Jiri Lehecka pulls off upset at Dubai
MNP – Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic racked up 16 aces and rallied from an early deficit to pick up a 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Russian Karen Khachanov on Wednesday in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Lehecka also saved nine of 11 break points and collected 53 winners to pull off the day’s only upset. He trailed 4-2 in the third set but proceeded to win the final four games to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals, where he will face seventh seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.
Bublik was a 7-6 (8), 7-6 (2) winner over the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor on Wednesday.
No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia and countryman Andrey Rublev, the No. 2 seed, also made it through the second round. Medvedev fought back to oust Italian Lorenzo Sonego 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, while Rublev swept French qualifier Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 6-4.
In other action, No. 3 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, fifth-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert, eight-seeded Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and the United States’ Sebastian Korda all prevailed.
