Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic started their title quest at the UniCredit Firenze Open in Florence with victory on Wednesday when they moved past Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler 6-4, 6-2.

In a strong serving display, the second seeds saved the one break point they faced and won 97 per cent (30/31) of points behind their first deliveries to advance after 63 minutes. The Croatians have now won their past five matches after they clinched their fifth tour-level title of the season last week in Astana. Mektic and Pavic will play Lorenzo Sonego and Andrea Vavassori in the quarter-finals.

Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul also advanced at the ATP 250 event in Italy, edging fourth seeds Matthew Ebden and John Peers 6-3, 2-6, 10-8.

Gille/Martin Upset Top Seeds Granollers/Zeballos In Gijon
Sander Gille and Fabrice Martin upset top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6(5), 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at Gijon Open.

In a hard-fought clash, the Belgian-French tandem raised their level at the end of both sets to earn victory after 90 minutes. Gille and Martin will next meet Sander Arends and David Pel after the Dutch team defeated Diego Hidalgo and Cristian Rodriguez 6-1, 6-2.

Third seeds Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Martin Landaluce 6-3, 6-3, while Nikola Cacic and Hugo Nys saved three match points to edge Raven Klaasen and Marcelo Melo 6-2, 6-7(9), 16-14 in one hour and 55 minutes.

Roberto Carballes Baena defied the powerful game of Matteo Berrettini to earn a shock first-round win Wednesday at the UniCredit Firenze Open, where the Spaniard rallied to a 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-5 victory.

The World No. 80 showcased incredible defence to frustrate the second seed throughout the pair’s three-hour, 19-minute clash, holding firm even when trailing by a break of serve in both the second and third sets. Carballes Baena converted all five break points he earned and reeled off five games in a row from 2-5 in the third set to silence a vocal home crowd in Florence.

“I’m very happy, it’s a very good win for me, the best of my career,” said Carballes Baena after clinching his third Top 20 triumph. “I just tried to win every point, to be focused every point, and tried to return the serve, because he served very well. I’m very happy because I am in the next round.”

A magic pass 🪄@Robertocarba93 #FirenzeOpen pic.twitter.com/8eyJ1paUfN

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 12, 2022

Berrettini had led 7-5, 2-0 before Carballes Baena rallied in impressive fashion to force a second-set tie-break and level the match. The Italian appeared to have finally cracked the Carballes Baena code after breaking in the sixth game of the decider, but the Spaniard’s late charge proved decisive.

“I tried to be aggressive with the second serve,” said Carballes Baena. “I tried to go to the net. I tried to be solid. I tried to play a great match, and I think I did.”

With the win, Carballes Baena advanced to his 15th ATP Tour quarter-final, but his first on a surface other than clay. He will meet Mikael Ymer in the quarter-finals in Florence after the Swedish qualifier downed fifth seed Aslan Karatsev 6-1, 6-7(6), 6-1.

Also on Wednesday, a dialled-in J.J. Wolf reached his second ATP Tour quarter-final by blunting the big-serving game of Maxime Cressy in a 6-3, 6-4 victory. Wolf showcased his volleying ability throughout the pair’s first tour-level meeting, winning 81 per cent (17/21) of points at the net en route to an 81-minute win. He will next meet seventh seed Alexander Bublik or Corentin Moutet.

In the sole remaining first-round match in Florence, Mackenzie McDonald delivered a confident third-set performance to complete a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 upset of sixth seed Jenson Brooksby. It was McDonald’s first victory in three meetings between the pair this season, and the World No. 79 now faces a second-round clash against #NextGenATP Italian Francesco Passaro.

Dominic Thiem was made to work hard on Wednesday at the Gijon Open, but he found a way to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP 250 event in Spain.

In a hard-fought clash, the Austrian battled past American Marcos Giron 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 to advance to his fourth tour-level quarter-final of the season after two hours and 27 minutes.

“It was a very intense match,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “Long, long rallies and lots of running. It was so close throughout the whole match until the third set. At the end of the second set, anything could have happened. I had to save a break point at 4-4 in the second set, if he makes it he is probably going to be the winner.

“It was so close the match, but luckily I was able to win that second set and then running away at the beginning of the third. I am really happy. It was so close, so intense. A great night.”

After a slow start, Thiem opened his shoulders to overpower Giron. He recovered from squandering a break advantage in the second set, eventually forcing a decider when Giron struck a double fault on set point. The 29-year-old then raced through the third set to improve to 13-13 in tour-level matches in 2022.

Thiem, who downed Joao Sousa 6-2, 6-0 in his first-round match in Gijon, will next meet fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo or French qualifier Manuel Guinard.

In other action, fifth seed Tommy Paul moved past Spanish qualifier Nicolas Alvarez Varona 6-3, 7-6(3) in one hour and 53 minutes. The American, who is playing in his first tour-level event since the US Open, will next meet top seed Andrey Rublev or Ilya Ivashka.

Sebastian Korda ensured the United States tasted more success at the ATP 250 event on Wednesday when he defeated Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-1. The 22-year-old did not face a break point on serve, advancing to his fifth tour-level quarter-final of the season after one hour and 31 minutes. Korda will next face third-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.

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Second seed Pablo Carreno Busta made a strong start in Gijon, sweeping past Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 7-6(3) to earn his first match win since the US Open in September. The Spaniard, who captured his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown in Montreal in August, will next play Arthur Rinderknech after the Frenchman downed countryman Constant Lestienne 6-4, 6-2.

Argentine Pedro Cachin also advanced, edging qualifier Alexey Vatutin 7-6(2), 6-0. He will next take on former World No. 1 Andy Murray.

After Sam Querrey brought his 16-year career on the ATP Tour to a close at the US Open in August, the American had quite the list of achievements to look back on.

A 10-time tour-level titlist, Querrey was renowned as one of the biggest and most destructive servers on Tour. The Californian backed up his prime weapon with clinical volleying and a high-powered ground game that carried him to a career-high No. 11 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in 2018.

Now an ambassador for Top Court, Querrey reveals the secrets behind his dominant one-two punch on serve, emphasising how big serving is made more effective by staying alert to handle your opponent’s return. He also discusses how his approach to tennis and training developed from his time as a junior and reveals some light-hearted off-court stories involving former World No. 1 Andy Roddick.

Technique: Querrey’s dominant serving was all about routine, and the American delves into the technical aspects he focused on during his service motion. The first delivery can’t always work out, of course, so Querrey also walks you through the skills needed to add a kick to your second serve, forcing your opponent into an immediate readjustment on return.

Drills: A big server needs the skills to back up their delivery, and Querrey showcases two drills to help fans develop this crucial aspect of their game. His ‘Short High Forehand Finish’ and ‘20/20 Volley’ drills help develop consistency when dealing with returns, enabling you to move forward with confidence behind your serve.

Follow Querrey’s Tutorials at TopCourt.com.