Stockholm, Sweden – Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic delivered a remarkable upset on Wednesday as he defeated No. 1 seed Holger Rune of Denmark in the second round of the Nordic Open. Kecmanovic’s stellar performance saw him triumph with a scoreline of 7-6 (3), 6-2.
The Serbian player displayed resilience in the second set, where he saved three out of four break points to dominate his opponent. Securing his spot in the quarterfinals, Kecmanovic notably broke an 11-match losing streak against top-10 opponents.
Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, the No. 3 seed, managed to fend off an upset attempt by Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori. Griekspoor secured his victory with a score of 7-6 (3), 6-4.
In other second-round action, Serbian Laslo Djere and Russian qualifier Pavel Kotov also emerged victorious, defeating American J.J. Wolf and Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego, respectively.
Meanwhile, Frenchman Gael Monfils, playing on a protected ranking, battled his way through a first-round match against Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics. Monfils emerged victorious with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Russia’s Roman Safiullin advanced to the second round with a convincing win against Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild, closing the match at 6-3, 6-2.
Marcos Giron Upsets No. 2 Seed Casper Ruud at Japan Open
Tokyo, Japan – Unseeded American Marcos Giron pulled off a remarkable upset at the Japan Open by knocking out No. 2 seed Casper Ruud of Norway in a swift 81-minute match. Giron’s impressive performance included nine aces and the conversion of four out of seven break points. He secured his victory with a score of 6-3, 6-4.
Giron faced a minor setback in the second set, as he trailed 2-4. However, he managed to stage a comeback and seal the win. His next opponent in the quarterfinals will be No. 8 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, who secured a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Austria’s Sebastian Ofner.
No. 5 seed Tommy Paul earned a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win against Mackenzie McDonald. Paul is set to face another fellow American, Ben Shelton, in the quarterfinals. Shelton rallied for a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 victory against Australia’s Jordan Thompson.
Alexander Bublik Advances to Quarterfinals at European Open
Antwerp, Belgium – No. 3 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan demonstrated his prowess on the court by securing a swift 6-4, 6-2 victory against Frenchman Gregoire Barrere. Bublik’s game was highlighted by 11 aces and his ability to win 26 of 30 first-service points. He also impressively saved all three of his break points to advance to the quarterfinals.
Bublik was one of three seeded players who earned victories on Wednesday. Fourth-seeded Arthur Fils of France defeated Estonian wild card Mark Lajal with a scoreline of 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2). Peruvian eighth seed Juan Pablo Varillas overcame Russia’s Alexander Shevchenko in a challenging match, concluding with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
In another second-round match, French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard ousted wild card David Goffin of Belgium. Portugal’s Nuno Borges and Botic van de Zandschulp secured their spots in the next round with victories.
These matches showcase the competitive and enthralling tennis action taking place in these tournaments.
