Basilashvili Extends Breakout Year In Metz

Fifth seed Nikoloz Basilashvili continued the best season of his career on Thursday at the Moselle Open in Metz. The 26-year-old Georgian reached the quarter-finals by beating #NextGenATP Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-7(2), 7-6(4), 6-3.

Basilashvili become the first Georgian to win an ATP World Tour title in July in Hamburg. Earlier this month, he also become the first Georgian to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam at the US Open. He will next meet top seed Kei Nishikori.

Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis earned one of the biggest wins of his season, upsetting second seed and World No. 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3. Berankis will next face Moldova’s Radu Albot, who beat Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-2.

Home favourite Gilles Simon erased two break points at 5-5, 15/40 in the third set against Serbian Filip Krajinovic and prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 7-5. The two-time champion (2010, 2013) Simon will play countryman Richard Gasquet in the quarter-finals.

In other action, Germany’s Yannick Maden beat Benoit Paire of France 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Maden will next play countryman Matthias Bachinger, who beat Frenchman Gregoire Barrere 6-0, 6-3.