Novak Djokovic survived a second-set scare to beat Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann 6-3 6-3, progressing to the Geneva Open quarter-finals.
After securing the first set 6-3, the Serbian found himself 3-0 down in the second set and staring firmly at a third set decider vs Hanfmann – who knocked out Andy Murray on Monday – at the ATP 250 event.
Djokovic quickly found form to break back, however, kicking on to secure the second set after lifting his playing level and reeling off six games in a row to book his place in the quarters.
It was far from straightforward for Djokovic, who needed 90 minutes to get past the German.
Djokovic was a surprise entry into the event following his shock early exit at the Italian Open earlier this month to Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, two days after being accidentally struck on the head by a bottle.
After the world No 1 underwent tests, he requested a wildcard into the tournament in Switzerland, starting his campaign with a win.
Britain’s Burrage to miss French Open injured and faces fight for Wimbledon
British No 3 Jodie Burrage will miss the French Open after she suffered more injury disappointment.
Burrage has endured an injury-hit 2024 and has not played since she had wrist surgery in March following an issue in San Diego weeks earlier.
The world No 111 had completed her recovery and was set to try and qualify for the main draw at Roland Garros but rolled her ankle on Tuesday and will miss the second major of the year.
British No 3 Jodie Burrage has pulled out of the French Open due to an ankle injury
A bigger concern for the 24-year-old is the prospect of being absent for Wimbledon, which starts on July 1.
“Yesterday I fell and rolled my ankle whilst playing points on the clay prepping for Roland Garros,” Burrage said on Instagram.
“With how it is right now I’ve had to withdraw from next week. I won’t know the extent of the damage till I get further scans in the next few days.
“After everything with my wrist and how well my recovery has gone, it’s hard to get my head around what’s happened. Praying for good news in the next few days.”
Burrage had started the new season strongly with a maiden main-draw appearance at the Australian Open but now faces a race against time to play in SW19.
WTA roundup: Top seeds advance in Strasbourg
Top seed Marketa Vondrousova dropped the first set but recovered to squash qualifier Magdalena Frech 5-7 6-1 6-0 at the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France on Wednesday.
Frech, from Poland, was striving for her first win ever over a Top-10 player, but the Czech prevailed in two hours, 13 minutes. Frech fell to 0-14 against competition in the Top 10.
Vondrousova advanced to the quarter-finals, where she will face Anhelina Kalinina, a winner in three sets over wild card Fiona Ferro of France.
Top seed Marketa Vondrousova was victorious in Strasbourg
Also moving to the quarters were No 2 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil, third-seeded Danielle Collins and No 4 seed Madison Keys, all winners in straight sets.
A pair of seeded players fell in their matches Wednesday. No 6 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia fell to Poland’s Magda Linette in three sets, and No 7 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, the defending champion, was ousted in three sets by France’s Clara Burel.
In Morocco, unseeded Peyton Stearns upset the sixth-seeded Xiyu Wang of China 6-3 6-1 in the second round in Rabat.
In the quarter-finals, Stearns will meet the No 4 seed, Lucia Bronzetti, who defeated fellow Italian Martina Trevisan 6-2 6-3.
Other winners were Mayar Sherif of Egypt, Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria and Laura Siegemund of Germany. Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia advanced in a walkover.
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