Carreño makes his grass debut with triumph; Baptist meets again

Grass is not a surface that Pablo Carreño is particularly good atThat is why it is important for him to start the season with a comfortable and convincing victory at the Mallorca Championships. The Asturian, who has not won a match in his five appearances at Wimbledon, He beat Czech Jiri Vesely 6-4 in 97 minutes and will meet Australian Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Despite spending 12 years as a professional, for one thing or another, Carreño has only played 11 games on grass and his balance is now 3-8. More focused on the hard court, the man from Gijón ended up playing many seasons after the gravel campaign and that is why he had little competition on the surface that was more difficult to master.

The fact is that this year Carreño is another, a player set, consolidated in the elite who is capable of easily defeating a rival with a positive record on grass (19-13). He did so by taking advantage of his good serve, thanks to which he only lost five points with first and eight with seconds, so that he barely gave Vesely a break option that he saved. “It was a very complete game and I think that to be the first, it is to be happy,” said Pablo, who appreciated the option to play “in such a tight grass season” the week before Wimbledon as positive. “It was important to be able to play to adapt and, in addition, playing at home always helps, with my family, which is a very important support,” he added.

Bautista wins again

Roberto Bautista, a player who has been successful on grass (He was a 2019 Wimbledon semi-finalist and 2014 Hertogenbosch champion), he was reunited with victory in his second match of the season on this surface, having lost last week in the first round in Halle against Sebastian Korda. The Castellón beat Italian Stefano Travaglia, whom he faced for the first time, by 6-3 and 7-5 in 86 minutes, and will face this Thursday in the quarterfinals the American Sam Querrey, who got off Roberto Carballés on Tuesday and did not have to play this Wednesday due to the resignation of his rival in the second round, the Frenchman Ugo Humbert. Bautista was as solid as usual and forceful with the service. “It is not easy to play for the first time in a place where you have never done it, so I am motivated,” explained the Spaniard., who accepted Mallorca's invitation to better prepare for next week's Grand Slam. “I have played a very serious game, playing aggressively and at times, very good tennis,” said Roberto, who analyzes that “flat shots and counterattack” are his “strengths on grass.”

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