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By Chris Oddo | Wednesday February 28, 2018

 
Dominic Thiem

Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev booked their spot in the last eight at Acapulco.

2016 champion Dominic Thiem rolled past 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov on Wednesday at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco to improve to 9-1 lifetime at the event.

More: Pouille Takes Revenge on Khachanov in Dubai

“Of course I know him very well and I know what he’s capable of so I was trying to keep him down from the first moments and that’s what I did very good today,” said Thiem after his 6-2, 6-3 victory.

The Austrian likes the conditions in Acapulco and it shows. He did not face a break point and won 17 of 36 first-serve return points to earn 11 break points against Shapovalov.

“It’s one of my favorite courts here, it’s also great conditions for me—ball is bouncing high,” Thiem said.

The 24-year-old improves to 16-2 on the season, and he heads into the last eight at Acapulco full of confidence.

“It’s one of my best performances in the last weeks and months, so I’m very pleased," he said.


Dominic Thiem
Photo credit: Guillermo Sanchez

The Austrian moves on to face Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals on Thursday at Acapulco.

Del Potro battled past David Ferrer, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, to even his lifetime record against the Spaniard to 6-6.

Juan Martin Del Potro
Photo credit: Guillermo Sanchez

Del Potro has now won four straight against Ferrer and he will bid for his fourth straight win against Thiem as well.

In the pair's last meeting Del Potro battled back from a set down to win one of the most dramatic matches of the 2017 U.S. Open.

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev had to work much harder for his victory, but the 20-year-old overcame a shaky start to ease past compatriot Peter Gojowczyk, 7-6(6), 6-3.


The World No.5 is making his Acapulco debut and he will face American Ryan Harrison in quarterfinal action on Thursday.

Harrison knocked off last week’s Rio champion Diego Schwartzman, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

“We never played against each other,” said Zverev. “He’s a very good player on the hardcourt. He played a fantastic match today, so yeah he’s definitely dangerous.”

In other round of 16 action at Acapulco, Hyeon Chung powered past American Ernesto Escobedo, 6-3, 6-1, to set up a quarterfinal clash with No.5-seeded Kevin Anderson. Anderson defeated Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-4 behind 10 aces and 25 of 30 first-serve points won.


Feliciano Lopez (d. Thanasi Kokkinakis) and Jared Donaldson (d. Matthew Ebden) were also winners on Wednesday in Acapulco.

 

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