One year ago this week, #NextGenATP Spaniard Jaume Munar made his breakthrough, claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Segovia, the same tournament at which a 17-year-old Rafael Nadal celebrated victory 14 years before that.
Now, Munar is 213 spots higher in the ATP Rankings at No. 88, and he is continuing to show he belongs on the ATP World Tour. The 21-year-old beat qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-1 on Monday at the Generali Open to earn his fourth tour-level victory. Prior to the season, he had just one.
Courtside and Beyond, Nadal Supports #NextGenATP Munar
Munar will attempt to reach his first ATP World Tour quarter-final when he faces fourth seed Robin Haase, the World No. 38. If he defeats the Dutch No. 1, it will be his best completed match win by ranking, after ousting No. 41 David Ferrer at Roland Garros earlier this year.
To get by Hanfmann, Munar saved all four break points he faced in the deciding set and won 54 per cent (14/26) of return points to advance after two hours, two minutes.
Eighth seed Dusan Lajovic moved through in much quicker fashion, dismissing Spanish veteran Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-2 in one hour, eight minutes. The Serbian will try to reach the last eight at a tour-level event for the fourth time this season when he faces Austrian wild card Dennis Novak, who beat compatriot Jurij Rodionov 6-4, 0-6, 6-1.
Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin held off a game effort from #NextGenATP Frenchman Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and qualifier Denis Istomin saved five of six break points en route to a 7-6(5), 6-2 win against Argentine Federico Delbonis. The Uzbek will next face second seed Philipp Kohlschreiber, a two-time winner in Kitzbuhel.
Jebavy/Molteni Cruise In Opener
In Monday’s only doubles match, Czech Roman Jebavy and Argentine Andres Molteni beat Dutchman Sander Arends and Croatian Antonio Sancic 6-2, 6-4 in exactly one hour. The pair will next play top seeds Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos or German Kevin Krawietz and Chilean Hans Podlipnik-Castillo.
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