The quarterfinal lineup is complete. On day four at the Aircel Chennai Open, just one seed exited, while two advanced. Fourth seed Martin Klizan lost to Aljaz Bedene, second seed Roberto Bautista Agut won his opening match of 2017 and fifth seed Benoit Paire crushed Indian dreams by sending Yuki Bhambri out. Russian Mikhail Youzhny put in a dominant display to defeat Renzo Olivo.
Mikhail Youzhny advances in two sets
Mikhail Youzhny made a good start to his 2017 season, making it two wins in two as he made his way to the quarterfinals. The opening three games saw consecutive breaks of serve but Youzhny settled quickly and raced away to a 4-1 gaining the double-break in the meantime. Renzo Olivo struggled to match the Russian and whilst serving to stay in the match only temporarily, he was broken for the third time in the set.
By the second set, Olivo had settled and had the chance to break the 34-year-old in the first and eight games all while saving two break points in the process. However, Youzhny found a way to break the Argentinian in the 12th game as he won the match in one hour and a half.
Second seed Bautista Agut kicks off season with a comfortable win
Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut needed only one hour and 15 minutes to kick off his season. Both players settled relatively quick throughout the set, but the number two seed managed to get the only break of the set in the sixth game, before needing two set points as he took the set, 6-3. The Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva didn't let Bautista Agut control the match and even put him under some pressure, forcing him to save two break points in the fourth game.
However, the 28-year-old only found motivation from saving the break points and broke in the very next game. The world number 14 then turned it up and went a double-break up on the Brazilian before closing out the match on his first match point. The Spaniard was dominant on serve, winning 84 percent behind his first serve but his level dropped on the second serve winning just 58 percent of points. He also saved both break points faced and converted three times out of five.
Bedene sends fourth seed Klizan packing
In a match lasting more than three hours, former finalist Aljaz Bedene sealed victory advancing to the quarterfinals. The Brit initially was broken in the sixth game only for Bedene to break back with his sixth attempt as Klizan served for the opening set. From that moment on, the set went to a tiebreak only for the Slovak to collapse and fall behind 7-3. He regained his composure, came out for the second set, immediately breaking Bedene but the sixth game saw the world number 101 draw level as he broke with the set going to the tiebreak.
Martin Klizan won 7-3 to set up a one set shootout. With the momentum in the Brit's favour, he broke the fourth seed at the start of the set and just like the second set, the player who went infront was pegged back at 4-4 as a third tiebreaker was needed, this time to settle the match. Aljaz Bedene punished Klizan's sloppiness and won the tiebreak 7-2. His good form in India continues.
Benoit Paire downs a fighting Yuki Bhambri
Paire started the match in fine form, breaking Yuki Bhambri in just the second game. He was put under some minor pressure in the sixth game as Bhambri had two chances to break but both were easily saved by the Frenchman. Paire then had four further chances for a double-break lead, however, the Indian hung on in there and stayed just the one break behind. Serving for the set at 5-3, Paire had a set point saved before going on to quash a break point chance from the 24-year-old.
Paire had two more set points saved but eventually put the set to bed, converting on his third opportunity. The world number 47 got the only break of the second set in the fifth game, effectively ending India's hopes. At 5-4, serving to stay in the match, Bhambri saved a match point only delaying the inevitable as Paire put the contest to bed on serve.