Hijikata, Thompson deliver double success for Aussies in Los Cabos

Australian Rinky Hijikata collected his sixth win of the season Tuesday when he upset sixth seed Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 7-6(2) at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Chasing his third quarter-final showing of the season (Brisbane, Delray Beach), Hijikata is already halfway to matching his personal-best 11 match wins last year and is just six places below his career-high mark of 70 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

Hijikata, 22, who claimed six service breaks according to Infosys ATP Stats, next plays American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Fellow Australian, eighth seed Jordan Thompson, also marched into the second round Tuesday, defeating Mexican wild card Ernesto Escobedo 6-4, 6-3 after saving four of five break points faced. He will next play for a third consecutive ATP Tour quarter-final against 22-year-old American qualifier Emilio Nava, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Argentine wild card Diego Schwartzman.

Victory would deliver Thompson’s 10th match win of the year, putting him more than halfway to topping the 19 wins he had in 2023. A third Australian, Aleksandar Vukic, also booked his second-round spot but only after pulling through for a dramatic 7/6(5), 7-6(10) win against home favourite Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez. Vukic will next play second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Recent Dallas finalist Marcos Giron has now won eight of his past 10 matches after defeating Japan's Taro Daniel in their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The American comes into the tournament at a career-high World No. 44.

Portugal’s Nuno Borges continued his breakout year with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win over German Dominik Koepfer. Borges, who reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, will next face seventh-seeded Australian Max Purcell.