Winning breeds confidence. Just ask Dominic Thiem.

The Austrian backed up his first tour-level win in 14 months with an impressive 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 victory against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut to reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open on Thursday.

Thiem, who defeated Emil Ruusuvuori on debut in Bastad earlier this week, played with great intensity and power throughout his two-hour and 41-minute clash against the fourth seed to earn another crucial win.

“It is great to play here,” Thiem said in his on-court interview. “It is an amazing atmosphere and I am so happy that I won today so I can have at least another match tomorrow. It was really good.

“The win against Emil gave me confidence that I can compete against the best players in the world and today against Roberto. He is always such a tough opponent. I was expecting and hoping it would be a close match. Then when I won the first set in the tie-break I said ‘Hey, I can win today.’ I had the belief until the end of the match and the third set was really good.”

The 28-year-old missed the second half of last year due to a wrist injury and arrived at the ATP 250 clay-court event in Bastad holding a 0-7 record in 2022. However, he has shown signs of promise on the clay in Sweden to reach his first tour-level quarter-final since Madrid in May 2021.

Thiem will next play Argentine Sebastian Baez or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina as he looks to continue his run.

“It is a process. I beat Ruusuvuori and today I beat Bautista Agut. Two really top opponents, so if I can beat them I am definitely back,” Thiem added. “I am into the quarters of a really strong tournament, so I am happy. It is a process, but I am going the right way.”

In a tight match, Thiem rallied from a break down in the first set and then played with more freedom in the third set, opening his shoulders to hit through the court and improve to 2-4 in his ATP Head2Head series against the fourth seed Bautista Agut.

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini continued their strong season as a team Thursday at the Nordea Open, downing Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1 to reach their fifth tour-level semi-final of the year.

In a dominant performance, the Italians broke five times and won 76 per cent (25/33) of their first-serve points to advance after 65 minutes. The second seeds, who enjoyed a run to the championship match together in Bastad in 2018, will next play Nikola Cacic and Aleksandr Nedovyesov.

Bolelli and Fognini are aiming to capture their second tour-level crown of the season this week, having lifted the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in February.

Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez showed their fighting qualities, edging Andres Molteni and Hugo Nys 7-5, 5-7, 10-8 in one hour and 59 minutes. The fourth seeds, who captured titles in Marrakech and Mallorca in 2022, will next meet Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the ATP 250 clay-court event.

The Argentines saved all eight break points they faced to eliminate Fabrice Martin and Franko Skugor 6-4, 6-2 and reach their first semi-final of the season as a pair in 77 minutes.

Andrey Rublev didn’t have things all his own way Thursday, but he stepped up when needed to claw past Federico Coria 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2) and reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open.

The second seed, who is making his debut in Bastad, was made to work hard against the resilient Coria in windy conditions. In a topsy-turvy clash, Rublev recovered from squandering a 5-3 lead in the third set as he raised his intensity in the tie-break, hitting through the Argentine to advance after two hours and 36 minutes in their first ATP Head2Head meeting.

“The conditions were extremely tough to play in. To show a great level,” Rublev said in his on-court interview. “In the end, I am happy that I won. Federico played really well today, especially in the third set when he raised the level. It was really tough to play against, but I am really happy to win.”

The 24-year-old will next face Laslo Djere after the Serbian defeated Swiss qualifier Marc-Andrea Huesler 7-5, 6-2 to advance to his third tour-level quarter-final of the season.

Rublev is aiming to capture his fourth tour-level title of the season this week at the clay-court event, having lifted trophies in Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade. Following his win over last year’s finalist Coria, the World No. 8 now holds a 9-0 record at ATP 250 tournaments in 2022.

John Isner made a winning return to the Infosys Hall of Fame Open Wednesday. Playing in Newport for the first time since he won consecutive titles in 2018 and 2109, the American extended his win streak to nine matches on the Rhode Island grass with a 6-3, 7-6(6) victory against Peter Gojowczyk.

“I’m very happy. The first match here is always pretty tricky and I haven’t played here in a quite a few years,” the four-time champion said in his on-court interview. “It’s been a while since I’ve been on this court but I’m very happy to be back on this court. I’ve won a lot of matches here and I’ve always had a lot of crowd support.

“It never ever gets old, even though I myself am old,” he joked. “At 37 who knows how many more tournaments I’ll be playing, how many more Newports I’ll be playing. So I really do cherish these moments.”

The second-seeded Isner cruised to the opening set behind an early break, saving one break point of his own along the way as his serve blazed through the hot summer air. But after Germany’s Gojowczyk survived a six-deuce service game for 2-1 in the second set, both players raced through clean service games to set up a tie-break.

A single mini-break decided the tie-break when the World No. 91 German double faulted at 6-6. Isner made no mistake on serve, sealing the match with his 22nd ace of the match to advance to the quarter-finals.

