Cressy Saves 2 M.P. To Upset Opelka In Melbourne
Qualifier Maxime Cressy saved two match points and held his nerve in the deciding-set tie-break on Thursday night against fellow American Reilly Opelka to reach the quarter-finals at the Melbourne Summer Set.
Cressy saved match points at 6/7 and 8/9 to overcome second seed Opelka 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(9) in two hours and 41 minutes. Opelka hit 29 aces to Cressy’s 17 aces. Cressy now faces Spain’s Jaume Munar, who required six match points to overcome Swiss lucky loser Henri Laaksonen 6-1, 7-5 in 83 minutes.
Argentine Facundo Bagnis, who beat former World No. 1 Andy Murray on Tuesday, came within a few service points of another upset when he led Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov by a set and 5-4. However, third seed Dimitrov bounced back for a 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over two hours and 53 minutes. He now plays Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, who knocked out eighth-seeded American Mackenzie McDonald 6-2, 7-5 in 80 minutes.
Slovakia’s Alex Molcan caused an upset when he saved six of seven break points to defeat fourth-seeded Belgian David Goffin 7-5, 6-3 in one hour and 40 minutes. Goffin was playing in his first tour-level match since 31 August 2021, when he fell in the US Open first round (l. to McDonald).
Molcan now plays Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori, who battled past Jordan Thompson of Australia 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 in two hours and 50 minutes. At one point, Ruusuvuori led by a set and 4-2.