Ivo Karlovic, oldest ATP match victor since Connors, wins at 41

Karlovic, who turns 42 next month, earned his first tour victory since last February by beating Pablo Andujar of Spain in three sets.

Ivo Karlovic beat Pablo Andujar in the first round of the Delray Beach Open. - R. RAGU (FILE)

Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, the oldest player to win an ATP Tour match since 1995, hit 27 aces on Friday night to beat No. 7-seeded Pablo Andujar of Spain 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the first round of the Delray Beach Open.

SCORE CENTRE

Karlovic, who turns 42 next month, earned his first tour victory since last February. He already was the oldest to win on the top men’s tour since Jimmy Connors at age 42 some 25 years ago.

No. 8 seed Frances Tiafoe defeated fellow American Donald Young 6-3, 6-4. Qualifier Roberto Quiroz overcame a shaky stretch in the first set to beat American Noah Rubin 7-6 (1), 6-3.

Quiroz led 5-3, lost serve twice and then rallied, dominating the tiebreaker. The victory was the second career ATP Tour win for the 28-year-old Ecuadorian, who played at the University of Southern California.

Quiroz’s uncle, 1990 French Open champion Andres Gomez, played his final ATP Tour match at the inaugural Delray Beach Open in 1993.

In other first-round play, American Christian Harrison swept Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina, 6-4, 6-2. Harrison next plays No. 1-seeded Cristian Garin of Chile.

Bjorn Fratangelo beat fellow American Kevin King 6-2, 6-2; Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia eliminated Andrej Martin of Slovakia, 6-4, 6-4; and Cameron Norrie of Britain drubbed J.C. Aragone of the United States.