Roberto Carballés played one of the most brilliant matches of his career to knock down a top-15 player like Frenchman Gael Monfils and get into the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 in Belgrade, where he will face this Thursday (around 18:00) the Argentine Federico Delbonis, who is in a great moment of form. The player born in Tenerife 28 years ago and 98th in the world, won the 15th out of 34, by 6-1, 3-6 and 7-6 (4) in a great game of 2:35 with spectacular exchanges.
It is the second victory for the Spanish against a top-20, after the one he won against Denis Shapovalov in the first round of Roland Garros 2020 when the Canadian was 11th in the ranking. And it was not easy at all, because after a disappointing start, Monfils got in tune and made things very difficult for Carballés in a third set in which he had to overcome a disadvantage break and 4-1 against in the decisive tiebreaker. With a 6-0 run, Roberto claimed a prestigious victory.
Point of the ̶m̶a̶t̶c̶h̶?
Point of the ̶d̶a̶y̶?
Point of the 𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐊@Gael_Monfils 🙌🙌 @ Robertocarba93#BelgradeOpen pic.twitter.com/dXLzhGyPJZ– Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 26, 2021
“It has been a very hard game, very physical. He is a top, although it is true that he is not at his highest tennis level, but for me it is a great victory,” Carballés said., which won a Challenger in Belgrade last April. “I have played many times against Delbonis and I have always lost, so it will be difficult,” he warned of his next opponent.
Verdasco and Djokovic
The other Spaniard who is still in competition in the Serbian capital, will face the Slovak Alex Molcan from 12:00, just before the host, Novak Djokovic’s match against the Argentine Federico Coria.