Harris upsets top-seeded O’Connell

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Billy Harris from Great Britain upset top seed Christopher O’Connell from Australia yesterday in the singles main draw first round of the Bahrain Ministry of Interior Tennis Challenger 2024, part of the ATP Challenger Tour.

Harris, currently ranked a career-high 191st in the world, won after O’Connell retired heading into the second set. Harris had claimed the opening frame 7-6 (6) following a tight battle against the world number 67, and has moved on to the next stage.

There, he will play qualifier Gastao Elias of Portugal for a berth in the quarter-finals. Elias needed to go the maximum to oust Cem Ilkel of Turkey, also a qualifier, to make it through.

He came back from a first-set defeat to take the match 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (6) in a thrilling finish.

Aside from O’Connell, other seeds to fall on the first full day of singles main draw action at the Public Security Officers Club courts in Gudaibiya were third seed Vit Kopriva of the Czech Republic, seventh seed Lukas Klein of Slovakia, and eighth seed Elias Ymer of Sweden.

French qualifier Laurent Lokoli, ranked 322nd globally, stunned world number 115 Kopriva 6-1, 6-4 in their roundof-32 affair. Tough Marco Trungelliti of Argentina, 229th in the world, defeated 140th-ranked Klein in a tough three-setter 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; while 181st Alexander Ritschard from Switzerland was a 6-2, 6-4 victor against 158th-ranked Ymer.

Second seed Fabio Fognini (103rd) of Italy avoided an upset and advanced to round two, beating Bahraini wild card Yusuf Qaed 6-1, 6-1 in their match. Fourth-seeded Czech Jakub Mensik (129th) beat Georgian wild card Nikoloz Basilashvili (766th) 6-3, 6-4; while seventh seed Damir Dzumhur (160th) of Bosnia-Herzegovina ousted Alssandro Giannessi (234th) of Italy 6-3, 6-1.

Elsewhere yesterday, last year’s runner-up in Bahrain, Abdulla Shelbayh of Jordan, ranked 187th in the world, defeated Slovakian Jozef Kovalik 7-6 (4), 6-3. Others to triumph in their opening stage clashes last night were qualifier Adrian Andreev of Bulgaria, Italian qualifier Pe-ter Buldorini, Turkey’s Aziz Dougaz, Bosnia-Herzegovina contender Nerman Fatic, Kazakh alternate Mikhail Kukushkin, and Spaniard Daniel Rincon, who won a marathon match that lasted over two hours against Viktor Durasovic.

Action continues today at the same venue. All are welcome to attend, but must register for tickets, free of charge, online.