Thursday’s 2nd Round Order of Play
Center court D. Wenger (Swiss) vs (Alt) A. Quakaa (EGY) 10:00 am CAT S. Kozlov (USA) vs (7) B. Lock (ZIM) - Not before 11:30 am CAT
Court 1
D. Cukierman (ISR) vs A. Ayeni (USA) 10:00 am CAT (Q) K. Majchrzak (POL) vs D. Pichler (AUS) - Not before 11:300 am CAT
Russian Ivan Gakhov has had a Rwanda Challenger campaign to forget after losing in the first round for the second time in two weeks.
Having been beaten by Italian Gabriele Pennaforti in Week 1, the top seed again lost to Polish qualifier and Week 1 winner, Kamil Majchrzak on Wednesday.
The first round encounter between the two pre-tournament favorites, a match that had been dubbed the "final" before the real final, and played over two days due to rain, ended 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in favor of Majchrzak.
Majchrzak will now face Austrian David Pichler in round two on Thursday. Pichler advanced to the next round after beating Akram El Sallaly (EGY) 6-2, 6-3, a match that also started on Tuesday and ended Wednesday due to rain.
Asked whether his match against Gakhov was the toughest stage he has played in Kigali so far, Majchrzak said, "It was a tough match, we started the match yesterday (Tuesday), we finished today because of rain, it was a very challenging match."
"In the first set I was playing really well, I was a little bit better, I was creating a lot of chances, so I took the first one. In the second set he stepped up his game, the game was even until 5-5 when I got chances to break his serve. I did not, I got angry with that, so I lost my serve," he added.
Asked about the third set, which he was losing before rain interrupted the game, he admitted that, "The third set was very tight, big fight from him, big fight from me until the rain delay. Obviously, we had the time to recover over the night."
"I knew the beginning was going to be crucial today because I was serving at 4-5 so I had no room to make mistakes or errors, so I needed to hold the first before thinking about the rest, I did it, I broke the next game, so am happy I won this two-day match, it was really difficult."
Meanwhile, the second-round match between French compatriots Calvin Hemery (3) and Corentin Denolly on center court lasted just one set before the latter retired (sick). Hemery had won the first set 6-3.
Asked what happened, a visibly disappointed Denolly only said, "I am sick."
Elsewhere, Week 1 finalist Marco Trungelliti (4) progressed to last eight after beating Austrian qualifier Thomas Fancutt 6-3, 6-3. Egyptian Mohamed Safwat defeated Juan Pablo Paz (ARG) 7-6(4), 6-2.
Seed 5 Clement Tabur is also through to the quarterfinals after overcoming Harman Casanova (ARG) 6-3, 6-4.
Zimbabwean Benjamin Lock also reached the second round after beating Gabriele Pennaforti 6-3, 7-6(5) in a game that was also rescheduled to Wednesday due to rain.
"It was a tough first round draw to be honest, because Gabriele last week beat the number one seed," Lock told Times Sport.
Lock will meet American Stefan Kozlov in round two on Thursday.
Lock, playing with his brother Courtney John Lock, are also through to the next round of the doubles. They beat Mohamed Safwat/Akram El Sallaly 7-6(5), 7-5 on Wednesday.