It’s Complicated, But Paul Advances In Los Cabos

Third seed Tommy Paul needed eight match points to close out gallant Brazilian Felipe Meligeni Alves to reach the quarter-finals of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo in Los Cabos Wednesday.

Meligeni Alves, the nephew of former pro Fernando Meligeni, rallied from 0/40 in his final two service games of the second set, saving four match points the first time of asking and then another three to force a tie-break.

Paul was forced to fight off four set points in the tie-break before closing out a 7-5, 7-6(7) win in two hours and 12 minutes.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be easy as he played a great match on Monday and he played a really high level of tennis,” said Paul, an Australian Open semi-finalist this year. “I was sweating through my shoes so I was thinking that I really don’t want to lose this tie-break and change my shoes and do a full switch out. I was really trying to win that set.”

The 26-year-old American, who improved to 5-1 on Mexican soil this year, will next face the man he lost to in the Acapulco final earlier in the year, Australian Alex de Minaur.

“I think we’d rather play later in the tournament, but I’m up for it and I think it will be a really good match again,” Paul said.

Fifth seed De Minaur dropped just three games in a 6-2, 6-1 win over World No. 136 Argentine Thiago Agustin Tirante.

Seventh seed, German Dominik Koepfer, enjoyed a strong 6-2, 6-2 win over Australian James Duckworth.