Japan’s Taro Daniel on Thursday succumbed 6-4, 7-5 to Spanish eighth seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the second round of the ATP Estoril Open.
Daniel was twice made to pay for losing his serve at crucial moments in both sets as Carreno Busta moved into his second career quarter-final.
“I am happy to win in straight sets against a really tough opponent,” Carreno Busta said after overcoming New York-born Daniel who trains in Valencia.
Photo: EPA
The finalist this season in Sao Paulo added: “He fought a lot and I relaxed a bit in the second set. I had to refocus my tennis and play aggressive to win. I could have lost that set.”
French top seed Gilles Simon was making his start in a second-round match against compatriot Paul-Henri Mathieu, who leads their series 3-1.
Two of yesterday’s quarter-finals were already decided, with second seed Nick Kyrgios playing Croatian Borna Coric in a battle of fast-rising youngsters, while French third seed Benoit Paire was set to take on Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Host nation Portugal lost the last of its four players in the tournament as Spain’s Nicolas Almagro put out fourth seed Joao Sousa 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
No. 34 Sousa had run off with the opening set, but was unable to keep up his momentum against Almagro, who is waiting for a quarter-final opponent as Argentine seventh seed Leonardo Mayer faces Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi.
Almagro, winner of a dozen ATP titles and ranked 71st, hammered 13 aces in a victory lasting just under 105 minutes on the clay over Sousa.
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