Feb. 19 tennis roundup
Top-seeded Simona Halep advances at Dubai Championships
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Top-seeded Simona Halep's first match since losing to Garbine Muguruza in the Australian Open semifinals was a tough 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7) win over Ons Jabeur at the Dubai Championships on Wednesday.
Halep saved a match point in the two-hour match against Jabeur, who lost to eventual champion Sofia Kenin in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.
"It was like a football match or a Fed Cup match, I didn't really realize what was going on on court," said Halep. "Everyone was with a lot of energy so we had to give our best. I think it was a great match."
Halep will meet Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals after Sabalenka beat Elise Mertens 6-4, 6-3. Anett Kontaveit beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-6 (5), 7-5 and will play Petra Martic, who defeated Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-3.
Elena Rybakina beat Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-3 and plays Karolina Pliskova in the quarterfinals. Pliskova beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-1 6-2.
In the last quarterfinal match-up, Jennifer Brady will play Muguruza. Brady beat Marketa Vondrousova 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and Muguruza defeated Veronika Kudermetova 7-5 4-6 6-4.
Wednesday
At Aviation Club Tennis Centre
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Purse: $2,643,670
Surface: Hardcourt outdoor
Women's Singles
Round of 16
Karolina Pliskova (2), Czech Republic, def. Kristina Mladenovic, France, 6-1, 6-2.
Jennifer Brady, United States, def. Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Garbine Muguruza (9), Spain, def. Veronika Kudermetova, Russia, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.
Petra Martic (8), Croatia, def. Barbora Strycova, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-3.
Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan, def. Katerina Siniakova, Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-3.
Aryna Sabalenka (7), Belarus, def. Elise Mertens, Belgium, 6-4, 6-3.
Simona Halep (1), Romania, def. Ons Jabeur, Tunisia, 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7).
Anett Kontaveit, Estonia, def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia, 7-6 (5), 7-5.
Women's Doubles
Round of 16
Xu Yifan, China, and Nicole Melichar (3), United States, def. Zhaoxuan Yang, China, and Makoto Ninomiya, Japan, 1-6, 7-5, 10-7.
Alison Riske and Desirae Krawczyk, United States, def. Latisha Chan and Hao-Ching Chan (2), Taiwan, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7.
Zhang Shuai, China, and Gabriela Dabrowski (4), Canada, def. Karolina Muchova and Marketa Vondrousova, Czech Republic, walkover.
Hayley Carter, United States, and Luisa Stefani, Brazil, def. Kristyna Pliskova and Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-4.
Barbora Strycova, Czech Republic, and Hsieh Su-wei (1), Taiwan, def. Peng Shuai and Han Xinyun, China, 6-2, 6-2.
Zheng Saisai, China, and Barbora Krejcikova (5), Czech Republic, def. Sania Mirza, India, and Caroline Garcia, France, 6-4, 6-2.
Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok, Ukraine, def. Duan Ying-Ying, China, and Veronika Kudermetova (7), Russia, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 10-7.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sofia Kenin, United States, def. Kveta Peschke, Czech Republic, and Demi Schuurs (6), Netherlands, 0-6, 6-0, 10-1.
Third-seeded Christian Garin advances to Rio Open quarters
RIO DE JANEIRO — Third-seeded Christian Garin of Chile advanced to the Rio Open quarterfinals Wednesday, beating Argentina's Federico Delbonis 6-4, 6-3.
Garin will face Argentina's Federico Coria, a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 winner over Spain's Carlos Alcaraz Garcia.
Home favorite Thiago Monteiro dropped out with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 loss to Hungary's Attila Bálazs.
Bálazs will face Pedro Martínez Portero, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Spanish countryman Pablo Andujar.
Top-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria will play his round of 16 match Thursday against Spain's Jaume Munar.
Wednesday
At Jockey Club Brasileiro
Rio de Janeiro
Purse: $1,759,905
Surface: Red clay
Men's Singles
Round of 16
Cristian Garin (3), Chile, def. Federico Delbonis, Argentina, 6-4, 6-3.
Pedro Martinez, Spain, def. Pablo Andujar, Spain, 6-1, 6-4.
