GLASGOW, September 18, 2019
There are no British players left in the singles draw after Day 2 of the inaugural Murray Trophy held at the Scotstoun Leisure Centre in Glasgow. Lloyd Glasspool lost in the second round to Spanish teenager Nicola Kuhn in three sets on Tuesday afternoon.
The 25-year-old Birmingham native fired 11 aces and took the opening set but Kuhn managed to break Glasspool’s serve five times to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory in one hour and 53 minutes. The No. 7 seed of the €46,600 ATP Challenger hard-court event will next take on either 10th seed Mirza Basic from Bosnia and Herzegovina or Polish lucky loser Karol Drzewiecki.
Wild card entry Luke Johnson also fell in the second round. The 25-year-old from Leeds lost 7-6(3), 6-0 to sixth favourite Roberto Marcora from Italy. Marcora won 59 per cent of the total points played to advance in one hour and 15 minutes. The World No. 194 awaits the winner of the encounter between No. 12 seeded Australian John-Patrick Smith and Viktor Durasovic of Norway.
British qualifier Scott Duncan lost to Germany’s Johannes Haerteis in the first round 6-3, 6-3 and Glasgow’s local hero Aidan McHugh, who entered the main draw with a wild card, lost 7-6(10), 6-3 to Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.
Seeded players advance to third round
The tournament’s top seed was also in action, as Malek Jaziri opened his title bid with a 7-6(0), 6-3 second-round win over Julian Ocleppo from Italy. The World No. 111 from Tunisia saved all three break points he faced and capitalized on one of his own three chances to prevail after one hour and 22 minutes. Up next for Jaziri will be Alexandre Muller of France, who rallied past Maximilian Neuchrist from Austria 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Jurij Rodionov also had to go the distance to reach the third round. The No. 17 seeded Austrian overcame Geoffrey Blancaneaux of France 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 55 minutes. Rodionov will next face either No. 13 seeded Frenchman Mathias Bourgue or Lukas Klein of Slovakia.
“I managed to come back after being down 2-6, 0-3. Great feeling! I needed to fight hard, as my opponent served excellent, while I took longer to find my tennis. Tomorrow at least no singles match, so some time to catch a break”, Rodionov stated on facebook.
