Bautista Agut, Carreno Busta lead home hopes in Mallorca as three Spaniards reach quarter-finals
“It’s nice to start the tournament playing a good match. I was very focussed and I really wanted to play here in Mallorca,” Bautista Agut said in an on-court interview. “I’m happy that I could pass this first match playing great tennis.
“It’s nice to play in Spain and it’s nice to play with a lot of crowd. Hopefully, I can play many more matches here because I really enjoyed tonight.”
Lopez brings up 500th career win, Dominic Thiem injured in Mallorca
Bautista Agut handled his opponent’s big serve, weathering 13 aces from Travaglia as he created six break opportunities. He converted once in each set to seal the victory in an hour and 26 minutes. The third seed will next face Sam Querrey, who received a walkover from Ugo Humbert after the Frenchman withdrew due to abdominal pain
Joining Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals is another Spaniard, fourth seed Pablo Carreno Busta. Along with Feliciano Lopez, who advanced with a milestone victory yesterday, there are now three Spanish players into the quarter-finals of the tournament’s inaugural edition.
Carreno Busta moved on with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Jiri Vesely earlier in the day. The fourth seed stayed calm as his opponent fired nine aces, and he broke serve twice en route to victory.
