Day 3 of the Adelaide International saw the completion of the second round with seven matches completing the quarterfinal lineup. Among the winners were second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and third seed Andrey Rublev, who remain on course for a semifinal showdown.
Auger-Aliassime, Rublev turn in solid performances to reach last eight
Auger-Aliassime, the highest seed left in the tournament after the withdrawl of top seed Alex de Minaur, defeated James Duckworth 6-3, 7-6 (0) to book his quarterfinal spot. Firing off 10 aces and landing in 86 percent of his first serves, the 19-year old was pleased with his performance. "I stayed calm", he said. I'm happy with the way I handled things in the second because it could have gone either way. In the tiebreak, I felt confident."
Rublev maintained his perfect start to 2020, winning his fifth straight match with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Sam Querrey. The Russian, champion in Doha, dropped just two points on his first serve (23/25) to win for the second time in three career meetings against the American. I didn't sleep all night because of jet lag", he commented after the match. I played a really good match and i'm happy to win against such a great player."
Carreno Busta, Harris among other winners
Also advancing was fourth seed Pablo Carreno Busta who routed Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-2 to advance and set up a meeting with Lloyd Harris. The South African qualifier, who upset sixth seed Cristian Garin in the first round, took down Laslo Djere 7-6 (5), 6-3. Albert Ramos Vinolas won an all-Spanish affair against Jaume Munar, who replaced de Minaur in the draw, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Seventh seed Jan-Lennard Struff was stunned by wild card Alex Bolt 6-3, 6-4. The 27-year old, ranked 157th, faces Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals. Finally, American Tommy Paul joined Harris as qualifiers to find their way into the last eight with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-2 victory over Pablo Cuevas in an hour to book a date with Ramos-Vinolas in the quarterfinals.