It didn’t take lengthy for historical past to be made on the 2023 Cordoba Open.
Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles gained the longest match in match historical past on Monday when he defeated countryman Roberto Carballes Baena 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-5 in three hours and 26 minutes to succeed in the second spherical. The previous-longest match got here in 2020, when Albert Ramos-Vinolas outlasted Pablo Andujar in three hours and 20 minutes.
“It has been a battle. The situations on clay are all the time with a whole lot of rallies and lengthy matches, particularly with two Spanish gamers. And I prefer to play these sort of matches… though not so lengthy,” Zapata Miralles mentioned, cracking fun. “It is the primary match I’ve gained this 12 months, however within the first match on clay. So for now the aim is to maintain enhancing and to have the ability to advance within the tournaments and to make the most of this clay swing, which is essential for me.”
Zapata Miralles transformed 5 of the 11 break factors he earned within the first ATP Tour principal draw match contested on clay this 12 months. The eighth seed will subsequent face Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan or Chilean Tomas Barrios Vera.
Dusan Lajovic, who made an ATP Masters 1000 last on clay 4 years in the past in Monte Carlo, clawed previous Peru’s Juan Pablo Varillas 7-6(3), 6-3 in two hours and three minutes. The Serbian was clutch beneath strain, saving eight of the ten break factors he confronted to advance to a conflict towards defending champion Ramos-Vinolas.
Argentine wild card Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the 2021 Cordoba champion, led Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-4, 1-0 when the four-time ATP Tour titlist retired. Cerundolo will attempt to upset prime seed Diego Schwartzman for a spot within the quarter-finals.
