Tsonga Opens Antwerp Campaign; Goffin In Action
Second seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who is bidding to capture his 16th ATP World Tour title this week, moved into his eighth quarter-final (or better) this year by beating fellow Frenchman and qualifier Kenny De Schepper 6-4, 6-3 in 88 minutes at the European Open. Tsonga, who is 30-13 on the season, will next face another compatriot, 35-year-old Julien Benneteau. Tsonga has already lifted silverware in 2017 at the ABM AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Goffin), the Open 13 in Marseille (d. Pouille) and the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Lyon in Lyon (d. Berdych).
Fourth seed and last year’s finalist Diego Schwartzman needed one hour and 41 minutes to beat #NextGenATP American Ernesto Escobedo 6-3, 7-6(5) for a place in the quarter-finals against fifth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer or Steve Darcis of Belgium. Escobedo is No. 11 in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan with 497 points, attempting to qualify for next month’s Next Gen ATP Finals.
#NextGenATP and Greek qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas booked a spot in his first ATP World Tour quarter-final on Thursday when leading Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6(4), 5-6. Karlovic retired after injuring his left ankle while serving. Tsitsipas will now challenge top-seeded Belgian and Nitto ATP Finals contender Goffin or NextGenATP American Frances Tiafoe, who is bidding to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals.