#oeiras 3 challenger

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Oeiras 3 Ch R1: Alexander Blockx def. Alexander Ritschard 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-2 Match Stats

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A. Ritschard tried his best to step up in the second set, which turned out to be a slight slip from A. Blockx's forehand side. As the latter regained his range and point construction, he brought the Swiss completely off-balance, dominating the flow until the former ran out of options toward the end of the match thanks to the margins to his groundstrokes, especially with the functional third-shot forehands. As a result, even if both players had 100% break point conversion rate, A. Blockx generated more chances with 3 in this match.

Furthermore, there were slight differences between both players throughout this match. A. Blockx might have scored three times more aces than A. Ritschard (9 to 3), but the latter only won 2% lesser of his first serve points than the Swiss. In contrast, A. Blockx won 71% of his first serve points, 20% more than A. Ritschard, which did not help the latter to withstand the pressure toward the end of the match.

A. Blockx went on to win his second-round match against Jurij Rodionov 6-0, 2-6, 6-3 in a chaotic encounter, where he will face alternate Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarterfinal, who knocked out Marc-Andrea Huesler 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 in the second round. The aggression and point construction would be necessary for the Belgian to do the job apart from the balance, considering the Georgian's hard-hitting offensives at best, but this should still be a great match, tennis-wise!

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Pedro Sousa torna-se número um português no ranking liderado por Novak Djokovic

Pedro Sousa torna-se número um português no ranking liderado por Novak Djokovic

Pedro Sousa tornou-se hoje no número um português no ranking mundial de ténis, ultrapassando João Sousa, que ‘caiu’ para o 113.º posto da hierarquia liderada pelo sérvio Novak Djokovic. O tenista lisboeta, que garantiu o estatuto de número um nacional com uma vitória na segunda ronda do ‘challenger’ 3 de Oeiras, frente ao holandês Botic Van de Zandschulp, por 6-3 e 6-2, manteve-se na 111.º…

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Lisbon itinerary 7 days

Lisbon is the perfect destination for an energizing and stuffed 1-week vacation. Contained inside the Lisbon area have Lisbon sightseeing, staggering sea shores and agreeable day trips, all of which can without much of a stretch fill your one-week holiday. Alongside the daytime activities, Lisbon flaunts dynamic nightlife, awesome cafés and a glorious climate. Numerous travelers don't plan sufficient time to explore Lisbon and simply hurry through, missing quite a bit of what this enamoring city can offer. Try not to commit their mistakes, and devout at least seven days to find this remarkable city and the surrounding locale. This guide will give a proposed seven-day guide for Lisbon, alongside links to assist top to bottom information.

1.    Alfama, Baixa, Cais do Sodre and Bairro Alto

This busy first day visits the Alfama, Baixa, Cais do Sodre and Bairro Alto districts. Inside these four districts are huge numbers of Lisbon's iconic vacation spots and give the ideal introduction to the city. The Baixa districts include great courts and fantastic roads, and were totally revamped after the devastating 1755 earthquake. Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon and is a maze of narrow streets which climb the precarious hills up to the palace. Cais do Sodre lines the banks of the Tejo Estuary and has been recently changed from a seedy red-light district of town into probably the trendiest section of Lisbon. The Bairro Alto is the famed nightlife center point of Lisbon; however it additionally contains pretty plazas and brilliant viewpoints.

2.    Belem, Alcântara and Estrela locale

The second day visits three districts of Lisbon, yet most of the day ought to be spent exploring Belem. Belem is the beautiful area toward the west of Lisbon, and is loaded up with parks and formal gardens that follow the banks of the Tejo Estuary. The districts contain the luxurious Jeronimos Monastery, the charming Torre de Belem and Padrão dos Descobrimentos, and are come to by riding the E15 cable car. Estrela is a peaceful and quiet district and is the ideal spot to relax after the steady crowd of travelers in Belem. Lisbon has a flourishing artisan community and the LX factory in Alcântara is the best spot to experince this scene.

