American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic upset No. 6 seed David Goffin of Belgium 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 to advance at the Open Occitanie on Wednesday in Montpellier, France.
Facing Goffin, who has been ranked as high as No. 7 and is now No. 56, Kovacevic saved four of six break points and was strong on his first serve, posting an 83 percent win rate (38 of 46). Kovacevic had five double faults but also racked up nine aces, one more than his opponent.
Kovacevic, a 26-year-old from New York, broke Goffin’s serve twice in winning the opening set, then at 3-3 in the decisive third set, he broke the 34-year-old Belgian again en route to reaching the Round of 16.
No. 1 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia was among the other winners, making quick work of American Christopher Eubanks 6-4, 6-3. No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada, No. 4 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan and No. 8 seed Bu Yunchaokete of China also won in straight sets.
Jesper De Jong of the Netherlands and Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia both advanced when their respective opponents retired.
–Field Level Media
