Estoril Open News and Events

Gastao Elias

© JLS

Six of the top eight men's seeds successfully booked their places in the second round of the qualifying competition for the 20th edition of the Estoril Open at the Estadio Nacional on Saturday.

Leading the way was Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas, who has a 3-2 record in qualifying competitions for ATP World Tour tournaments this year, defeated Laurent Rochette of France 6-1, 6-4 in 77 minutes to set up a final qualifying match against Portuguese Rodrigo Carvalho. Cuevas battled through Vina del Mar qualifying and made a semi-final exit (l. to Gonzalez) at the ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournament.

Second seed Mikhail Kukushkin, currently No. 164 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings, advanced past Frantisek Cermak of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 35 minutes. Kukushkin, who has reached the second round in Barcelona (l. to Ferrer) and ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Tursunov) this year, goes on to meet Italian Andrea Arnaboldi, who cruised past Jose-Ricardo Nunes of Portugal 6-2, 6-1 in 70 minutes.

Estoril Open Photo Gallery - Saturday Qualifying

Third-seeded Brazilian Ricardo Hocevar converted six of 12 break point opportunities to upset another Portuguese hope, 20-year-old Pedro Sousa, 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(2) in a marathon encounter over three hours and five minutes. Hocevar must overcome another Portuguese player in order to qualify. He will meet Vasco Pascoal, a 7-6(5), 6-1 victor over Andre Caiado in a shade over two hours.

Fourth seed Ryan Sweeting, a 21-year-old American who has a 0-2 tour-level record on clay courts, made light work of Jose Pedro Silva with a 6-0, 6-2 win in 57 minutes. The Florida resident next challenges 20-year-old Portuguese Joao Sousa, who saved five of six break points to defeat compatriot Goncalo Pereira 6-3, 7-5 in 86 minutes.

Brazilian Ricardo Mello, the No. 5 seed, beat Julien Jeanpierre of France 6-2, 7-5, while sixth-seeded American Michael Yani stormed past Vasco Mensurado of Portugal 6-2, 6-2 in 57 minutes. 

Two seeded casualties were seventh seed Dusan Vemic of Serbia, a 6-4, 7-6 loser against Portugal’s Leonardo Tavares, and eighth seed Jonathan Eysseric of France, who retired when trailing Gastao Elias (pictured) of Portugal 3-6, 0-3 after 68 minutes of play.

In the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour qualifying tournament, World No. 67 and top seed Anastasiya Yakimova stormed past Lithuanian Lina Stanciute 6-1, 6-1 for a place in the qualifying round against Eva Fernandez-Brugues of Spain.

Portugal's Michelle Larcherde Brito earned a late-night win over Rika Fujiwara of Japan. Scheduled last match on Court Central, the main show court that does not have floodlights, darkness set-in with second seed Larcherde Brito leading by one set and 4-2. The pair had to wait until Japan's Yurika Sema beat Tiantian Sun of China 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4 on the Estadio Nacional's only floodlit court, before Larcherde Brito wrapped up the two games she needed for victory in 76 minutes at 9:28 p.m. local time.

Other women's seeds to advanced were Chanelle Scheepers, Ekaterina Ivanova, Vitalia Diatchenko, Elena Bovina and Ekaterina Dzehalevich.