Hubert Hurkac, the No. 5 seed, needed three sets and a slow start to overcome American Martin Damm 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The 46th-ranked Pole dropped the opening set before turning the match around, and the win doubles as payback; Dam beat him at Montpellier in February. Hurkach had earlier faced Kazakhstan’s Aleksandr Shevchenko 6-3, 7-6 (10), while Damm, ranked 104th, had beaten Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki 6-1, 6-4 in the previous round.
The other half of the draw brought the quarter-finals, no one would have written in advance. French qualifier Alexander Muller, ranked No. 137, defeated Italy’s lucky loser Federico Sina 7-6 (3), 6-1 on Saturday night, having lost just four games against Moise Kouame 6-4, 6-0 in the previous round. Sina, ranked 168th, beat Argentina’s Camilo Hugo Carabelli 6-3, 6-2 to reach the round of 16.
Muller’s reward is Alejandro Davidovic Fokina, the second to return to court after more than two months out, beating Juan Manuel Cherundolo in his opening match. The Spaniard has fallen to No. 29 in the rankings during that absence and is now the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament with Vacherot out.
Chengdu results on Saturday
- Lloyd HARRIS (RSA, Q) b. Valentin Vacherot (Mon, 1) 6-4, 7-6 (5)
- Hubert Hurkach (Paul, 5) bt Martin Damm (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
- Alexander MUELLER (FRA, C) bt Federico CHINA (ITA, LL) 7-6 (3), 6-1
- Alexander David Fokina (ESP, 2) bt Juan Manuel Cherundolo (ARG)
