Mark Lajal out after Lexington Open round of 16
Estonia's top tennis player Mark Lajal is out of the Challenger 75 level Lexington Open in Kentucky, after losing in three sets 7:6 (4), 4:6, 4:6 in an interrupted round of 16 match against India's Dhakshineswar Suresh, ranked 788th in the world.
The tournament is one of several warm-ups taking place in North America ahead of the U.S. Open, starting later this month. Lajal has reached a new ATP ranking high of 147th on the back of his victory at the Bloomfield Hills, Michigan Challenger tournament just last weekend, his second tournament win at that level.
In Lexington, he reached the round of 16, the second of the competition, after former world No. 31 Lloyd Harris (U.S.) forfeited with things at 4:2 in the second set, Lajal having won the first set 7:5.
After winning the first set against Suresh on Thursday following a tie break, the Estonian lost set two. However, the third set was interrupted early on by rain, which stopped play for two hours.
After the return, Suresh, ranked 788th in the world, held on to win the third set 6:4.
Lajal served up eight aces through the course of the match but committed 13 double faults and failed to convert any of the six break points presented to him. Suresh converted two of his seven break chances. Of all points played, Lajal won 104 to Suresh's 115. Suresh faces tournament second-seeded American Eliot Spizzirri (ATP 124) in the quarterfinals.
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Editor: Henrik Laever. Andrew Whyte
