Portuguese number 1 player Nuno Borges beat number three seed Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 to reach the quarter final at the Millenium Open in Estoril.
Musetti earned the first break in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead with an inside-out forehand. Borges converted his third break-back point in the fifth game and held serve at 30 to draw level to 3-3. Both players went on serve until the 12th game when Musetti earned two set points at 5-6, but Borges saved them. Borges earned his first mini-break to take a 3-2 lead with a backhand passing shot. Musetti pulled back on serve for 3-4, but Borges earned his second mini-break to win the tie-break 7-4.
Borges won the first 12 points of the second set and broke serve in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Musetti dropped just two point on his service game Borges saved the only break point he faced at 4-2 and served out the win on his first match point.
Borges has reached his second quarter final this season after advancing to the last eight in Los Cabos and won his third match against a to 30 player. Earlier this year the Portuguese player reached the fourth round at the Australian Open and won the ATP Challenger Tour in Phoenix.
Defending champion Casper Ruud cruised past Botic Van de Zandschulp 6-1 6-2 after 75 minutes. Ruud earned two breaks in each set and saved both break points he faced. Ruud won his ninth title on clay in Estoril last year.
Ruud saved a break point in the first game before breaking twice in the second and fourth games to race out to a 5-0 lead. The Norwegian player served out the first set with a hold at 30. Ruud won four consecutive games from 2-2 in the second set with two breaks of serve to win the second set 6-2.
Marton Fucsovics came back from one set down to beat Gael Monfils 1-6 6-1 7-5. Monfils broke twice in the fourth and sixth games and served out the first set 6-1 at 30.
Fucsovics earned two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to win the second set 6-1 forcing the match to the third set.
Fucsovics broke in the third game to take a 2-1 lead in the third set. Monfils broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Fucsovics saved three match points to draw level to 3-3 before breaking serve in the 11th game to take a 6-5. The Hungarian player served out the win on his second match point.
Second seed Hubert Hurkacz beat British qualifier Jan Choinski 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in 1 hour and 49 minutes to claim his first clay-court win of the season.
Choinski broke serve in the fifth game and held his next two service games to take a 5-3 lead. Hurkacz converted his fifth break-back point in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Choinski went up a mini-break twice, but Hurkacz pulled back on serve both times. Hurkacz earned his third third mini-break to win the tie-break 7-5. The Polish player hit six aces and broke serve in the seventh game before sealing the win on his second match point.
“It was positive. I got the win in the end. It has been challenging playing the first match of the year on the clay court. You have to adjust to the movement and I did not have that much time to prepare for the tournament, it is difficult. It is a little bit frustrating as you know you are not doing the right stuff and you wish you felt more comfortable on the surface. You just have to deal with it and fight”, said Hurkacz.
Hurkacz set up a match against Spaniard Pablo Llamas Ruiz, who beat David Jorda Sanchis 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.
Richard Gasquet beat Dominic Thiem 6-4 7-6 (8-6). Gasquet saved two set points from 4-6 down to win the tie-break of the second set 8-6 on his second match point after 2 hours and 3 minutes to reach his first quarter final of the season.
Gasquet set up a quarter final match against either Pedro Martinez or Roberto Bautista Agut.
