Estoril Open News and Events

Olivier Marach

© JLS

World No. 166 Oliver Marach was the highest-ranked player to reach the qualifying round of the Estoril Open on Sunday.

Marach struck six aces and converted seven of 11 break point opportunities in beating the unranked Portuguese wild card Miguel Almeida 6-2, 6-3 in 69 minutes. Almeida won just six points on first serve.

The 27-year-old Marach will attempt to book his place in an ATP main draw for the first time since Lyon in October 2007. He has enjoyed doubles success on the ATP circuit this year at Acapulco, with Michal Mertinak (l. to Calleri-Horna).

Marach will now play seventh-seeded Italian Simone Vagnozzi, who defeated compatriot Enrico Burzi 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in two hours and 30 minutes.

Another Italian, 21-year-old Gianluca Naso recovered from a slow start to beat fourth seed Alexander Peya of Austria 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 48 minutes.

The World No. 317 now faces eighth-seeded Croatian Ivan Dodig, who swept past Jose-Manuel Garcia-Rodriguez 6-2, 6-3 into the qualifying round. Dodig made his ATP-level singles debut at Marseille in February (l. to Djokovic in first round).

Portugal are guaranteed one more player in the ATP main draw after João Sousa and Pedro Sousa – not related – won second round matches in qualifying.

The 19-year-old Joao Sousa, currently No. 742 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, edged past Czech Adam Vejmelka 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3 and World No. 1309 Pedro Sousa saved match points in the third set tie-break to beat Spaniard Jose Antonio Sanchezde Luna 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) in two hours and five minutes.

Elsewhere, Croatian Lovro Zovko defeated Juan-Pablo Yunis 6-4, 7-5 to set up a meeting with fifth-seeded Russian Alexandre Kudryavtsev, who was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over Hugo Anao of Portugal.

In the women's competition, four seeded players advanced to the qualification round including No. 1 Carla Suarez Navarro, No. 2 Eva Hrdinova, No. 5 Oxana Lyubtsova and No. 7 Mariana Duque Marino.