Mark Lajal Advances to Second Round at US Tennis Challenger
Estonia's top-ranked tennis player Mark Lajal won his first-round match at the ATP Challenger 125 tournament in Bloomfield Hills, USA, defeating American Darwin Blanch in three sets.
Estonia's leading tennis player Mark Lajal has started his campaign at the ATP Challenger 125 tournament in Bloomfield Hills, USA, with a victory. The world No. 150 faced American Darwin Blanch, ranked 225th, in the first round on the night of July 22 Eastern European Time. The match ended 6:4, 5:7, 6:4 after one hour and 56 minutes.
Lajal played a solid first set, securing the only break at 4-3 to take it 6-4. In the second set, the Estonian maintained control for most of the set but lost his serve late in the set, allowing his opponent to level the match. In the decisive third set, Lajal again took the lead with a break in the middle of the set and closed out the victory.
During the match, Lajal recorded five aces, won 88% of points on his first serve, and accumulated 93 points against 82 for his opponent. In the next round, aiming for a quarterfinal spot, Lajal will face Spaniard Pablo Llamas Ruiz, who is ranked 117th in the world. The tournament's prize money totals $177,000.
