By Adrianna Outlaw | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

 

Playing his first career ATP main-draw match indoors, Lorenzo Musetti converted five of nine break points defeating Aussie Marc Polmans 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Photo credit: Kazakhstan Tennis Federation/Astana Open Facebook

Lorenzo Musetti showed a high ceiling, while Egor Gerasimov brought the roof down on Benoit Paire at the Astana Open.

Playing his first career ATP main-draw match indoors, the 19-year-old Musetti converted five of nine break points defeating Aussie Marc Polmans 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 at the ATP 250-level event in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

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Three straight breaks opened the final set with Musetti scoring his second straight break for 2-1.

The 57th-ranked Italian won eight of the last 10 points played on his serve sealing a two hour, 19-minute victory. Former junior world No. 1 Musetti improved to 18-14 on the season and will face Laslo Djere for a quarterfinal spot.

The seventh-seeded Djere defeated Spaniard Daniel Elahi Galan 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.



Gerasimov won 21 of 26 points played on Benoit Paire's second serve stopping the sixth-seeded Frenchman 7-5, 6-4.

No. 8-seeded Ilya Ivashka saved seven of nine break points sweeping Swedish qualifier Elias Ymer 6-2, 6-4. Ivashka will play 280th-ranked Kazakhstan wild card Timofey Skatov for a place in the last eight.

Fifth-seeded Aussie John Millman rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Kazakh qualifier Dmmitry Popko

Reigning champion Millman plays Jaume Munar next.