Rotterdam Open 2020: Unseeded Slovenian Aljaz Bedene upsets World No 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to book quarter-final spot

Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas lost 7-5, 6-4 to unseeded Slovenian Aljaz Bedene as upsets continued at the Rotterdam Open on Thursday. Tsitsipas earned five break points in the opening set but the Greek failed to convert any and Bedene won 11 points in a row to wrap up the set. [caption id=“attachment_8040281” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Aljaz Bedene during his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Rotterdam Open 2020. Image credits @abnamrowtt[/caption] Bedene, ranked 52nd in the world, took an early lead in the second, breaking Tsitsipas at 1-1 before serving out to secure only his second win over a top-10 player and set up a quarter-final with Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime. “To win against a top 10 player feels great,” Bedene said in a post-match interview. “It’s only my second time." “I am serving really well lately. I’m trying to stay focussed on my serve, especially against big players with big serves (where) you don’t get many chances. I guess I served well in the important points and kept my cool.” Although Bedene’s unforced error count was higher than his opponent’s, the 30-year-old fired 20 winners — eight more than the world number six. Auger-Aliassime advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in 77 minutes. Defending champion and third seed Gael Monfils progressed with a 6-4 6-1 win over fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon. The world number nine claimed his 10th win in 12 matches this season, hitting five aces and converting six of his seven break-point opportunities. Monfils edged a close opening set, breaking Simon’s serve at 4-4, and pulled away in the second by winning the final five games in a row. The 33-year-old, who is the highest seed remaining in the tournament after top seed Daniil Medvedev was ousted on Wednesday, will face Britain’s Dan Evans in the quarter-finals. Fourth seed David Goffin was eliminated in straight sets by Jannik Sinner, losing 7-6(7), 7-5 to the unseeded Italian. Russian Andrey Rublev continued his impressive form with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Alexander Bublik to extend his win record in 2020 to 13-1.