Jarry Battles On Båstad Debut; Ymer Prevails

Fifth-seeded Chilean Nicolas Jarry got off to a winning start on his Swedish Open debut recovering from a 2-4 deficit in the first set in a hard-fought 7-6(1), 7-5 win over Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland in one hour and 44 minutes on Tuesday. Laaksonen came back from 1-3 down in the second set, which included five service breaks. Jarry, the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open finalist (l. to A. Zverev) in May, will now play Swedish wild card Mikael Ymer.

Elias Ymer, also a wild card recipient, prevailing against Thiago Monteiro 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 after two hours and 38 minutes, avenging his defeat to the Brazilian in last year’s Båstad opener. Both players capitalised on three of their nine break point chances, and Ymer finished the match with 99 points to 98 for Monteiro.  

The 23-year-old Ymer, currently No. 116 in the ATP Rankings, will next meet eighth seed Joao Sousa, who closed out Day 2 action with a 7-6(3), 6-4 win over Jozef Kovalik. Ymer also faced Sousa five years ago in Båstad, the only other time he reached the Round of 16 at his home ATP 250 tournament. Sousa won that meeting in straight sets en route to a runner-up finish (l. to Cuevas).

Sometimes tennis gives you a second chance ?@eliasymer #SwedishOpen pic.twitter.com/qmWNFT7h45

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 16, 2019

Albert Ramos-Vinolas set up a Båstad rematch with fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after defeating French qualifier Constant Lestienne 6-1, 7-5. Ramos-Vinolas and two-time finalist Verdasco have faced off three times here, with Ramos-Vinolas winning in the 2016 final and Verdasco claiming their meetings in the 2014 second round and 2017 quarter-finals. Verdasco leads the overall FedEx ATP Head2Head series 5-2. 

Damir Dzumhur, the right-hander from Bosnia and Herzegovina, overcame seventh seed Casper Ruud of Norway 6-4, 6-2 in 86 minutes and will next play Roberto Carballes Baena, who knocked out his fellow Spaniard and doubles partner this week, Jaume Munar, in three sets on Monday. Meanwhile, sixth seed Juan Ignacio Londero defeated qualifier Facundo Arguello 6-3, 6-2 in an all-Argentine encounter. 

France’s Jeremy Chardy recorded his 15th match win of the season by beating Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta, a former No. 10 in the ATP Rankings, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in two hours and 12 minutes. He now challenges top-seeded Chilean Cristian Garin.