Top-seed Ben Shelton fell to fellow American Learner Tien 6-4, 7-6 (2) on Wednesday as the 19-year-old Tien advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mallorca Championships in Spain.
Tien, ranked No. 67 in the world, had 16 fewer unforced errors (38-22) than No. 10 Shelton, who led 4-1 in the second set before losing the match in one hour, 40 minutes.
Tien will face France’s Corentin Moutet, who upset eighth-seeded Daniel Altmaier of Germany 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) to reach his first quarterfinal of the season. Third-seeded Alex Michelsen knocked off his countryman, American qualifier Brandon Holt, 6-4, 6-4. Seventh-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain ousted Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-3 in the second round.
Eastbourne Open
Great Britain’s Daniel Evans took advantage of second-seeded Tommy Paul’s 42 unforced errors for the 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 upset in England.
Paul had more winners (31-17) and saved 10 of 14 break points while converting three of five opportunities.
Top-seeded American Taylor Fritz had his match with Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca extended to Thursday after their second-round battle was suspended due to darkness. Fritz won the first set 6-3 in 26 minutes, then Fonseca, 18, rallied to take the second set 7-6 (5).
In other second-round matches, third-seeded Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, fourth-seeded Ugo Humbert of France, Americans Marcos Giron and Jenson Brooksby and Great Britain’s Billy Harris all won in straight sets. Giron’s victory came at the expense of eighth-seeded Nuno Borges of Portugal. Sixth-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain dropped the first set before knocking out Australian qualifier James Duckworth 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4.
–Field Level Media
