Radu Albot showed his best game at crucial moments in the first round of the Singapore Tennis Open on Tuesday (23/2) local time.
The sixth seed had to play extra hard before knocking out Australian qualifier John Patrick Smith 6-2, 3-6, 6-1. The Moldovan national secured nine of the 11 break points he faced and converted five of the six break points he created to overthrow Patrick Smith in 89 minutes.
Thanks to the win, the Moldovan national has now won three of her last four matches and having streaked through to the third round of the Australian Open before losing to 24th seed Casper Ruud.
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After defeating Patrick Smith, Albot’s chances of winning the second ATP tournament title in his career are still wide open. Prior to that, he would face German national Yannick Hanfmann in the second round of the Singapore Tennis Open.
Hanfmann who was immediately knocked out of the first round of the Australian Open this season.
Secured all three break points he faced before destroying Patrick Smith’s compatriot James Duckworth 6-2, 6-4.
If Radu Albot manages to overcome Hanfmann, he will have a chance against the top seed, Adrian Mannarino in the quarter-finals of the Singapore Tennis Open. But before that, the French national, Mannarino, must beat Ernests Gulbis or Roberto Marcora in the second round.
Patrick Smith’s unlucky compatriot was Marc Polmans. Despite providing fierce resistance, Polmans failed to overthrow Japanese national, Yasutaka Uchiyama, who fired nine aces on his way to victory 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Japanese 28-year-old Uchiyama will next duel against eighth seed Soonwoo Kwon or US qualifier Thai Son Kwiatkowski for a place in the quarter-finals of the Singapore Tennis Open.
Turkish national Altug Celikbilek also managed to set foot in the second half thanks to a 6-0, 6-4 win over compatriot Uchiyama, Shintaro Mochizuki. Awaiting Celikbilek in the second half is the fourth seed Alexander Bublik.,
Second seed John Millman will kick off his campaign at the Singapore Tennis Open by taking on compatriot Matthew Ebden or Indian national Yuki Bhambri, while third seed Marin Cilic will take on Uchiyama’s compatriot Taro Daniel in the second round.
