Lajovic, Ruud advance to quarterfinals, Coric upset at Argentina Open

Third-seeded Dusan Lajovic was made to work on Wednesday at the 2020 Argentina Open, fighting past Spaniard Pedro Martinez to secure his spot in the quarterfinals.

Lajovic saved two set points in the first set tiebreak, coming back from 4-6 down to steal the set from his unseeded opponent. The Serbian faced three more set points in the second set when serving at 5-6, but was somehow able to hold on and extend it to a tiebreak.

After falling to a 1-5 deficit in the tiebreak, Lajovic yet again clawed his way back to win the match 7-6(6) 7-6(6) in two hours and 8 minutes. The World No.23 has had a relatively successful season, helping Serbia claim the inaugural ATP Cup in January.

Lajovic next faces eighth-seeded Casper Ruud, who defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1 6-0 in just under an hour. The Norwegian did not face a single break point but converted five break opportunities against his Spanish adversary.

Lucky loser Pedro Sousa defeated qualifier Jozef Kovalik 7-6(3) 7-6(5) to secure a place in his first ATP Tour-level quarterfinal. The Portuguese journeyman will meet Brazil's Thiago Monteiro, who upset fourth-seeded Croatian Borna Coric 6-4 7-6(6) in an hour and 45 minutes. Monteiro won 86% of his first serves and broke Coric twice, allowing him to notch the biggest win of his career.

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