Warsaw–
Former World No. 38 Nicolas Jarry advanced to the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Polish Cup, taking out Nicolas Kicker 7-6 4-6 6-4. The Chilean saved a crucial break point at 3-4 down in the third and went on to defeat his opponent for the fifth straight time, dating back to 2013. “Nothing, it’s just [one of] those people that you feel a little bit more comfortable playing and I have opponents that are the other way around, that I cannot beat, so you just have to keep playing with confidence,” he said when asked whether there was something that helped him achieve that big lead in their rivalry.
The tournament has been delayed by heavy rain throughout the week, which led to the courts being a bit slowed down. “I don’t know if it fits my game because I like [it faster] for my serve, but it is what it is and yeah, the conditions are tough and slow.” Jarry’s huge delivery still dealt a ton of damage. The Chilean fired 14 aces and was broken just once in the entire match.
During the Davis Cup Finals in 2019, Jarry tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The 25-year-old was suspended for 11 months and returned to the court in November 2020. Jarry wasn’t able to win a match in three events last season, but his 2021 campaign has been a very different story. “Yeah, I’m very happy for my progression. I thought it was gonna be much, much tougher, so I’m very happy that all the hard work is paying,” said the Chilean, who currently possession a 30-13 win/loss record this year.
Nicolas Jarry made the finals at Luedenscheid Challenger last week, losing in three sets to Daniel Altmaier. It was very close to a rematch in Warsaw, but the top-seeded German went out to Camilo Ugo Carabelli, who will be Jarry’s quarterfinal rival instead. The Chilean was asked how his current level compares to before the suspension. “Better. I just need time to get back, matches, but I think it’s better sometimes.”
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