Under the humid heat of the track of the Ariake complex, Pablo Carreño took out his endurance capacity. The Spaniard was facing Dominik Koepfer, that fighting German who wore Federer down during a Parisian night. The Asturian also had to face the 30 degrees, which were crushing. He passed both obstacles successfully. 7-6 (9) and 6-3. Straight to the Tokyo Games rooms.
Carreño hit Koepfer first with a break in the first set, 2-2 to 4-2 passed. But that’s what Koepfer is, fighter. And he regained the disadvantage almost automatically. The tie-break broke through. And it was also a tough tiebreaker. Carreño took it 9-7. A new factor came into play: heat. The man from Gijón would put ice packs on his face, anywhere. Everything to alleviate the suffocation.
The second set arrived and it is seen that there in Furtwagen, the land of Koepfer, it is not very hot either. Because the German stopped fighting from 3-3. Carreño advanced to 6-3. But it ended somewhat melted by the extreme weather in Tokyo: “If I’m telling the truth, I’m a wreck, it’s hard for me to think. Conditions are very tough and we knew it. It cost a lot, it is difficult to counteract this, but in the end I was able to get it out and I am already in the top eight ”.
Carreño will face an ‘ogre’ like Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, who knocked out Fognini (6-2, 3-6 and 6-2): “We will fight until the end. He will be the favorite, but it is clear that there may be surprises. I will analyze it with my coach and we will see ”.
It will not be the last match today for Carreño, who this afternoon will reach the mixed double with Paula Badosa. “It is all very fair. Paula has made a great effort, we will try to be at the top ”, said the Spaniard. They will play against Swiatek and Kubot.