Khachanov conquers McDonald in Marseille

Diminutive Mackenzie McDonald lost to another 6-foot-6
 (1.98-meter) player. 2018 photo by Paul Bauman

   Mackenzie McDonald fought hard but fell short against Karen Khachanov. 

   The third-seeded Khachanov, a 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Russian, turned back McDonald, a 5-foot-10 (1.78-meter) San Francisco Bay Area product, 7-6 (4), 6-4 today to reach the quarterfinals of the Open 13 Provence in Marseille, France, on the ATP Tour.

   Three McDonald's five losses this year have come against 6-foot-6 players. He also fell to San Francisco native Sam Querrey in the first round in Delray Beach, Fla., and Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the fourth round of the Australian Open in February. Medvedev later lost to Novak Djokovic in the Melbourne final.

   ATP Tour in Santiago, Chile — Andre Goransson (University of California, Berkeley, 2014-17) of Sweden and Goncalo Oliveira of Portugal beat Oliver Marach, 40, of Austria and Luis David Martinez of Venezuela 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the first round of the Chile Dove Men+Care Open. 

   Marach won the 2018 Australian Open with Mate Pavic of Croatia.

   ATP Challenger Tour in Saint Petersburg, Russia — Fourth-seeded Jesper De Jong and Sem Verbeek (University of the Pacific, 2013-16) downed wild cards Daniil Golubev and Evgenii Tiurnev of Russia 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the opening round of the Grand Palace Championship 2. 

   WTA Tour in Guadalajara, Mexico — Top-seeded Desirae Krawczyk, a native of Palm Desert, Calif., and Giuliana Olmos, a product of Fremont in the Bay Area who plays for Mexico, nipped Nadia Podoroska of Argentina and Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain 6-4, 4-6 [10-7] in the quarterfinals of the Abierto Zapopan 2021.