De Schepper Takes French Battle In Umag

French qualifier Kenny De Schepper won 86 per cent of his first-serve points to upset his seventh-seeded countryman Benoit Paire 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Tuesday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.

The 30-year-old De Schepper will next play Italian Allessandro Giannessi, who beat Aussie wild card Marc Polmans 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4.

#NextGenATP Russian Andrey Rublev took advantage of his good fortune to beat Argentine Carlos Berlocq 6-2, 6-4. Rublev, No. 74 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, made the main draw as a lucky loser when sixth seed Borna Coric withdrew because of neck pain.

“I’m really happy that I won today because I know that to beat Carlos you have to play really aggressiave, you have to really give everything on court because he’s a really great player and he fights till the end, no matter what the score is,” Rublev said.

The 19-year-old Rublev will next meet Slovakia’s Andrej Martin, who beat Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin 6-3, 6-2.

Eighth seed Jiri Vesely erased the only break point he faced to beat Slovakian Norbert Gombos 6-4, 6-0. Birthday boy Aljaz Bedene, who turned 28, also advanced, knocking out two-time Umag champion Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and nine minutes.