Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell 2016: Tuesday Tennis Results and Updated Schedule

Roberto Bautista Agut became the first top-seeded player to exit the 2016 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell on Tuesday, losing to Russian teenager Karen Kachanov in three sets. 

Kachanov, who mainly competes on the Challenger circuit, took a quick lead in the first set and seemed to be on the verge of a quick upset, but Bautista Agut fought back to force a tie-break in the second. Struggles in the return game hurt him in the third, however, and Kachanov eventually served out the match.

Ernest Gulbis’ horror 2016 season continued with a three-set loss against qualifier Marton Fucsovics, while Marcel Granollers and Mikahil Youzhny both qualified for the second round with relative ease.

Here’s a look at Tuesday’s results:

To access the schedule for this year’s Barcelona Open, visit Protennislive.com.

Recap

Bautista Agut entered this year’s Barcelona Open as the fifth-seeded player after a handful of solid performances in the past few months, but the 28-year-old didn’t look nearly his best on Tuesday.

Usually a prolific defender, he allowed Kachanov to fire far too many shots from a set position, losing the battle on the baseline. 

The 19-year-old Kachanov more than held his own in the rallies, and he routinely came through with big passing shots and some remarkable winners, including this one, via TennisTV:

#Khachanov says his idols were del Potro & Safin. They’d be impressed by this point! https://t.co/kRsZ9udpkC #RBA https://t.co/L4vOwk4e4c

— TennisTV (@TennisTV) April 19, 2016

Bautista Agut grew into the match after a sloppy start, but with momentum on his side, Kachanov produced the best performance of his young career, overcoming a tough tie-break and keeping his calm in the final set.

ESPN’s Brad Gilbert was impressed:

Khachanov has tremendous skills and as much firepower …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com