Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Sebastian Korda 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 to reach the quarter final at the Barcelona Open.
Both players went on serve with no breaks of serve in the first set. Korda saved three set points in the 12thgame. The set was decided by a tie-break where Tsitsipas earned two mini-breaks to open up a 6-2 lead. Korda saved two set points to reduce the deficit to 4-6, but Tsitsipas sealed the tie-break 7-4 with his third mini-break.
Tsitsipas converted his second break point in the third game of the second set. The Greek player held serve at 30 in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead. Korda saved two break points to hold serve at deuce for 3-4. Tsitsipas served out the win on his first match point in the 10th game to reach the quarter final in Barcelona for the fifth consecutive year.
Tsitsipas won 85% of his second serve points to avenge his recent defeat against Korda in Miami last March.
Tsitsipas reached the Barcelona final four times, but he never won this title.
Tsitsipas set up a match against Arthur Fils, who cruised past Pedro Martinez 6-3 6-2. Fils saved the only break point he faced in the match. Fils converted his third break point in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. The Frenchman saved a break point in the seventh game to hold serve at deuce for 5-2. The world number 14 served out the first set with a hold at deuce in the ninth game. Fils broke twice in the first and fifth games and served out the win on his first match point.
World number 13 Holger Rune came back from one set down to beat Sebastian Baez 4-6 6-1 6-2.
Baez earned an early break in the first game and consolidated it with a hold for 2-0 lead. The Argentine player served out to seal the first set 6-4. Rune committed 15 unforced errors to 10 winners.
Rune converted his fourth break point in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead in the second set. Baez broke straight back in the third game to reduce his gap to 1-2. Rune broke twice in the fourth and sixth games to race out to a 5-1 lead. The Danish player served out the second set 6-1 at deuce after saving three break points. Rune raced out to a 3-0 lead with two breaks in the third set. Baez pulled one break back in the fourth game to reduce the gap to 2-3. Rune broke serve in the seventh game and converted his third match point in the eighth game to win the third set 6-2.
