Americans Marcos Giron and Ethan Quinn took contrasting paths to the quarter-finals Thursday at the Arizona Tennis Classic, an ATP Challenger 175 event in Phoenix.
Giron dramatically fended off four match points to down qualifier Jay Friend 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(9) while Quinn raced past Michael Mmoh 6-1, 6-3 to celebrate his 22nd birthday in style.
“My girlfriend put this ‘Happy Birthday’ [sign] and my mom made a ‘Happy Birthday’ in the hotel,” said Quinn, who is seeded eighth in Phoenix. “We had to celebrate a little bit for at least the first 10 minutes of this morning.”
A birthday treat in Phoenix for Ethan Quinn 🥳🎂#ATPChallenger | @aztennisclassic pic.twitter.com/cMmE2zMbTA
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 13, 2026
The seventh seed Giron trailed 3/6 in the deciding-set tie-break against the University of Arizona senior Friend. After saving three consecutive match points, Giron fended off another one at 7/8 before winning four of the next five points. Giron will next face another stern test in two-time champion Nuno Borges. The No. 49 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Borges overcame James Duckworth 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
“I guess it took me a little bit to find my rhythm, put more returns in,” Borges said. “He served pretty well and made my life very hard from the start. I feel like I grew with the match as it went on, stayed well physically and I think that made a big difference for me, just to stay available and keep pushing and wait for my opportunity.”
Top seed Corentin Moutet cruised past fellow Frenchman Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-4. Billy Harris ended the run of American teenager Darwin Blanch with a 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(6) victory after two hours and 50 minutes. Third seed Adrian Mannarino beat Blaise Bicknell 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-2.
Hurkacz upset in Cap Cana, Kecmanovic & Blockx advance
Former World No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz was upset in his first ATP Challenger match in seven years. The Pole, who underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery in July, fell to Italian Mattia Bellucci 6-2, 6-4 at the Republica Dominicana Open - Copa Cap Cana.
“I knew it was going to be tough from the beginning because I knew he was going to put a lot of pressure on me, especially with his strengths, his serve and his backhand,” Bellucci said of Hurkacz.
Into the quarter-finals, Bellucci will face fifth seed Raphael Collignon, who beat Luca Van Assche 7-5, 6-4.
Top seed Miomir Kecmanovic began his campaign with a 6-4, 7-6(4) victory over American Mackenzie McDonald. Alexander Blockx, 2025 finalist at the Next Gen ATP Finals, survived Dalibor Svrcina 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3 after two hours and 57 minutes.
Second seed Valentin Royer was a 6-4, 7-6(5) winner over Tour-veteran Roberto Bautista Agut and sixth seed Mariano Navone beat Shintaro Mochizuki 6-4, 7-5.
🔥 Blockx 🔥🌴
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 12, 2026
The Belgian battles past Svrcina 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3 for a quarter-final spot #ATPChallenger | Cap Cana🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/nS8kjCtT05
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