NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (AP) — Defending champion John Millman battled through another tough match at the Astana Open on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-5 win over Jaume Munar of Spain.
The fifth-seeded Australian needed 3 hours and 10 minutes to defeat Munar a day after opening his title defense with a three-set victory over local qualifier Dmitry Popko.
“These long matches aren’t good in my old age,” the 32-year-old Millman joked after Wednesday’s match.
Millman will face either Filip Krajinovic or compatriot James Duckworth in the last eight of the hard-court tournament. Duckworth defeated local favorite Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6 (3), 6-1 in their first-round match.
Also Wednesday, the seventh-seeded Laslo Djere defeated Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-4 and Ilya Ivashka defeated local wild card Timofey Skatov 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals.
There were also first-round wins for Kwon Soon-woo, Emil Ruusuvuori and Carlos Taberner.
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