BARCELONA, SPAIN – Yuichi Sugita advanced to the second round of the Barcelona Open after beating former world No. 5 Tommy Robredo on Monday.
The 28-year-old Sugita, ranked 91st in the world, entered the main draw as a lucky loser. He beat the 34-year-old Robredo, currently ranked 288th in the world, 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour, 16 minutes.
“Attacking with my forehand is what I’m best at and I came into the match intending to be aggressive,” Sugita said. “I’m still new to the tour. Everything is a challenge for me, so I want to stay aggressive.”
The victory earned Sugita a second-round match with the ninth seed, world No. 15 Richard Gasquet of France.
