Kitzbühel: Quentin Halys, Sebastian Baez and Mariano Navone all claimed impressive victories over seeded opponents to headline a day of upsets and set up intriguing quarter-final clashes at the Generali Open in Kitzbühel on Wednesday.
Frenchman Halys had one of his best performances of the season, defeating second seed Valentin Vacherot 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals. The 29-year-old is making his debut at this tournament. He saved the only break point he faced, marking his fifth career win against a Top-20 opponent. This win sends him to his fourth tour-level clay-court quarter-final and ninth overall.
"I think I played well. One of the best matches of my year. I was serving quite well, and maybe he did not play his best match," Halys said. "But still, I am happy with how I played from the first point to the last. I was really focused, made many balls, and made him play many high balls."
World No. 19 Vacherot was competing in just his second tournament after pulling out of Roland Garros in May due to a stress fracture in his foot. Halys has not lost a set so far in Kitzbühel and will next face Mariano Navone.
Navone defeated sixth seed Jan-Lennard Struff 6-0, 6-3, continuing his strong run on clay. The Argentine won his first ATP Tour title in Bucharest in April and has also not lost a set this week. Ranked No. 47 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Navone has achieved 18 tour-level wins this season, matching his record from both 2024 and 2025.
Former champion Sebastian Baez also advanced after winning against third seed Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-4 in a match that lasted two hours and 27 minutes. Six of Baez's seven ATP Tour titles have been on clay, including his victory in Kitzbühel in 2023. He will next compete against Germany's Yannick Hanfmann, who beat Marco Trungelliti 6-4, 7-6(2).
In other matches, fifth seed Ignacio Buse came back from a set down to defeat Swiss qualifier Kilian Feldbausch 2-6, 6-2, 6-2. Fourth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry also advanced, beating Austrian qualifier Jurij Rodionov 6-2, 7-6(4). Buse and Etcheverry will meet in the quarterfinals.
--IANS
