Marcos Giron saves 4 MPs; Ethan Quinn celebrates birthday with win at Phoenix Challenger | ATP Tour
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Giron saves 4 MP; Quinn celebrates birthday by winning Phoenix Challenger
Hurkacz falls at Cap Cana
March 13, 2026
SMASHLAB
Marcos Giron playing in the Arizona Tennis Classic on Thursday.
By ATP staff
Americans Marcos Giron and Ethan Quinn took different paths to the quarter-finals on Thursday at the Arizona Tennis Classic, an ATP Challenger 175 event in Phoenix.
Giron surprisingly overcame four match points to down Jay Friend 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(9) while Quinn cruised past Michael Mmoh 6-1, 6-3 to celebrate his 22nd birthday in style.
“My girlfriend posted this ‘Happy Birthday’ [sign] and my mom is having a ‘Happy Birthday’ at the hotel,” said Quinn, who is eighth in Phoenix. “We had to celebrate a little for at least the first 10 minutes of this morning.”
Birthday fun in Phoenix for Ethan Quinn 🥳🎂#ATPChallenger | @aztennisclassic pic.twitter.com/cMmE2zMbTA
– ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 13, 2026
Seventh seed Giron trailed 3/6 in the tiebreaker against fellow University of Arizona. After saving three points in consecutive games, Giron saved another in 7/8 before winning four of the next five points. Giron will next face another tough test in two-time champion Nuno Borges. The number 49 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Borges defeated James Duckworth 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
“I think it took me a while to find my rhythm, I put in a lot of gains,” Borges said. “He worked very well and made my life very difficult from the beginning. I feel like I grew with the game as it went on, I stayed fit physically and I think that made a big difference for me, to stay available and keep pushing and waiting for my chance.”
Top seed Corentin Moutet advanced to France’s 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 defeated Blaise Bicknell 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-2.
Hurkacz upset at Cap Cana, Kecmanovic & Blockx beforehand
Former World No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz was upset in his first ATP Challenger match in seven years. Pole, who had surgery on his right knee 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 difficult from the beginning because I knew he was going to put a lot of pressure on me, especially with his strength, his performance and his backhand,” Bellucci said of Hurkacz.
In the quarter-final, Bellucci will face fifth seed Raphael Collignon, who beat Luca Van Assche 7-5, 6-4.
Top seed Miomir Kecmanovic opened his campaign with a 6-4, 7-6(4) win over American Mackenzie McDonald. Alexander Blockx, who reached the final of 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 won 6-4, 7-6(5) over Tour veteran Roberto Bautista Agut and sixth seed Mariano Navone defeated Shintaro Mochizuki 6-4, 7-5.
🔥 Blockx 🔥🌴
The Belgian battled past Svrcina 7-6(3), 6-7(8), 6-3 in the quarter-finals. #ATPChallenger | Cap Cana🇩🇴 pic.twitter.com/nS8kjCtT05
– ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 12, 2026
