Los Cabos [Mexico] August 3 : Third seed Tommy Paul put up a fine performance to close out gallant Brazilian Felipe Meligeni Alves to reach the quarterfinals of the Mifel Tennis Open on Wednesday.
Meligeni Alves, rallied from 0/40 in his final two service games of the second set, saving four match points the first time of asking and then another three to force a tie-break.
Paul was compelled to battle off four set points in the tie-break before sealing out a 7-5, 7-6(7) win in two hours and 12 minutes.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy as he played a great match on Monday and he played a really high level of tennis,” ATP.com quoted Paul as saying.
“I was sweating through my shoes so I was thinking that I really don’t want to lose this tie-break and change my shoes and do a full switch out. I was really trying to win that set," he added.
The 26-year-old American will next face the man he lost to in the Acapulco final earlier in the year, Australian Alex de Minaur.
“I think we’d rather play later in the tournament, but I’m up for it and I think it will be a really good match again,” Paul said.
Meanwhile, fifth-seeded De Minaur dropped just three games in a 6-2, 6-1 win over World No. 136 Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante.
The seventh seed, German Dominik Koepfer, relished a strong 6-2, 6-2 victory over Australian James Duckworth.
Top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas dropped just four points on his first serve en route to a 6-2, 6-4 victory over American veteran John Isner. The Greek even out-aced the all-time aces leader eight to seven.
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