Karlovic Saves Two MPs Against Robredo In Barcelona

If you’re looking for anyone to prove that age is just a number, look no further than 39-year-old Ivo Karlovic.

The Croatian saved two match points in a second-set tie-break to oust former World No. 5 Tommy Robredo 6-7(5), 7-6(8), 6-4 on Monday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, winning his first match at the event since his run to the 2006 quarter-finals (l. to Wawrinka). It is Karlovic’s first appearance in Barcelona since 2008.

The 6’11” right-hander has not let slip the momentum of an impressive run to the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship semi-finals two weeks ago. Karlovic extended his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against the 35-year-old Robredo to 4-0 thanks to a 29-ace performance. Karlovic next faces No. 8 seed Roberto Bautista Agut, whom he beat in three tie-break sets last year in Madrid in their only FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup.

Read — Karlovic: On The Line

And while the Croatian is the oldest player in the field, there was also a battle between the two youngest competitors in Barcelona. #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated fellow #NextGenATP player Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-1, the 19-year-old continuing his breakout season.

Prior to 2018, the 19-year-old had won four tour-level matches. With his win against the youngest player in the field, Moutet, the Greek now has seven triumphs this year alone.

Tsitsipas, who is at a career-best No. 63 in the ATP Rankings, broke the French qualifier five times to close out the victory in 87 minutes. It is the second tournament in a row that the Greek has ousted a fellow #NextGenATP competitor after beating Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the first round at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

The right-hander will look to continue his good form against No. 7 seed Diego Schwartzman, who won the first ATP World Tour 500-level event of the year at the Rio Open presented by Claro. The Argentine won the pair’s only previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting last year in Antwerp in straight sets.

In other action, 34-year-old Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who debuted in Barcelona 13 years ago, defeated World No. 42 Yuichi Sugita 7-6(5), 7-6(5), saving 11 of 14 break points he faced in the two-hour, 27-minute clash. Frenchman Benoit Paire ousted in-form Chilean Nicolas Jarry 7-6(4), 6-7(3), 6-4 to set up an encounter against No. 5 seed Pablo Carreno Busta, against whom Paire owns a 3-2 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead. Wild card Marcel Granollers thrilled the home crowd with a straightforward 6-2, 6-2 win against Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin.

Did You Know?
Ivo Karlovic became the oldest player to advance to an ATP World Tour semi-final since Jimmy Connors at 1993 San Francisco when he reached the final four in Houston.