Kecmanovic Cruises Through Naples Opener
Entering this week at a career high of No. 30 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Miomir Kecmanovic lived up to his lofty ranking with a dominant start at the Tennis Napoli Cup on Tuesday.
The fifth seed dominated Italian wild card Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-2 as he continued his strong hard-court form this season. Kecmanovic claimed victory in just under an hour, breaking on four of his five chances while not facing a break point on his own serve. He has earned a personal-best 35 wins on the year, including two semi-final runs.
Seeking a second straight ATP Tour quarter-final after he saved six match points to defeat Daniel Evans and reach that stage in Tokyo, Kecmanovic will next face the winner of the first-round matchup between #NextGenATP Italian Luca Nardi and France's Corentin Moutet.
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The two other seeded players in action on Tuesday were both dismissed. Portugal's Nuno Borges downed seventh seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-5, 7-6(5), while Argentina's Pedro Cachin was a 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 winner against eighth seed Adrian Mannarino.
Borges will face Daniel Elahi Galan in the second round following the Colombian's 6-4, 6-4 win against Bernabe Zapata Miralles. With a win, Borges would reach his first tour-level quarter-final and move inside the Top 90 for the first time.
Cachin, who began the week at a career-high of World No. 57, has moved up another three places this week to No. 54 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. The 27-year-old could break into the Top 40 by winning his first ATP Tour title this week.
Also advancing on Tuesday was Japan's Taro Daniel, who claimed a 6-3, 6-3 win against Pedro Martinez.