Hometown favorite Thanasi Kokkinakis outlasted No. 8 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina in a 3-hour, 2-minute thriller on Wednesday at the Adelaide International in Australia.
Kokkinakis hammered 23 aces and saved five of six break points in the 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (4) victory, setting up a clash with No. 2 seed Sebastian Korda in the quarterfinals. Korda was a swift 6-3, 6-3 winner over Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Top-seeded Tommy Paul survived a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 scare from French lucky loser Manuel Guinard, and No. 5 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat of Frenchman Arthur Cazaux. Australian Rinky Hijikata ousted No. 7 Brandon Nakashima 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5). Marcos Giron, France’s Benjamin Bonzi and Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic also moved into the quarterfinals.
ASB Classic
Czech teenager Jakub Mensik stormed into the quarterfinals in Auckland, New Zealand, with a 7-6 (2), 4-6, 7-5 upset of top-seeded Ben Shelton in 2 hours, 40 minutes.
The 19-year-old Mensik offset seven double faults with 10 aces and saved five of six break points against Shelton, who valiantly fought off five match points and saved 11 of 12 break points. Up next for Mensik is No. 7 seed Nuno Borges of Portugal, a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 winner over Argentina’s Mariano Navone.
American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy upended No. 2 seed Alejandro Tabilo of Chile, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, while lucky loser Facundo Diaz Acosta of Argentina took out third-seeded countryman Sebastian Baez 6-4, 7-6 (1). Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena got in on the upset action with a 6-2, 7-5 defeat of No. 4 Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina. No. 8 Alex Michelsen, Belgium’s Zizou Bergs and France’s Gael Monfils also advanced.
–Field Level Media
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