Attila Balazs, Hungary, def. Thiago Monteiro, Brazil, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Federico Coria, Argentina, def. Carlos Alcaraz Garfia, Spain, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Men's Doubles
Round of 16
Igor Zelenay, Slovakia, and Roman Jebavy, Czech Republic, def. Matwe Middelkoop, Netherlands, and Marcelo Demoliner, Brazil, 5-7, 6-3, 10-8.
Marcel Granollers, Spain, and Horacio Zeballos (3), Argentina, def. Albert Ramos-Vinolas, Spain, and Juan Ignacio Londero, Argentina, 6-3, 6-2.
Bruno Soares, Brazil, and Mate Pavic (4), Croatia, def. Andres Molteni, Argentina, and Lorenzo Sonego, Italy, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 11-9.
Thiago Monteiro and Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves, Brazil, def. Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, Belgium, 7-6 (6), 4-6, 10-3.
Nakashima youngest Delray quarterfinalist in 12 years.
DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Teenage wild card Brandon Nakashima beat qualifier Cameron Norrie 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday to become the youngest quarterfinalist at the Delray Beach Open in 12 years.
The 18-year-old Nakashima, from San Diego, is playing in his first tour-level tournament. With two wins this week, he's the youngest Delray Beach quarterfinalist since Kei Nishikori won the title in 2008.
“I was just hoping to play a good match in the first round,” Nakashima said. “After winning these two matches, I've gained a lot of confidence in my game, and hopefully I continue playing well. I always knew I had the game to compete with these high-level pros, and I just needed the opportunity.”
No. 4-seeded Reilly Opelka hit 17 aces and beat fellow American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-4.
Soonwoo Kwon edged wild card Ryan Harrison 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (0).
Wednesday
At Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center
Delray Beach, Fla.
Purse: $602,935
Surface: Hardcourt outdoor
Men's Singles
Round of 16
Kwon Soon Woo, South Korea, def. Ryan Harrison, United States, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (0).
Yoshihito Nishioka, Japan, def. Noah Rubin, United States, 6-1, 6-2.
Brandon Nakashima, United States, def. Cameron Norrie, Britain, 7-5, 6-2.
Reilly Opelka (4), United States, def. Mackenzie McDonald, United States, 6-3, 6-4.
Men's Doubles
Round of 16
Jonny O Mara, Britain, and Marcelo Arevalo-Gonzalez, El Salvador, def. Philipp Oswald, Austria, and Marcus Daniell (3), New Zealand, 6-4, 6-2.
Dennis Novikov and Christian Harrison, United States, def. Robert Lindstedt, Sweden, and Dominic Inglot, Britain, 6-4, 6-4.
Artem Sitak, New Zealand, and Divij Sharan, India, def. Andre Goransson, Sweden, and Ugo Humbert, France, 5-7, 6-4, 10-7.
Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (1), United States, def. Nick Kyrgios and Jordan Thompson, Australia, walkover.
Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul, United States, def. Ante Pavic, Croatia, and Miomir Kecmanovic, Serbia, 7-6 (5), 7-5.
ATP World Tour Open 13 Marseille
Wednesday
At Palais des Sports
Marseille, France
Purse: €691,880
Surface: Hardcourt indoor
Men's Singles
Round of 32
Egor Gerasimov, Belarus, def. Dennis Novak, Austria, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert, France, def. Mikhail Kukushkin, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Felix Auger-Aliassime (7), Canada, def. Stefano Travaglia, Italy, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6), 6-3.
Men's Singles
Round of 16
Vasek Pospisil, Canada, def. Hubert Hurkacz (8), Poland, 6-3, 6-4.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (2), Greece, def. Mikael Ymer, Sweden, 6-1, 6-3.
Alexander Bublik, Kazakhstan, vs. Benoit Paire (6), France, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Men's Doubles
Round of 16
Jurgen Melzer, Austria, and Edouard Roger-Vasselin (4), France, def. Gilles Simon, France, and Hubert Hurkacz, Poland, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Nicolas Mahut, France, and Vasek Pospisil, Canada, def. Harold Mayot and Arthur Cazaux, France, 7-5, 6-1.
Men's Doubles
Quarterfinals
Nikola Mektic, Croatia, and Wesley Koolhof (2), Netherlands, def. Jonathan Erlich, Israel, and Andrei Vasilevski, Belarus, 6-3, 7-5.
Frederik Nielsen, Denmark, and Tim Puetz, Germany, def. Rohan Bopanna, India, and Denis Shapovalov, Canada, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 10-8.