Two-time champion Robert Bautista Agut has become the latest high-profile victim to fall in the ASB Classic opening round at Auckland.
The 2016 and 2018 men's singles winner could not recapture that form this year, bowing out in straight sets, 6-4 6-3, to countryman Robert Carballes Baena on the second day of play.
A former world No.9 in 2019, Bautista Agut has seen his ranking plummet to 51st, still 16 spots above his rival on centrecourt.
Now 35, he faced 15 breakpoints throughout the encounter, staving off 10, but dropping serve five times. Bautista Agut joins fifth-seeded American Chris Eubanks and crowdpleasing veteran Gael Monfils - husband of women's runner-up Elina Svitolina - as early casualties.
Carballes Baena, 30, progresses to face Austrian seventh seed Sebatian Ofner, who was equally as clinical in dispatching Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 6-4 6-2.
Lone Kiwi Kiranpal Pannu will face Aussie eighth seed Max Purcell on centrecourt later Tuesday afternoon, while defending champion Richard Gasquet will begin his title defence against teenage French countryman Arthur Fils in the evening.
More to come
Two-time champion Robert Bautista Agut has become the latest high-profile victim to fall in the ASB Classic opening round at Auckland.
The 2016 and 2018 men's singles winner could not recapture that form this year, bowing out in straight sets, 6-4 6-3, to countryman Robert Carballes Baena on the second day of play.
A former world No.9 in 2019, Bautista Agut has seen his ranking plummet to 51st, still 16 spots above his rival on centrecourt.
Now 35, he faced 15 breakpoints throughout the encounter, staving off 10, but dropping serve five times. Bautista Agut joins fifth-seeded American Chris Eubanks and crowdpleasing veteran Gael Monfils - husband of women's runner-up Elina Svitolina - as early casualties.
Carballes Baena, 30, progresses to face Austrian seventh seed Sebatian Ofner, who was equally as clinical in dispatching Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 6-4 6-2.
Lone Kiwi Kiranpal Pannu will face Aussie eighth seed Max Purcell on centrecourt later Tuesday afternoon, while defending champion Richard Gasquet will begin his title defence against teenage French countryman Arthur Fils in the evening.
More to come
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
