Top seed and defending champion, Maximilian Neuchrist is among players in quarter final action at the Dayak Tennis Championships in Abuja on Friday, while fourth seed, Tom Jomby, and Brazil’s Pedro Sorgi are the only other seeded players left in the draw.
Jomby opens play on Centre Court against 8th seed, Sorgi, with a semi-final spot on the line. Having both failed to go past the first round at the Tombim Open last week, both men have bounced back to move through the draw this week in fine fashion.
Jomby dropped only three games in his straight-sets dismissal of USA’s Jacob Gamble in the first round, and produced another solid display to beat India’s Kunal Anand 6-3, 6-4 in the second round. Sorgi, meanwhile, has dropped four games over two matches. His first round match against Michail Pervolarakis ended 6-1, 2-0, after the Greek retired injured. In the second round, he went past Joseph Imeh 6-2, 6-1.
Pedro Sorgi has dropped just four games en route to the QF.
It’s a first-time meeting between both players and it should be an entertaining one.
Defending champion, Maximilian Neuchrist, meets Ukraine’s Danylo Kalenichenko in a rematch of their second round encounter at this same event in 2018, a match Neuchrist won in straight sets. The top seed has performed impressively following his return from injury, beating Tuki Jacobs 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round and claiming a hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 victory over the dangerous Jaimee Floyd Angele in the second round on Thursday.
Now, he will be looking to get one over Kalenichenko again and stay on track for a successful title defence.
Kalenichenko, ranked 595 in the world, fell in the second round of the Tombim Open last week, but has gone one better this week at the Dayak Championships, beating Suraj Prabodh and Lagos Open champion, Jack Draper, both in straight sets. Can he now go on to get his revenge against Neuchrist and keep going?
Danylo Kalenichenko hasn’t dropped a set en route to the QF.
In other matches, Dan Added will target a second straight semifinal appearance in Abuja when he takes on Burundi’s Guy Orly Iradukunda, while Peter Kobelt of USA and Brazil’s Gilbert Soares Junior square off.
Friday’s Order of Play
Centre Court
Starting at 10:00
Joao Pedro Sorgi (BRA) [8] vs. Tom Jomby (FRA) [4]
Followed By
Maximilian Neuchrist (AUT) [1] vs. Danylo Kalenichenko (UKR)
After Rest, Not Before 13:00
Tom Jomby (FRA) / Peter Kobelt (USA) vs. Sadio Doumbia (FRA) / Fabien Reboul (FRA) [3]
Court 1
Starting at 10:00
Gilbert Soares Junior (BRA) vs. Peter Kobelt (USA)
Followed By
Guy Orly Iradukunda (BDI) vs. Dan Added (FRA)
After Rest, Not Before 14:00
Dan Added (FRA) / Michail Pervolarakis (GRE) [4]
vs. Benjamin Lock (ZIM) / John Lock (ZIM) [2]
