Top seed Max Houkes of the Netherlands battled through a tense three-set contest to reach the quarterfinal round of the M25 Kigali tournament at RP-Kicukiro Ecology Tennis Club.
Houkes, who opened his campaign earlier this week with a straight-sets victory, was pushed to the limit by Poland’s Marcin Andrzejczak before sealing a hard-fought 6–2, 3–6, 7–5 win to stay on course for the title.
Elsewhere, Belgium’s Martin Van der Meerschen advanced after Austria’s Maximilian Neuchrist retired early in the third set due to injury. Neuchrist had taken the first set 7-6(6) before Van der Meerschen fought back to claim second set 6-3.
The Belgian was leading the third set 1-0 before Neuchrist decided to retire after suffering an injury on his leg.
Meanwhile, France’s Corentin Denolly, the tournament’s third seed and two-time Kigali champion, maintained his dominant form with a win over South Africa’s Marc Van der Merwe in straight sets 6–2, 6–2.
He will face Germany’s Maximilian Homberg who also progressed after overcoming Morocco’s Yassine Dilmi 4–6, 7–6(6), 6–2 in a thrilling battle. Mexico’s Rodrigo Alujas, seeded seventh, continued his fine run with a commanding 6–1, 6–1 victory over India’s Udit Kamboj and will next meet Van der Meerschen.
In doubles action, India’s Ishaque Eqbal and Maan Kesharwani cruised into the semifinals after defeating Aditya Balsekar and Darrshan Suresh 6–4, 6–1. German–Nigerian pair of Edison Ambarzumjan and Christopher Bulus also advanced, as so did Dutch duo Houkes and his coach Colin Van Beem.
It will now be Houkes-van Beem Vs Ambarzumjan-Bulus in the semifinal on Friday.
Houkes will play the doubles after playing Germany’s Maik Steiner in what promises to be an epic men’s singles quarterfinal, with Denolly, Van der Meerschen, Alujas, and Raynel also in action as the race to the semifinals heats up.
Raynel will face either countryman and Seed Two Florent Bax or Tunisia’s Younes Lalami whose match was suspended when they were tied to 6-1 3-6 4-4 before it became dark at Kicukiro Ecology Tennis Club. They decided against continuing to play under the facility’s lighting.
Meanwhile, all Rwandan players exited the tournament earlier in the week following first-round defeats, leaving international contenders to battle for the $30,000 prize purse in the first of two consecutive M25 Kigali events.
Claude Ishimwe and Etienne Niyigena teamed up for the doubles quarterfinal but they lost it to Amaury Raynel and Ioan Alexandru Teglas in straight sets 3-6 3-6.
Friday Order Of Play
Center Court: Max Houkes (1) Vs Maik Steiner
Court 1: Martin Van der Meersche Vs Rodrigo Alujas
Court 2: Maximillian Homberg Vs Corentin Denolly (3)
Court 3: Amaury Raynel (5) Vs Florent Bax/ Younes Lalami