3.    Parque das Nações and North Central Lisbon (Parque Eduardo to Príncipe Real)

There are two distinct sections right up 'til today; the Parque das Nações and the charming downhill walk through the Parque Eduardo and along the Avenida da Liberdade. The Parque das Nações is the striking present day side to noteworthy Lisbon, being initially built for Expo 1998 and has since been changed into the business and corporate center of Portugal travel. The region is arranged on the eastern side of Lisbon, on the banks of the Tejo estuary and is loaded up with ultra-modern buildings, bold architecture and water-themed gardens.

4.    Day trip to Sintra

Sintra lies in the Serra de Sintra, and these pine-covered hills cover lavish palaces, radiant mansions and antiquated caste ruins. Notwithstanding the historic monuments, there are challenging hiking trails, shocking landscape and the absolute best rock climbing in Portugal. Sintra is the greatest day trip from Lisbon, and you ought to remember for your 1-week occasion to Lisbon. There is an immediate train from Lisbon to Sintra, and a bus services (highway 434) connects the station to the main traveler sights.

5.    Cascais day trip

Cascais is a great town that combines traditional Portuguese fishing heritage with nineteenth century grand architecture. Initially Cascais was a minor fishing harbor however was changed when ruler Luís I (1861-1889) chose it would turn into his royal courts summer retreat. Today, Cascais is an advanced holiday destination, which offers travelers delightful sea shores, fascinating historical buildings and charming town center. Cascais is associated with Lisbon by a regular and in expensive train service.

6.    Beautiful Day on the beach or a day trip to Obidos

It comes as an a surprise to numerous visitors new to Lisbon that the region contains such a significant number of excellent beaches, and huge numbers of these sea shores are effectively open by public vehicle. Toward the west of Lisbon are the popular beaches of the Oeiras-Estoril-Cascais coastline, a series of sandy beaches and charming resort towns that are perfect for families and sun worshipers. Toward the south of Lisbon are the flawless beaches of Costa da Caparica coastline, which stretches out for over 25km along the western side of the Setubal Peninsula and are perfect for surfing.

7.    Day trip to Setubal or Sesimbra

For the last day it is suggested to visit Setubal or Sesimbra. Setubal is a busy port city with an impervious fort, a lively every day market, and characterful historic center Withdrawing from Setubal's harbor are farries to the paradise of the Troia Peninsula. Sesimbra is a traditional beach resort which is a most loved with Portuguese holidaymakers. The town has a superb sandy beach, is popular for its seafood restaurants and has a distinctly Portuguese atmosphere. Arranged among Setubal and Sesimbra are the rugged hills of the Serra da Arrabida and the excellent Portinho da Arrábida coastline. Setubal is connected with Lisbon by train and bus services while there are normal transports to Sesimbra.

You won't need to search far for nightlife as you can simply plunge into the variety of Fado joints and swish coffee shops in the Bairro Alto district. At that point, maybe, you can take in the latest in digital installation workmanship at the Berardo Collection Museum, or go nose to nose with a grimacing shark at the Lisbon Aquarium. In the interim, the mysticism of much-vaunted Sintra covers up in the nearby hills, while unlimited stretches of pristine beachfront abound large amounts of the promontories around the Tagus Estuary and the Atlantic Coast. Just go in Portugal and enjoy your 7 days holiday in top sights in Lisbon with your family and loved ones.

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📸 🎥 ATP official website

After five consecutive holds to start the third set, A. Ritschard's ground game became more questionable, where his frequent forehand errors got A. Blockx to be ahead in the sixth game, including a failed smash midway. As a result, the Belgian took the opportunity to break 4-2 thanks to his successful working volley.

A. Blockx then continued with a service game hold to 5-2. However, A. Ritschard went out of balance, where his forehand errors only generated the former's match point. Ultimately, A. Blockx converted it to break for the match 6-2, thus securing his spot in the second round.

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The second set became a contrast to the first due to A. Blockx's frequent unforced errors, where A. Ritschard started to slightly raise his game. After foiling some initial game points, including through a working volley to force the deuce, A. Ritschard broke early to 2-0 before consolidating his lead to 3-0, where he was several points ahead before A. Blockx went on the board and held his serves to 3-1.

