outmaneuvering Diaz Acosta to secure the win. His next challenge awaits against Belgian qualifier David Goffin, who secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
Meanwhile, Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, playing on a protected ranking, delivered a commanding performance by swiftly upsetting sixth seed Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan with a decisive score of 6-2, 6-1. Fellow Italian and No. 8 seed Flavio Cobolli also emerged victorious, defeating Jordanian wild card Abdullah Shelbayh with a scoreline of 6-1, 6-4.
In other notable results from the tournament, Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini, India’s Sumit Nagal, Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, and Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena advanced to the second round, setting the stage for further captivating matchups in the tournament.
Additionally, at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, Italian Luciano Darderi staged a remarkable comeback, rallying from a set down to secure a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over American wild card Denis Kudla. Darderi’s tenacity was on full display as he fought back from a precarious position in the second set, eventually dominating the tiebreaker to swing the momentum in his favor.
The tournament also witnessed intense battles in other matches, with Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States defeating Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in a grueling three-set encounter, and No. 8 seed Max Purcell of Australia prevailing over American Alex Michelsen in another closely contested match.
With top seeds such as Jordan Thompson, James Duckworth of Australia, Marcos Giron of the United States, and Colombia’s Daniel Elahi Galan also securing victories in their respective matches, the competition promises to intensify as the tournament progresses, setting the stage for captivating clashes and unpredictable outcomes.
