Tennis News

Philipp Kohlschreiber moved one step closer to his 14th ATP World Tour final, downing Robin Haase 6-2, 6-4 in one hour and 18 minutes Friday in the Kremlin Cup by Bank of Moscow quarter-finals.

Champion on the clay of Kitzbuhel and runner-up in Munich earlier this year, the German fired three aces and saved all six break points faced to deny the Dutchman in what was their second encounter. Haase previously got the better of Kohlschreiber in the 2012 Kitzbuhel final.

Making his fifth trip to Moscow, fourth seed Kohlschreiber has registered his best result in reaching the semi-finals. He was a quarter-finalist in 2006, ’07 & ’11. The 32 year old will next square off against second seed Roberto Bautista Agut for the third time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

Split at a win apiece, the Spaniard prevailed in their lone meeting of 2015, at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters. Bautista Agut turned aside France’s Lucas Pouille 6-4, 6-2 in just 70 minutes.

The runner-up in 2014 (l. to Cilic), Bautista Agut moved to 6-2 in Moscow and further extended his break point dominance this year, converting on four of five opportunities. Ranked second among all players this season in break points won, he has converted 46 per cent of his opportunities. Gilles Simon leads the ATP World Tour with 48 per cent.

In other quarter-final action, home hope Evgeny Donskoy will bid to become the first Russian to reach the final on home soil since Mikhail Youzhny won the title in 2009. Donskoy defeated countryman Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 6-2 on Friday. He will face top seed and defending champion Marin Cilic next, after the big-hitting Croat triumphed 6-2, 6-1 over Andrey Kuznetsov.

Marin Cilic remained on course to retain the Kremlin Cup by Bank of Moscow title on Thursday by recording his 30th match win of the year with a 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3 victory over Denis Istomin in two hours and three minutes. It was his sixth win in seven meetings over Istomin, who captured his first ATP World Tour title at Nottingham (d. Querrey) in June. Cilic is attempting to reach his first ATP World Tour final in 12 months.

No. 4 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber battled past Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-4 to earn a spot in the quarter-finals. The 22-year-old Russian took out three compatriots to qualify for the main draw, then defeated former champion Mikhail Youzhny in the first round.

The World No. 207 had Kohlschreiber on the ropes in the opening set, but saw the German break back at love at 6-5 and sneak away with the tie-break. The fourth seed would serve out the win on his third match point after two hours and 22 minutes.

Kohlschreiber will now face Robin Haase, against whom he is 0-1 (2012 Kitzbuehel).

Earlier in the day, Lucas Pouille defeated Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-1, 7-6(5) and wild card Evgeny Donskoy hit 10 aces in a 6-4, 7-5 win over Ricardas Berankis.