Quito’s High Altitude Treats Karlovic Well

Croatian Ivo Karlovic will turn 39 later this month, but the big right-hander still remains one of the very best servers on the ATP World Tour. The 6’11” Karlovic used his best weapon to much success again on Wednesday, not facing a break point during his 6-4, 6-7(6), 7-6(4) win against American Ernesto Escobedo at the Ecuador Open.

The seventh-seeded Karlovic struck 24 aces and won 95 per cent (53/56) of his first-serve points to move into the second round in Quito. Karlovic will next meet #NextGenATP Frenchman Corentin Moutet.

“It was a really difficult match as you can see, with the result. With the altitude it is always difficult because the ball bounces higher… so there is not a lot of control of the ball… but all in all I am happy with the win,” Karlovic said of playing in Quito, “The City In The Sky”, which has an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,800 metres) above sea level.

Chile’s Nicolas Jarry also needed three sets to advance past Argentine Facundo Bagnis 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-6(5). In a battle of former college teammates at the University of Southern California, Ecuador’s No. 1 Roberto Quiroz defeated Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 7-6(5), 6-3.

In other action, Italy’s Alessandro Giannessi converted both break points to beat Peter Polansky of Canada 6-3, 6-4, and Austria’s Gerald Melzer made quick work of Marco Cecchinato of Italy 6-4, 6-2.