Hurkacz Continues Turin Charge, Ends Draper's Run In Antwerp

Hubert Hurkacz is currently outside the cut for a place at the Nitto ATP Finals. The Polish star is showing he is keen to change that.

The ninth-placed player in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin on Wednesday battled past #NextGenATP lefty Jack Draper 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the European Open in Antwerp. He will next play sixth seed Francisco Cerundolo or former World No. 3 Dominic Thiem.

In the Live Race, Hurkacz is 295 points behind seventh-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who occupies the final qualifying spot for Turin. Hurkacz could make a dent in that gap this week in Belgium, where Auger-Aliassime is also competing.

View Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin

It seemed Hurkacz was in full control against the lefty Draper when he led the Briton by a set and a break, but the Milan qualifier battled hard to level the match. In the end Hurkacz’s 22 aces proved too much to overcome, and the top seed advanced after two hours and 40 minutes.

Draper lost the match, but received positive news earlier in the day when he qualified for the Intesa Sanpaolo Next Gen ATP Finals. He is the first Briton to earn a spot in the 21-and-under season finale.

Daniel Evans wasted little time reaching the quarter-finals earlier in the day when he cruised past Frenchman Constant Lestienne 6-2, 6-1.

The fifth seed looked in control throughout the 75-minute match, winning 82 per cent (18/22) of his first-serve points and breaking five times to earn his 27th tour-level win of the season.

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The Briton now leads Lestienne 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, after winning their previous meeting in San Diego in September. Evans, who is currently No. 24 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, will next face second-seeded Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime or Frenchman Manuel Guinard. Guinard defeated countryman Geoffrey Blancaneaux 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

The 32-year-old is making his second appearance at the ATP 250 event, having reached the semi-finals in 2020. Earlier this season, Evans enjoyed runs to the last four in Sydney, San Diego and an ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal.

Austrian Dominic Thiem continued his strong form when he moved past Belgian Michael Geerts 6-4, 6-0 to reach the second round in Antwerp.

In a dominant display, the 29-year-old fired 18 winners and won 86 per cent (30/35) of his first-serve points to advance after 71 minutes. Thiem, who is making his debut in Antwerp, reached the semi-finals in Gijon last week.

The former World No. 3 will next play sixth seed Francisco Cerundolo.

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In other action, Frenchman Richard Gasquet defeated #NextGenATP Swiss Dominic Stricker 7-6(6), 7-5 in two hours and one minute to reach his sixth quarter-final of the season. Gasquet will next meet third seed Diego Schwartzman or David Goffin.

American Sebastian Korda also advanced, edging countryman Marcos Giron 6-3, 6-7(0), 6-4. Korda will next meet Karen Khachanov.

Source Tennis – ATP World Tour