POPRAD TATRY, June 18, 2015
On a sunny quarterfinals Thursday at the € 42,500 ATP Challenger event in Poprad Tatry two seeds advanced to the stage of the final four.
Hans Podlipnik-Castillo has reached his second career semi-finals on Challenger level. Last and only previous time the 27-year-old Chilean made it into the round of the final four was at the Cachantun Cup in Santago in April 2014. The world number 199, who knocked out Poprad’s top-seed Blaz Kavcic in the opening round, benefited from the retirement of Uladzimir Ignatik at 5-2 after 27 minutes due to left hip injury.
Hans Podlipnik-Castillo
Podlipnik will face Norbert Gombos next. Once again, the fifth-seeded Slovakian rallied back from a set down to defeat the only German in the draw Peter Torebko, winning 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Gombos capitalized on six of his 13 break point opportunities and benefited from 15 double faults of his opponent to seal victory in two and a half hours.
Peter Torebko
Norbert Gombos
“This was the hardest match so far,” said Gombos afterwards. “In the first set I was really defensive and I also made a lot of mistakes on my own. Second set was really difficult. During the frame, I had a huge crisis. Luckily I managed to turn around this match. In the third set I played more offensively and my opponent started to make a lot of mistakes, which helped me to win the match.”
Fourth seed Andre Ghem beat Antonio Veic, winning 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. The world number 139 from Brazil capitalized on five of his seven break points to reach the semi-finals after one hour and 56 minutes.
Antonio Veic
Andre Ghem
Adam Pavlasek emerged victorious from the all-Czech-affair beating qualifier Jan Satral 6-1, 4-6, 6-1. The 20-year-old Bilovec native won 71% of his first service points and capitalized on six of his 14 break points to gain his second victory over Satral in their second tour meeting in one hour and 31 minutes. Pavlasek advanced to his third semi-finals of the season, after he had reached the final stages at the ATP Challengers in Ostrava and Rome earlier this year.
Jan Satral
Adam Pavlasek
