Marco Cecchinato delivered a commanding performance at the ATP Rwanda Challenger 100, easing past Poland’s Daniel Michalski 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday, March 6, to secure his place in the quarterfinals. The experienced Italian, who entered the tournament as a wild card, showcased his clay-court expertise, leaving little room for his opponent to fight back. Cecchinato, 32, will now face French qualifier Luka Pavlovic who booked his spot in the next round with a convincing 6-4, 6-4 win over countryman Mathys Erhard. The Italian will be hoping to continue his impressive run as he eyes a deep tournament finish in Kigali. Meanwhile, fourth seed Valentin Royer continued his winning streak, edging past Italy’s Franco Agamenone in two tightly contested tiebreak sets, 7-6(3), 7-6(2). The Frenchman, who claimed the Rwanda Challenger 75 title, now turns his focus to a quarterfinal clash against Italian qualifier Gabriele Pennaforti who advanced after defeating Austria’s No5 seed Lukas Neumayer in two sets 7-5, 6-4. Elsewhere, Dutchman Guy Den Ouden secured his spot in the last eight with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Romania’s Nicholas David Ionel. His next test will be against second seed Calvin Hemery of France. Elsewhere, Max Houkes of the Netherlands is set to take on Clement Tabur of France. With the tournament set to conclude on Sunday, March 9, the quarterfinal battles promise high-stakes action as players fight for crucial ranking points and the coveted title.
