Ymer Clutch Under Pressure To Advance In Kitzbühel
Next Gen ATP Finals alumnus Mikael Ymer is fresh off a quarter-final showing in Gstaad. Could the Swedish star go even further this week in Kitzbühel?
The 22-year-old battled past Uruguayan veteran Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 7-5 after one hour and 35 minutes on Monday to reach the second round of the Generali Open.
“I try to take one day at a time and just focus on what I’m working on. Today, it went very well and I was able to commit to what I was trying to do, even though it was tough in some parts of the match,” Ymer said in his on-court interview. “That’s the most positive [part] of the day and that I managed to win in the end is also a big bonus.”
[WATCH LIVE 2]Ymer saved five of the six break points he faced against his 35-year-old opponent. Next up will be #NextGenATP Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who won his first ATP Tour title on Sunday in Umag, or wild card Alexander Erler of Austria.
In other action, Spaniard Pedro Martinez clawed past former Top 10 stalwart Lucas Pouille 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4 after two hours and 43 minutes to set a second-round clash against his countryman, second seed Roberto Bautista Agut.
Czech lefty Jiri Vesely and Slovakian qualifier Jozef Kovalik will play in the second round after winning their openers Monday. Vesely ousted 2014 Roland Garros semi-finalist Ernests Gulbis 6-4, 6-1 and Kovalik upset ninth seed Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-4.
Lucky loser Carlos Taberner beat #NextGenATP Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and he will next challenge third seed Filip Krajinovic.