Evans Reaches Marrakech SFs; Muller Upsets Musetti

Daniel Evans moved closer to capturing his first title of the season on Friday in Marrakech.

The Briton defeated Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori 6-3 7-5 to reach the semi-finals of the Grand Prix Hassan II. The second seed will next play Roberto Carballes Baena, who downed fourth seed Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

“I played a bit better today than yesterday and that’s important,” Evans said in his on-court interview. “It’s pleasing as well to get another win. He’s been playing very well. He’d come through qualifying. He has a very, very good game for every surface, but very different for this surface.

“So it was a difficult match and I had to focus really hard and I’m happy I played very well and won.”

Evans arrived in Morocco searching for form, having lost six consecutive matches. But the 32-year-old is now two wins from claiming his second ATP Tour trophy.

On Friday evening, Frenchman Alexandre Muller earned his career-best win by upsetting World No. 21 and top seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

Muller will meet Pavel Kotov in the last four. Should the 26-year-old Muller advance to his maiden tour-level final, he will crack the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.

“It’s my first semi-final on the ATP Tour so I’m very happy today,” Muller said. “I’m playing very well so I will try to continue like this.”

Kotov, 24, escaped Australian Christopher O’Connell 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(3). Despite letting slip a 4/0 lead in the second-set tie-break, Kotov held his nerve to earn a two-hour, 53-minute victory and advance to his first tour-level semi-final.

Should Kotov reach the Marrakech final, he would return to the Top 100 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.