MEXTENIS Stadiun vibrates on its first night
- Three matches were played on the opening night of the eighth edition of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo
Los Cabos, February 19, 2024.- Three singles matches were played at the Mextenis Stadium on the opening day of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo. The action started at 4:00 p.m. local time with the match between Daniel Evans and Roman Safiullin, followed by a close match between Max Purcell and Matteo Arnaldi, while Thanasi Kokkinakis closed Monday night against Jack Draper.
The all-star match went to three sets after the Australian managed to discomfort the young Draper and define the match in almost three hours 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4. Kokkinakis did not look like a favorite when facing the No. 53 ranked player, however his familiarity with the Los Cabos ATP 250, the schedule, weather and fan support served as factors in his victory over the Briton. The tie break of the second set ended up frustrating Draper, on the other hand Thanasi, who was a finalist in 2017, managed to break serve at a crucial moment of the third set and with service for the match did not miss the opportunity to clinch his ticket.
Previously, the 22 year old Italian took his duel against Purcell to a third set that ended in a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory for the Australian after two and a half hours of play. Arnaldi was a recent Davis Cup champion with Italy and is one of the promises of the circuit, however he ran into a solid night from the world No. 51 and said goodbye to Los Cabos prematurely.
“It was a very physical match but I gained confidence… The weather is cold, I would have liked to play during the day but obviously there would not be people, but no doubt many of us enjoy being here, it is very nice here in Mexico” said after his victory Max Purcell, who will meet his opponent in the second round this Tuesday between Dominik Koepfer and Nuno Borges.
For his part, Evans, currently ranked No. 42, celebrated effusively his victory over No. 38 Safiullin, whom he defeated 6-2, 6-4. The 33-year-old Briton has two ATP titles to his name and his best moment came in the summer of 2023 when he reached the No. 21 ranking. Now he will have to face Kokkinakis for a ticket to the third round.