ATP Mallorca 🇪🇸 Round of 32 Results
The Mallorca Open kicked off with only two matches played on Day 1 due to rain delay. 6/8 matches were straight set victories, and players are well and truly kicked into gear for the grass season, leading into the most inaugural tournament of the year...Wimbledon! Mallorca's conditions is definitely slower than previous, and does not favour the big servers as much as last week.
Tennys Sandgren d Jaume Munar 7-6(3) 7-5
It was a close match between these two, as they sit beside each other in the rankings (68, 69). Sandgren showed why he one rank better, by just edging Munar, which he should do on his surfact. Despite it being played in Spain, there was limited crowd, so Sandgren was less distract, and could stay stable mentally.
Adrian Mannarino d Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(3) 6-3
Mannarino was a favoured underdog against the German. His flatter game favours control, and led Struff to make many unforced errors throughout the match. Struff is a player that spirals in mentality, so when a tight tiebreak was lost, he could not recover. Mannarino only needed 1 break point in the match to seal a straight sets win.
Stefano Travaglia d Guido Pella 7-5 7-6(4)
Another close match in Mallorca. Both served evenly, but it was the Italian forcing break points from the Argentine's serve. Travaglia breaking 4/11 times to convert a straight sets victory.
Corentin Moutet d Lloyd Harris 6-4 6-2
Moutet coming through with the first real upset of the tournament! Harris is one of those players that loves the challenge of an underdog, but when it comes to someone equal level or less, he has trouble. Moutet provides a different style, with many drop shots to disrupt players style. Harris did not respond well to this, and crumbled.
Lukas Klein d Dusan Lajovic (8) 6-4 7-6(2)
It was the world no 245 taking Lajovic on the upset train here in Mallorca, converting 2/8 break point opportunities to seal the match in straight sets.
Casper Ruud (5) d Gilles Simon 6-4 7-6(4)
Simon tried to fight a match point earlier in the second set, but Ruud was too strong. Ruud was not extremely convincing, and he does not look particularly threatening, but he sure is consistent. Before this match he held a 20% win rate on grass (1/5), so this tournament could be a make or break to see if Ruud can be a huge come up like he was on clay.
Karen Khachanov (6) Lucas Pouille 7-6(7) 3-6 6-4
Khachanov breaking a bit of a mental barrier to convert well against the world no 95. Khachanov can do big things on grass, having reached a Halle SF and Wimbledon 4th Round, but faces grass connoisseur Feliciano Lopez next round, which could be a huge mental barrier.
Jiri Vesely d Salvatore Caruso 7-6(2) 6-2
Left-handed players are doing very well here, with 3 players including Mannarino, Lopez and Vesely making it through thus far. Vesely serving 10 aces, and creating 16 break point opportunities to seal the match in yet another straight sets victory.
Sam Querrey d Roberto Carballes Baena 5-7 6-4 7-6(3)
Querrey's big serve was too much for the Spaniard, serving 22-4 aces. There was only one break each, and this match could have gone either way really, but Querrey with the consistency on serve, not needing to rely as much on other parts of his game that are weaker as he approaches 34yo.
Feliciano Lopez d Nicola Kuhn 6-1 7-6(4)
Despite a good qualifying run from the world no 246, Lopez has a different, but valued grass strategy, that is difficult for novices like Kuhn to defeat. Lopez could cause trouble for Khachanov next round too.
