Tsitsipas survives scare to advance

Prime seed Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday clawed his well past Felix Auger-Aliassime 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to achieve the semi-finals of the Abierto Mexicano in Acapulco.

The Greek world No. 5 is to tackle Italian qualifier Lorenzo Musetti, who defeated Bulgarian fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

Tsitsipas dropped his opening service recreation towards the Canadian seventh seed, clawing again with a break earlier than lastly reeling off the ultimate six factors of the opening set.

Photograph: AP

Nevertheless, he couldn’t preserve that momentum, taking place an early break once more within the second set as Auger-Aliassime leveled the match.

The third set was a tense affair and it was Auger-Aliassime who cracked, coughing up back-to-back double faults at hand Tsitsipas the primary break for a 5-3 lead and an opportunity to serve out the match.

Tsitsipas, who’s vying to achieve a primary last of the 12 months, reached the semi-finals on the Australian Open final month and in Rotterdam earlier this month, however is coming off a quarter-final loss to Pierre-Hugues Herbert in Marseille.

World No. 120 Musetti, 19, is thru to his second profession semi-final in his fourth ATP Tour look.

Dimitrov, the 2014 Acapulco champion, made {the teenager} work for his victory, saving six match factors earlier than lastly pushing a forehand extensive on Musetti’s seventh alternative.

The opposite semi-final is an all-German affair between second seed Alexander Zverev and Dominik Koepfer.

Zverev superior with a walkover after Norway’s Casper Ruud withdrew with a wrist damage.

World No. 71 Koepfer booked his first ATP Tour semi-final with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

Like Musetti, Koepfer wanted a number of match factors to seal his win.

“I had 4 match factors on his serve, however I couldn’t get it performed,” Koepfer mentioned. “I obtained a bit tight, I’m not going to lie. I used to be nervous and I knew I must make lots of first serves.”

DUBAI DUTY FREE

AFP, DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

Denis Shapovalov on Thursday put collectively one other serving clinic to storm into the twelfth semi-final of his profession with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over French veteran Jeremy Chardy on the Dubai Obligation Free Tennis Championships, whereas Andrey Rublev arrange an all-Russian conflict with Aslan Karatsev.

Third seed Shapovalov has but to drop a set this week and has not been damaged in all 28 service video games he has performed by three matches.

The 21-year-old Canadian fired 26 winners and misplaced a mere six factors on his serve all through the competition with Chardy.

In what will likely be his third semi-final look because the ATP Tour restarted in August final 12 months, Shapovalov is to tackle South African qualifier Lloyd Harris.

“I positively targeted on my serve loads the final couple of weeks in apply, simply placing lots of time into it, putting it, making an attempt completely different serves out and making an attempt to have extra variation,” the world No. 12 mentioned.

Harris turned the primary qualifier to achieve the semi-finals in Dubai due to a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

“I’ve just a few matches beneath my belt now on these courts, so it’s beginning to really feel just a little bit like my residence court docket I need to say. I’m simply actually having fun with it right here,” mentioned 24-year-old Harris, who has picked up six victories thus far this week, together with one over high seed Dominic Thiem.

Second seed Rublev prolonged his successful streak at ATP Tour 500 tournaments to 23 straight matches after he overcame Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 7-5, 6-2.

The 23-year-old has dropped simply 5 units all through the run that has seen him clinch 4 ATP Tour 500 titles.

Rublev and Fucsovics had been drawn towards one another for a 3rd consecutive week. The Russian world No. 8 got here out on high within the Rotterdam last, earlier than Fucsovics withdrew forward of their scheduled quarter-final in Doha final week.

“I hope I don’t play you anymore this 12 months,” Fucsovics mentioned as he walked off court docket.

Rublev is into the semi-finals in Dubai for the primary time.

“I performed very well these final three matches. I’ve by no means proven that stage right here in Dubai earlier than, and I’m actually glad I’m doing effectively and I’m successful,” the second seed mentioned.

Karatsev backed up his shock run to the Australian Open semi-finals final month by advancing with a hard-fought 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2 win over Italian teenager Jannik Sinner.

The 27-year-old got here again from a set down for a second consecutive match and unleashed 41 winners towards 25 unforced errors.

“From the start it was powerful to get used to the rhythm, he’s enjoying so quick, he’s a extremely proficient man, he’s a high participant. It took me time to get used to the rhythm after which within the tiebreak I used to be a bit unfortunate. The second set I began to really feel higher, extra comfy,” world No. 42 Karatsev mentioned.