Schwartzman Cruises In First Match As Top 10 Player
Diego Schwartzman had no problems in his first match as a Top 10 player, easing past Oscar Otte 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the bett1HULKS Championship.
“It’s not easy coming after a few very good weeks, but I like to play indoors,” Schwartzman said in his on-court interview. “I like to play on these kind of slow, indoor courts. I tried to prepare well last week in Mallorca and then I came here with many days to practise. I think I did everything to play a good match today.”
The World No. 9 is pursuing his first indoor title this week in Cologne, his first tournament since reaching his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Roland Garros. Schwartzman won 47 per cent of his return points and earned three service breaks in his one-hour, 20-minute victory.
“I think everything today was working very good,” Schwartzman said. “I had confidence on court and I felt really well.”
[WATCH LIVE 2]Schwartzman will next play 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals competitor Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The Argentine won their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting in straight sets at this year’s Australian Open.
“I warmed him up [earlier this week], I know him,” Schwartzman said. “He’s a really dangerous player. He plays really fast, he has many abilities on court and he’s young, so he has the confidence and he’s playing good tennis. It’s going to be really tough. I have to recover well, but I’m playing really good tennis, so tomorrow it’s going to be a very nice match to watch.”