However, after A. Ritschard held his serves to 4-1, he started the next game with a successful volley, pressing A. Blockx's baseline game further as the latter erred his forehand side until the Swiss broke to 5-1. As a result, A. Ritschard earned the opportunity to serve for the second-set breadstick, but A. Blockx denied them through a successful drop-shot before a backhand pass right after another drop-shot set up his break point. The unseeded Belgian then broke to 5-2, held to 5-3 afterward, which meant A. Ritschard had to serve for the second set for the second time in the ninth game. Since A. Ritschard succeeded (6-3), he brought this match to the deciding set to determine the winner.

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📸 ATP official website

One of the Challenger-level tournaments this week with a Tuesday start, Oeiras 3 Challenger, had an intriguing featured match as Alexander Blockx faced Alexander Ritschard in a match dubbed as the battle of the Alexanders for their exact same first name, with the former looking for a better start to the season than his Australian campaign. As similar as their range looked like, the more consistent player on their groundstrokes stood out by the end of the match.

To start, A. Blockx's forehand winners tried to press A. Ritschard's baseline game in some occasions, but the latter often still got things done at times thanks to his margin. For instance, a forehand winner put himself ahead by 2 points in the fourth game, but A. Ritschard still held his serves to 2-2. This was also the case in the sixth game, where A. Blockx casually fired a forehand winner, also 2 points in, before A. Ritschard held his serves to 3-3.

It took three more consecutive holds before the tie-breaker became more inevitable, where a failed tweener from A. Blockx in response to A. Ritschard's forehand from the net set up the latter's mini-break to 1-0, but the lead got neutralized through a forehand error several points later to 2-2. After a successful preceding forehand from the Belgian secured his service game hold to 3-2, a double fault only caused A. Blockx's mini-break to 4-2 before he consolidated his lead to 5-2. A failed drop shot from A. Ritschard once he went back on serve converted A. Blockx's set point, taking the first set 7-6(3) to put himself ahead in this match.

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Oeiras 3 (125) Ch F: Zsombor Piros [7/SE] def. Juan Manuel Cerundolo [4] 6-3, 6-4 Match Stats

📸 ATP Challenger Livestream (via website)

Piros was clinical today. Even if Juanma tried to put more pressure by breaking back and even saving his match points, Piros stayed solid until the match was called.

Piros’ service game was more stable by winning around the average of 60% from both of his first and second serves, except he had a 1% more winning percentage from his second serves than the first. However, Juanma’s second serves looked vulnerable since he could only win 44% of his points from there, the 5 double faults did not help either, as they occurred near the most critical points possible. Piros then took the advantage of the latter by producing more winner or pressing Juanma’s shots even further.

It was almost flawless as well for Piros, since he converted 100% of his break point. He maximized the chances available in his favor, controlling the flow right away on pressure point, becoming more aggressive since. On the other hand, although Juanma had 6 chances, some were rooted from Piros’ errors, Piros was clutch enough to save them since he put more pressure, hence he only converted 50% of his break opportunities, in which 2 of them came from the first set before Piros finally took command at the end of it.

Per the current state of the live rankings, Piros will be 18 lines closer to the Top 100, having won 2 consecutive titles in the last 2 weeks. So does Juanma, where he is 4 lines away. While for most of them Madrid Masters qualification will be next (Juanma will likely be seeded 18th, while Piros will likely be seeded 24th), their performances this week should be an intriguing one to watch as well! They might come for the rest of the players!

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Still in Oeiras’ second set…

It all heated up until Piros found his differential again. Juanma somehow found a way to level, but Piros powered through the title again. Here was the summary of the second set.

There was a long rally that started the whole flow, where Piros had a forehand down-the-line shot 3-4 points after to create his break point, before he broke to 2-1. However, Juanma could still match Piros’ pace and broke back to 2-2, also with a forehand down-the-line there. Just 3 games later, Juanma held to 4-3, but he had to take a medical timeout (likely his wrist), which might or might not have affected his intensity. He still got the game, but the pressure points were at it again.

Piros had a forehand winner to 4-4* 0-30 to open the pathway, before he broke at the expense of Juanma’s forehand error. When the Hungarian had the chance to serve for the match, he almost fumbled it by facing 3 break points, which were all saved until he made 2 distinct match points, which were a volley (and was saved also with a volley), and a smash. The second one was converted with a successful serve+1, beautifully ended with a forehand winner that secured his second consecutive Challenger title within 2 weeks.

