Feliciano Lopez has turn out to be the oldest man to achieve an ATP Tour quarter-final in 28 years following a preventing victory over Australia’s Jordan Thompson on the Mallorca Championships in Spain.
Playing within the closing event of his profession, the 41-year-old Spaniard outlasted Thompson 7-6 (8-6) 1-6 6-3 in a match lasting two hours and 6 minutes.
It was Lopez’s second-straight win over an Australian, having seen off Max Purcell within the opening spherical of the grass-court occasion.
Not since US nice Jimmy Connors reached the final eight at Halle as a 42-year-old in 1995 has anybody older than Lopez progressed this far in an ATP Tour occasion.
Lopez’s subsequent opponent with be Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann, who defeated high seed and defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4 3-6 6-2.
“A lot of things have to work to beat a top-10 player,” mentioned Hanfmann after his win towards the Greek world No.5.
“I had a really good start. Maybe Stefanos was a little bit rusty in the conditions.
“With the wind and the grass it was not that simple, so possibly having a match already on the primary day was actually necessary.”
Christopher Eubanks received his all-American second-round encounter towards 2023 Australian Open quarter-finalist Ben Shelton 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-2), whereas fortunate loser Arthur Rinderknech downed fellow Frenchman Constant Lestienne 6-3 6-2.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
