Houston, April 4 (IANS) Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante had the standout result of the day, making a strong comeback to defeat top seed Ben Shelton at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.
After narrowly losing the first set 7-6 (5), Tirante regrouped and took control of the match, winning the next two sets 6-3, 6-4. The Argentine was perfect on serve, holding all 16 of his service games with a calm and efficient performance.
For Shelton, this defeat marks a tough stretch; he has not progressed beyond the round of 16 since winning the title against Taylor Fritz at the Dallas Open in February.
In other matches in Houston, Argentina’s Roman Andres Burruchaga beat third seed Learner Tien 7-5, 6-4, while Tommy Paul advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
In the match of the night, second seed Frances Tiafoe fought past Alexei Popyrin 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6) in a thrilling contest that lasted nearly three hours. Tiafoe will face Paul in an all-American semifinal, while Burruchaga takes on Tirante in an all-Argentine matchup.
In Marrakech, Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti upset third seed Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, overcoming eight double faults with six aces. Fellow Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli also won a three-set battle, defeating Luca van Assche 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Spain’s Rafael Jodar advanced after Alexandre Muller retired while trailing 6-2, 2-0. Luciano Darderi also advanced due to a walkover against Yannick Hanfmann.
Meanwhile, in Bucharest, play resumed after weather issues, completing a busy schedule on Friday.
Spain’s Daniel Merida Aguilar, France’s Titouan Droguet, Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, and Germany’s Daniel Altmaier were among the early winners.
Later, Botic van de Zandschulp, Mariano Navone, Merida Aguilar, and Marozsan secured their spots in the semifinals. Third seed Marozsan defeated Altmaier 6-2, 7-6 (5), while Merida Aguilar edged Droguet 4-6, 7-6 (7), 3-1 before the Frenchman retired.
–IANS
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