Almaty: Justin Engel, remarkable run at the Almaty Open came to an end as he fell to fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(3) in a tightly contested 90-minute Round of 16 clash on Wednesday.
The 17-year-old German wild card, made history on Monday by becoming the first player born in 2007 or later to win an ATP Tour match.
Engel, who impressed in his tour-level debut by defeating Coleman Wong, gave Cerundolo a tough battle. Despite being a set down and broken early in the second, Engel fought back to force a tie-break, showcasing his talent with 15 winners throughout the match. But Cerundolo’s consistency—committing nine fewer unforced errors—ultimately helped him advance to the quarter-finals.
For Engel, who balanced tennis and kickboxing until age 12 and idolises Rafael Nadal, this tournament was another step in a breakthrough year. Ranked No. 458, the teenager won his first ITF title in May and has captured three more since.
In other first-round action, Australian Aleksandar Vukic secured a straight-sets win over compatriot James Duckworth 6-4, 7-5. Vukic will now face eighth seed Adrian Mannarino in the second round. IANS
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