POZOBLANCO/STARNBERG, July 18, 2025
Top seed and defending champion Hugo Grenier continued his dominant run at Open Ciudad de Pozoblanco, defeating Australian Edward Winter 6-2, 6-4 in a controlled and efficient performance. The Frenchman needed just 1 hour and 38 minutes to book his place in the next round, relying on his trademark consistency and powerful baseline game.
Grenier came out firing, replicating the aggressive start he displayed in his opening match. His serve was unbreakable, and he quickly put pressure on Winter’s service games, securing an early break that set the tone for the first set. By the end of the opening eleven games, Grenier had struck 23 winners to Winter’s four, with significantly fewer unforced errors.
Although the momentum seemed to shift midway through the second set, with Winter raising his level and Grenier adopting a slightly more conservative approach, the Frenchman had already built a 3-1 lead and held firm. A tense eighth game saw Grenier fend off break points to protect his advantage before serving out the match with authority.
Blanch pushes Sun to the limit in three-set thriller
In one of the most entertaining matches of the day, sixth seed Fajing Sun of China was forced to dig deep to overcome 17-year-old American sensation Darwin Blanch in a grueling three-set battle, eventually prevailing 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 after two hours and 27 minutes.
Blanch, who came through qualifying to reach the round of 16, showed flashes of brilliance but was undone by inconsistency in the first set. Sun, playing steady and defensive tennis, capitalized on two early breaks to race to a 4-0 lead and take the opening set in just over 30 minutes.
Despite the rocky start, Blanch’s confidence grew in the latter stages of the first set, and he carried that energy into the second. Sun began to show signs of fatigue, and Blanch finally broke serve to go up 3-1 and later 4-2. However, a series of erratic service games let the Chinese player back into the set. A dramatic tiebreak ensued, with Blanch saving a match point at 5-6 before clinching the set 8-6 with a clutch mini-break on the final point.
The decider began chaotically, with five breaks of serve in the first six games. Sun ultimately regained control, establishing a 5-2 lead that proved decisive. Though Blanch fought hard to narrow the gap, the teenager couldn’t overcome Sun’s experience. The Chinese player converted his third match point to seal a hard-earned 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 win and a place in the quarterfinals.
In other second-round action, No. 8 seed Oliver Crawford from Great Britain outlasted Portuguese Gastao Elias 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) in two hours and 14 minutes and Aryan Shah of India emerged victorious from all-qualifier encounter, beating Briton Ryan Peniston 6-3, 6-2. The match lasted one hour and 30 minutes.
Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an
