Japanese wild card Shintaro Mochizuki delivered a stunning performance at the Japan Open in Tokyo by rallying from an early setback to defeat the No. 1 seed, Taylor Fritz. Mochizuki, a 20-year-old, found himself losing the first set with a score of 0-6. However, he mounted an incredible comeback in front of the home crowd, eventually winning the match 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in just over two hours. This marked Mochizuki’s first career top-10 win.
Mochizuki’s remarkable journey continues as he advances to the quarterfinals to face Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, who triumphed over Chile’s Cristian Garin with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2 in the Round of 16.
Alex de Minaur and Aslan Karatsev Advance at Japan Open
At the Japan Open in Tokyo, fourth-seeded Alex de Minaur showcased his strength and skill by facing only one break point on his way to defeating Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman. The match ended with a score of 6-0, 7-5 in favor of de Minaur. He now advances to the quarterfinals.
De Minaur’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be Russia’s Aslan Karatsev, who secured his place with a strong performance, winning 6-3, 6-4 against China’s Zhang Zhizhen.
Upsets and Triumphs at the European Open in Antwerp
In Antwerp, Belgium, the European Open witnessed an upset as Frenchman Hugo Gaston, ranked 96th in the world, defeated second seed Jan-Lennard Struff, who is ranked 27th. Despite Struff’s 15-9 advantage in aces, Gaston managed to emerge victorious after a hard-fought battle, with a final score of 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (11). Gaston converted three of eight break points to claim the victory.
Top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece showcased his dominance by dispatching Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands with a score of 7-5, 6-3. Meanwhile, fifth seed Yannick Hanfmann of Germany eliminated Austria’s Dominic Thiem with a score of 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. Additionally, qualifier Maximilian Marterer of Germany secured a victory by defeating Nuno Borges of Portugal with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (3).
Elias Ymer and Others Shine at BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm
In Stockholm, Sweden, Elias Ymer delighted the home crowd with a solid performance against qualifier Dino Prizmic of Croatia. Ymer secured a victory with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. Although Ymer is ranked 168th in the world and Prizmic 165th, he showcased his determination on the court by converting six of nine break points.
In other singles matches, second seed Adrian Mannarino of France defeated Russia’s Roman Safiullin with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic managed to overcome Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka with a score of 6-4, 6-1. Lastly, Gael Monfils of France emerged victorious by defeating qualifier Filip Misolic of Austria with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
