Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan stopped the fine run of qualifier Hynek Barton of Czech Republic 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the pre-quarterfinals of the Delhi Open ATP Challenger tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex on Thursday.
Mochizuki, a former Wimbledon junior champion who had also made the semifinals of the Junior French Open in 2019 when he rose to be world No.1, turned the tide in his favour after the Czech had hardly put a foot wrong in the first set.
The fighting qualities and fluent game of the 21-year-old Japanese would be put to further test by another Czech, the top seed Vit Kopriva, in the quarterfinals.
Later in the day, Niki Poonacha, in partnership with Courtney Lock of Zimbabwe, did manage to see off the Japanese duo of Mochizuki and Kaito Uesugi in the doubles quarterfinals.
NIki and Lock, who won 10-5 in the super tie-break with their firebrand game of sizzling strokes and sharp volleys, will play third seeds Jay Clarke and Johannes Ingildsen in the semifinals.
Elias Ymer of Sweden sustained his strong game to set up a singles quarterfinal against second seed Billy Harris of Britain.
RESULTS
Singles (pre-quarterfinals): Vit Kopriva (Cze) bt Dalibor Svrcina (Cze) 6-4, 6-1; Shintaro Mochizuki (Jpn) bt Hynek Barton (Cze) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3; Elias Ymer (Swe) bt Egor Agafonov 6-3, 6-4; Billy Harris (GBR) bt James McCabe (aus) 7-6(2), 6-3.
Doubles (quarterfinals): Masamichi Imamura & Rio Noguchi (Jpn) bt Enzo Couacaud (Fra) & Kelsey Stevenson (Can) 6-1, 6-4; Hynek Barton & Vit Kopriva (cze) bt Kris Van Wyk (RSA) & Eric Vanshelboim (Ukr) 6-4, 6-1; Jay Clarke (GBR) & Johannes Ingildsen (Den) bt Kimmer Coppejans & Michael Geerts (Bel) 4-6, 6-2, [10-5]; Niki Poonacha & Courtney Lock (Zim) bt Shintaro Mochizuki & Kaito Uesugi (Jpn) 6-3, 2-6, [10-5].
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com