European Open champion Kyle Edmund continued his recent run of form on Wednesday, beating Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 7-6(3) at the Erste Bank Open 500.
Eighth-seeded Edmund hit 11 aces and lost just five of his first-service points (40/45) to advance after 81 minutes. Schwartman was aiming to continue his own good play after reaching the semi-finals in Antwerp, but was unable to match his 2017 quarter-final showing in the Austrian capital.
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Now 20-11 on hard courts this season, Edmund will meet Fernando Verdasco for a place in the quarter-finals. Verdasco reached the second round on Tuesday, beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4. Edmund and Verdasco have never met at tour-level.
Mikhail Kukushkin clinched his first Top 10 victory in four years, battling past fellow Vienna debutant Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The 30-year-old Kukushkin, who claimed just his third Top 10 win in 36 attempts, won 73 per cent of service points and saved eight of nine break points.
Sixth seed and Rolex Shanghai Masters finalist Borna Coric will face second seed Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals after the Croatian fought past defending champion Lucas Pouille 4-6, 6-0, 6-4. Anderson advanced without hitting a ball because Austrian Jurgen Melzer, playing singles in a tournament for the final time, had to retire because of gastritis.
Marton Fucsovics also produced an upset win to reach the quarter-finals. The Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open defeated seventh seed Fabio Fognini 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, converting six of nine break points to advance after two hours and two minutes. Fucsovics will meet Kukushkin or Andrey Rublev for a semi-final spot.
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Karen Khachanov, winner of his third ATP World Tour crown at the VTB Kremlin Cup (d. Mannarino), overcame Austrian wild card Dennis Novak 6-3, 7-5 in 84 minutes for his 40th match win of the season (40-21).
France’s Gael Monfils, the 2008 runner-up, accounted for 2015 finalist Steve Johnson of the United States 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 44 minutes. Monfils dominated on serve to strike 18 aces and win 80 per cent of his first deliveries.
