Premium
Romanian tennis players Nicholas David Ionel and Filip Cristian Jianu qualified, on Tuesday, for the round of 16 at the challenger tournament in Yokkaichi (Japan) - the Yokkaichi Challenger, with prizes worth 53,120 USD, told Agerpres.
Ionel (aged 20, ATP's 235th) surpassed Croatian Nino Serdarusic (aged 25, ATP's 231st) in the first round, with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (1), after one hour and 45 minutes.
Thus, the Romanian national got even after Serdarusic won last week in Kobe, with a score of 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2.
Nicholas David Ionel secured a cheque worth 860 USD and 7 ATP points, going to face off, in the round of 16, Japanese Shintaro Imai (aged 29, ATP's 485th).
Jianu (aged 21, ATP's 301st) won the match with South Korean Duckhee Lee (aged 24, ATP's 605th) after 12 minutes, the opponent having to quit the event because of an injury.
Filip Jianu will play in the round of 16 against Australian James Duckworth (aged 30, ATP's 172nd), the second seed. The two also met last year, in the qualification rounds at Eastbourne, where Duckworth won with a score of 6-4, 6-3.
In men's doubles, Nicholas David Ionel and Filip Cristian Jianu qualified for the quarterfinals after defeating the Japanese pair made up of Taisei Ichikawa/Koki Matsuda, with a score of 6-1, 7-6 (5). Victor Cornea also qualified for the quarters, alongside Australian Andrew Harris, 2nd seeds, after defeating Japanese Ryuki Tsutsumi/Asahi Yamanaka, with a score of 6-1, 6-1, in just 47 minutes.
The winning pairs secured a cheque worth 640 USD each and 16 ATP doubles points.
