Top seed Cilic moves into singles quarter-finals

PUNE: Top seed Marin Cilic unleashed his power-packed game to move into the singles quarter-finals of the Tata Open Maharashtra as the World No.17 defeated Roberto Carballes Baena in a three-setter here on Wednesday.

Serving big, moving fluently on court and executing smart drop shots in the second round contest, the Croatian won 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 against the World No.74 from Spain at the Balewadi Stadium. Except for a brief period when he struggled to contain unforced errors in the second set, Cilic kept the match in his grip. The 34-year-old Cilic fired 16 aces in the match that he won in two hours and two minutes.

Second seed Botic van de Zandschulp had to battle hard before prevailing over Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli, placed 171 on the ATP singles chart. The Dutch player emerged victorious 7-5, 6-4 after battling it out for one hour and 33 minutes, setting up a last-eight clash with the German qualifier Maximilian Marterer, who sent Serbian Laslo Djere packing with a 7-6(5) 6-2 victory.

Last year’s runner-up and third seed Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland was knocked out by Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 1-6, 6-7(4) in his opening round. Another top player biting the dust was fourth-seeded Argentine Sebastian Baez, who suffered a 6-3, 1-6, 3-6 defeat at the hands of Pedro Martinez from Spain.

Cilic was in good rhythm from the word go, forcing his rival to move on both the flanks. After pinning him on one corner, the former US Open champion fired winners in open court as a helpless Baena watched in exasperation.

Cilic’s first break came in the fourth game when Baena made two consecutive unforced errors in his backhand at 30-all. He consolidated the break with an easy hold and could have closed the set in the seventh game, but Baena saved two set points. But, Cilic, who got a bye in the first round, completed the job in the ninth game with a crushing forehand winner. The second set stayed on serve till the fifth game. Cilic started to make unforced errors and was suddenly down a break point in the sixth game. He served a double fault at 30-40 to hand the Spaniard his first break of the match and a small yet crucial 4-2 lead. Without much fuss, Baena forced a decider with a big serve that Cilic could not return.

An early break in the second game and the following hold put Cilic ahead 3-0, from where the Croat did enough to seal the match. Cilic will next play Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who knocked out Italian Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 6-4.

Yuki quits singles to prolong career

Without any emotive rhetoric or balderdash, Yuki Bhambri said that he has quit singles. The 28-year-old Yuki is the first big Indian player after Sania Mirza to quit singles to prolong his tennis career. Tired of a stop-start singles career due to knee injuries, Yuki had made up his mind that doubles is the way forward for him.

“I did the best I knew in my singles career and I am at peace with it. Maybe things were wrong, maybe it was bad luck, I do not know. No regrets, there is nothing more I could have done,” Yuki, who touched a career-high singles ranking of 83 in 2018, told PTI.

RESULTS: Singles: Second round: Marin Cilic bt Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; Flavio Cobolli lost to Botic van de Zandschulp 5-7, 4-6; Laslo Djere lost to Maximilian Marterer 6-7(5), 2-6; Benjamin Bonzi bt Emil Ruusuvuori 6-1, 7-6(4); Sebastian Baez lost to Pedro Martinez 6-3, 1-6, 3-6; Marco Cecchinato lost to Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 4-6; Filip Krajinovic bt Michael Mmoh 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Tim van Rijthoven lost to Aslan Karatsev 6-7(7), 6-7(8)