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Meanwhile, in Oeiras…

After a long day yesterday (with quarterfinals and semifinals being crammed), Zsombor Piros tried to jump closer to the Top 100 by winning 2 consecutive titles (after last week’s Split Challenger). His opposition is Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who started to rediscover his form after being sidelined due to injury, which set another setback to the Top 100 range.

In the beginning, there was just a service game hold before it became several consecutive breaks. After the first 2, Piros broke back thanks to his working volley in response to Juanma’s drop shot. However, at the expense of his backhand error, the fourth consecutive break occurred before Juanma held his service game, hence the score was level to 3-3.

Subsequently, Piros tried to press Juanma’s forehand further from the baseline. Capitalizing from Juanma’s double fault for the break point, Piros converted it straight away thanks to his forehand, where Juanma responded with a backhand error. As a result, Piros served for the set: even if he had to save 3 break points, an unreturned serve resulted in Piros’ successful take of the first set (6-3). This implied how Piros tried to stay aggressive, taking the balls as early as he can. Somehow, in the second set…

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Oeiras 3 (125) Ch QF: Pedro Sousa [WC] def. Steven Diez 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 mid-match stats (3rd set)

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P. Sousa’s shot-making really elevated the match. Despite any of the second set’s happenings, he navigated through the pace well, and S. Diez even had several hot shots as well. Definitely an extended highlight reel.

Service game-wise, S. Diez had a slight edge on his first serves by winning 1% more of his points from there than P. Sousa. However, the latter won 6% more points from his second serves than his first, while S. Diez could only win 48% of his points from there even if he did not double fault at all. Both players scored one ace, though, on an interesting note.

The spectacular shot-making between both players led them to have numerous opportunities to break. S. Diez had his chances with 17, especially with the rest coming from the second or third sets. However, P. Sousa was able to maximize his chances in the important moments because he came up with various shot winners, ranging from a forehand/backhand passing shot or when he landed those shots down-the-line. Add that with the electric atmosphere, that also aided another elevation of his level. Until the end of the match, the Portuguese had 12 opportunities to break and converted 58% of them. Rejuvenated, just in time.

Advancing to his first Challenger semifinal since December 2020, P. Sousa will face Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who defeated defending champion Kaichi Uchida 6-3, 6-3. Definitely a popcorn battle of the generations to remember, regardless of the outcome, which could spearhead the high note he ended his career with this year.

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…where P. Sousa almost bageled S. Diez, but was averted for some reason. P. Sousa ended up breaking for the match instead, but most importantly, he regained his pace and shot-making, which overwhelmed S. Diez to some extent.

P. Sousa took the second set issue personally and broke right away to 1-0 after his forehand could not be responded properly by S. Diez. After holding his service game, the former broke again to 3-0 thanks to his passing shots, especially since he was able to outpace last year’s Maspalomas runner-up by then. At the expense of S. Diez’s backhand error as a reply to P. Sousa’s preceding forehand, P. Sousa broke again to 5-0 and had the opportunity to bake a bagel (serve for the bagel).

It could have been a bakery product, but it did not bake. Other than being broken to 0 to 1-5, he got broken again in the second attempt because of his forehand error, which succeeded S. Diez’s drop shot several points before to put the Canadian two points ahead. By then, S. Diez held 3-5, and the match still could have gone either way. However, P. Sousa had another idea, where he broke for the match instead thanks to his working volley to convert his match point made in the ninth game, breaking for the match to 6-3.

His career lives another night. Savor it. But another round awaits soon for him.

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…the situation was flipped. S. Diez was able to match P. Sousa’s pace, and the highlight reel contest still continued. Not merely the highlight reels, because executing them needs pace, while the pressure might have come in one way or another as the match progressed. Everybody dug deep, hence the drama carried on.

After breaking early to 1-0 due to P. Sousa’s erratic service game (including a double fault to get broken), S. Diez had another break point in the third game thanks to his cross-court backhand pass. However, P. Sousa managed to hold that service game to 3-2. He then leveled to 3-3 with a forehand moonball winner to secure his 3 break points, before its conversion thanks to his backhand pass. Instead of holding his service game, P. Sousa got broken back again after his forehand was insufficient to counter P. Sousa’s backhand return. By then, S. Diez led 4-3.

