Estoril Open 2006 News and Events

Frederico Gil
© Wire Image

Wild card Frederico Gil became Thursday the first Portuguese player to reach the Estoril Open quarterfinals since Nuno Marques in 1995.

Ranked No. 253 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings, Gil used the partisan support on Court Central to win the biggest match of his career over Dmitry Tursunov of Russia 6-4, 4-6, 6-1.

Playing at the Estoril Open for the first time, Gil, who features on the ITF Futures circuit, has won $29,849 career prize money.

Gil beat this week’s ATPtennis.com blogger, Tursunov, ranked No. 33 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings, in two hours and 19 minutes.

The 21-year-old Portuguese No. 1 will now meet 2002 champion David Nalbandian, a 6-1, 7-6(0) winner over Jeremy Chardy of France.

In other action at the Estadio Nacional, Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez knocked out Carlos Berlocq of Argentina 6-7(11), 7-5, 7-6(5).

Gacia-Lopez will next meet 2000 champion Carlos Moya, who beat Argentine qualifier Gustavo Marcaccio 6-1, 7-5 in one hour and 35 minutes on Court Central.