Emilia-Romagna Open: Top seed Lorenzo Sonego loses to Sebastian Korda; Benoit Paire retires hurt

Parma: The three highest-seeded players were all eliminated in the second round of the Emilia-Romagna Open on Wednesday. Home favourite and top-seeded Lorenzo Sonego lost 6-1, 7-5 to 20-year-old American Sebastian Korda, who is ranked 63rd in the world. Second-seeded Benoit Paire retired after complaining of a sore throat while losing 7-5, 3-1 against the 80th-ranked Jaume Munar and Norbert Gombos won 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2 against No 3 Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Fourth-seeded Jan-Lennard Struff also struggled before beating wild-card entry Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2). Korda will face eighth-seeded Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarterfinals after the Japanese player eased past Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-2. The only Italian left in the draw in Parma is Marco Cecchinato after he beat seventh-seeded Aljaz Bedene 7-5, 6-2. He next faces Gombos. Sixth-seeded American Tommy Paul is also through to the final eight after rallying to beat Jiri Vesely 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-3. Fifth-seeded Richard Gasquet outlasted qualifier Pedro Martinez 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.