Marsel

Turkey?s top professional tennis player, Marsel ?lhan, ranked 84th in the ATP rankings, has advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open.

?lhan was leading 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 3-2 against veteran Radek Stepanek on Aug. 31 when Stepanek withdrew due to an injury.

?lhan said he was happy to have won against an experienced player.

Tennis great Roger Federer will be competing for a title in a 19th country when he heads the lineup at the TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open this week as Turkey hosts its first ATP World Tour event.

Turkish tennis player Marsel ?lhan has climbed to the top spot of his career in the new world rankings announced March 2, jumping 27 places to sit in the 77th spot.

The spot is also the top ranking a Turkish player has ever held.