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Munoz will get into the Top 100 with a win

The 33-year-old Spaniard finally has a chance to make a step he was expected to do much earlier. Gaio earned his 10th challenger win of the season. He is not without a chance against the first-seed. He took their last match into a third set tiebreak

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If it weren't for the mononucleosis, Brands might have been a Top 50 player right now. He was fighting for that while he was healthy. However, if Munoz wasn't in a horrible car crash when he was 18-years-old, he would have been a Top 100 player a long time ago. This way he is fighting for it practically as a veteran player. By reaching the quarter-final, he is only one spot away from that group, so we can say that this is perhaps the most important match of his carer. Symbolically, of course. 

Munoz and Brands reached the second round without losing a serve. As expected, they both kept their serve in their head-to-head match as well, but the Spaniard skillfully used his chances. The German didn't get a break-point. Even though he hit 15 aces, and saved five out of six break points, he lost in straight sets. The Spaniard nearly complicated the first set when he missed consecutive set points in the tiebreak, and another one later, but Brands could get his. With a break in the fifth game of the second set, Munoz secured his win. 

- I don't know my ranking at the moment, but I know I am close. I don't want to turn it into an obsession, make it more important than the game, than how I'm feeling on the court. I will continue to work after this week, however it turns out, whatever my ranking - Munoz commented on his fight for the Top 100, and added that there are more important things than the ranking:

- My family has been travelling with me this past month. It's not easy to combine tennis and family life, but it is priceless to have the support of your wife in what you're doing. It's especially nice now because my career is at its peak.

Gaio made another step towards the Top 200 by reaching the quarter-final. He already proved himself at the futures, he won six titles at that level, and he has been successful at challengers as of late. We should definitely point out the Padova tournament, two months ago, when he reached the semi-final from the qualifications. He gave overall of six games to proven veterans Volandri and Ramirez-Hidalgo. 

Interestingly, the Italian earned his first challenger win of the season against Martin. Even though the Slovak has the potential for the Top 100, Gaio defeated him for the second time. We can't say that Martin underestimated him this time. The Slovak had a 5-3 lead in the first set, and two set points. He missed that, and then failed in the tiebreak. That clearly affected him mentally. He also missed two break points at the opening of the second set. Gaio took 2-0 lead, saved another break point and then ran over Martin who didn't win a single game. He is now facing the first-seed, but he can handle him as well. Even though he lost both of their head-to-head matches, the last one was decided in the third set tie-break.