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Tennis

Kozlov upsets Dimitrov, next faces Nadal at Mexican Open

The Mexican Open is an ATP 500 tournament

Associated Press
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Stefan Kozlov overcame leg cramps and upset Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-2 to move into a second-round match against Rafael Nadal at the Mexican Open.

The No. 130-ranked Kozlov got a spot in main draw as lucky loser after Maxime Cressy withdrew because of injury.

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Kozlov struggled with cramps in his right leg at the end of the second set, but continued to play and Dimitrov failed to take advantage in the match that lasted a tournament record 3 hours and 21 minutes.

Nadal, who won the Australian Open last month, is one of four Top 5 players in the draw at Acapulco alongside Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev, defending champion Alexander Zverev and fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Stefan Kozlov, of the U.S., returns a ball during a match against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Mexican Open tennis tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022.

Stefan Kozlov, of the U.S., returns a ball during a match against Grigor Dimitrov, of Bulgaria, at the Mexican Open tennis tournament in Acapulco, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

The Mexican Open is an ATP 500 tournament. Since that category started in 2009, only Dubai in 2012 and Beijing in 2013 have featured four of the Top 5 players in the world.

The time it took for Kozlov’s win broke a tournament record set in a match earlier Monday, when John Isner outlasted Fernando Verdasco 7-5, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) in 3 hours, 13 minutes.

Isner, a semifinalist in Acapulco in 2019 and 2020, will next play either Cameron Norrie and Daniel Altmaier.

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In other first-round matches, seventh-seeded Taylor Fritz beat Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-3, Brandon Nakashima beat Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-4, Dusan Lajovic fended off Sebastian Korda 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 and eighth-seeded Pablo Carreno Busta swept Oscar Otte 6-2, 6-4.

The Mexican Open is played on the hard courts in the Arena GNP in Acapulco, a popular beach resort.