Not just that, the Spanish-born Canadian just leveled it to 6-3 in the third set, where he made his set point thanks to his cross-court backhand pass. The volley error from P. Sousa was the reason behind both players sharing a set, which confirmed how S. Diez improved his point construction during the crucial moments. He needed a stable pace to maintain this at the third set, but this happened instead…

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The run lives on. After defeating Alexandre Muller 7-5, 7-6(4) in the second round, Pedro Sousa’s last dance carried on as he faced Steven Diez in the quarterfinals. Even though the match got postponed for a day due to the extensive rain delay yesterday, the atmosphere was unforgettable. Especially, even though they were around 5 people at the start, they kept cheering, giving support for P. Sousa to do his best in this run.

S. Diez finally broke to 4-3 in his second attempt after P. Sousa erred his forehands, mostly since they were fired too far and wide, since he got run over. He then held his service game 5-3, and a game later having the opportunity to serve for the set. Before that, P. Sousa’s working volley was a response to S. Diez’s drop shot to make his break point in the tenth game, before he held the service game 4-5.

However, while taking into account the cheering section lifting up the atmosphere, P. Sousa also played inspired by the time S. Diez should have served for the set. The Portuguese came up with a backhand down-the-line winner to break 5-5 in the first set, which caught S. Diez off-guard. He subsequently held the service game 6-5, while his backhand return ace succeeded his successful jumping backhand (which got S. Diez run over to his forehand) to break for the first set at 7-5.

This comeback was not possible without P. Sousa’s regained return depth in comparison to rushing his response, as shown in the beginning of the first set. Somehow, things happened in the second set…

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Oeiras 3 Ch QF: Zsombor Piros [7] def. Kimmer Coppejans 6-0, 6-2 mid-match stats (2nd set)

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That was quick, but it was finished before the rain struck. Piros was dominant, all aspects considered, and he figured the way he could overwhelm Coppejans.

Yes, both players might have scored just once ace, but Piros' service games were more effective since he won 83% of his points from his first serves and 59% from his second. Everything just went awry for Coppejans in his follow up, even if he just double-faulted once.

The Belgian had his chances, but nothing were materialized. Piros managed to take advantage once Coppejans went further off balance, becoming more aggressive and forcing Coppejans to move, with lesser room to unleash an accurate offense. As a result, Piros converted 50% of his points and completely stood out in this match.

In the semifinals, Piros will face the winner between Sebastian Ofner or Andrea Vavassori, whose match is currently interrupted by rain with A. Vavassori taking the first set 7-5. This could be an entertaining one, but it could also be a long day due to the rain.

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...when somehow, this match ended up finishing straightforwardly. Coppejans woke up too late, but Piros started goating again as he dictated the rallies from the baseline. And that was that.

Initially, Coppejans had the chance to turn it around by creating a break point out of his cross-court forehand winner. However, those break points were fumbled, and Piros ended up holding that game to 3-2. The Hungarian then took back control in crucial moments, where Coppejans' rushed backhand error did not help to step up at all. As a result, Piros broke to 4-2.

However, Coppejans still managed to fight at the last point, which was insufficient. The Belgian saved a match point out of his backhand down-the-like winner. But then, he was not able to turn it around thanks to Piros' working service games, with another forehand that went too wide from Coppejans to end the second set 6-2. Indeed, that was quick and dominant from Piros compared to their first three matches.

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A juicy quarterfinal match started the day in Oeiras as Kimmer Coppejans took on Zsombor Piros for the third time this year (including Szekesfehervar R1 and Sanremo QF), fourth overall. Although this match was thought to be a close one, the first set could have set the tone for the rest of the match.

An erratic service game led Coppejans to be broken early, but him having some fumbled break points did not help as well, as Piros controlled the flow since then. To add, a forehand error from Coppejans granted Piros the double break to 4-0, and the former could only manage to hold two service games.

At the two last points of the set, Coppejans had his forehand up in the air for Piros' set point, which was converted with a failed drop shot. Apparently, although in their previous meetings the other would turn this around, this might or might not be the case here...