After breaking the all-time record for career aces at Wimbledon, Isner now sits even further ahead of the pack with 13,772 aces.

The victory levels Isner’s ATP Head2Head record to 1-1 against Gojowczyk, who won the pair’s 2018 Delray Beach meeting in three tie-break sets. He will next face fifth seed Benjamin Bonzi in the quarter-finals after the Frenchman’s 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Christopher Eubanks earlier on Wednesday.

Top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime’s matchup against Australia’s Jason Kubler might have gone down as the match of the day — had it finished.

The match was suspended due to poor light with the Canadian leading 6-4, 3-6, 6-5 and Kubler preparing to serve to force a tie-break. In the last game before the suspension, Auger-Aliassime saved a break point with a daring forehand winner before battling through deuce to edge in front.

A single break decided each of the opening sets, but both men protected their serves in a third set that featured several lengthy rallies as the conditions cooled.

The match will be completed on Thursday, with eighth seed James Duckworth awaiting the winner in the quarter-finals. The Aussie was a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 winner against France’s Quentin Halys in the second round.

Andy Murray won a battle of Wimbledon champions Wednesday at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport. The two-time singles titlist at SW19 worked hard to find a way past the slice-and-dice game of Max Purcell, who won the Wimbledon doubles title on Saturday alongside Matthew Ebden.

In a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory, Murray needed time to find a way through the unorthodox Purcell, who sliced nearly all of his ground strokes in the two-hour, 23-minute match. The Australian’s tactic frustrated his opponent early on the grass court, but after falling behind 1-5 in the opening set, Murray found a way to attack the lack of pace.

Playing in Newport for the first time since 2006, Murray moved to the brink of victory with a battling hold to make it 4-1 in the third set. He let out a roar when a big serve saved a break point, then celebrated again when an ace sealed the hold — one of his eight in the contest.

Murray appeared to tweak his inner thigh or groin as he slipped to the turf early in the final set, but managed to close out the match despite some discomfort in the final stages.

Despite the scoreline in the final two sets, Murray was made to work for each game. He finished with seven breaks on 15 chances, while saving seven of the 11 break points against him.

The second-seeded Murray advances to face Alexander Bublik in the third round, after the third seed defeated Jack Sock 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 earlier on Wednesday.

Fourth seed Maxime Cressy also advanced courtesy of a 6-3, 6-4 win in an all-American matchup against Mitchell Krueger. He will next face Steve Johnson, who advanced past seventh seed Jiri Vesely via walkover.

Felix Auger-Aliassime is currently seventh in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin as he tries to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. On Monday, the Canadian gained special insight into a very different race.

The 21-year-old, who is competing in this week’s Infosys Hall of Fame Open in Newport, visited 11th Hour Racing Team’s sailboat and spoke with its co-skipper, Charlie Enright, as he prepares to sail around the world in The Ocean Race 2022-23.

“We just came on a very spectacular sailboat that’s actually preparing to go across the globe next winter, so pretty fascinating to see,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I don’t get to see those kinds of things every day. Charlie, one of the members of the team, who is going to be going around the world, he showed me around the boat.”

Enright and his team are more than just sailors, though. They raise awareness for ocean health and help educate others on sustainability.

Auger-Aliassime said that caring for the environment is important, and something society needs to focus on. The World No. 9 added that players on the ATP Tour have a role to play as well.

“As [a] Tour, we’re going around the world. There are definitely efforts that we can keep on doing to make our world a better place, not just for now, but for the future,” Auger-Aliassime said. “I would be happy to be a part of it to do the things that I can control the best that I can to make a good impact. And definitely I think as a whole we can make a difference.

“People like this are very inspiring in what they do. The effort, the courage it takes to do everything that they’re doing is very inspiring.”

The Infosys Hall of Fame Open works with 11th Hour Racing to make the tournament as sustainable as possible. Some of the ATP 250’s initiatives include eliminating single-use plastic bottles, straws and bags, providing an enhanced compost programme, using recycled paper in all printed materials and packaging beverages in recyclable aluminum cans.

“It’s [a] collective effort. Everybody has to put a hand to it. But I think as a whole, the Tour, we have an opportunity to make a difference, at least in our ecosystem, and at least in our sport. Then it will hopefully have a bigger impact,” Auger-Aliassime said. “But I think within the tournaments, with the recycled bottles, we’ve seen more of those now in the tournaments. I think it’s really good.

“Maybe they’re going to invent recycled tennis balls one day, that would be pretty good also. But initiatives are always good to see and I think they’re needed for the future.”

Auger-Aliassime brought tennis to the water, trying to rally on the boat. But the Canadian for the rest of the week is going to stick to the grass courts in Newport, where he is pursuing his first ATP Tour title on the surface.

“I wouldn’t want to play a match in these conditions!” Auger-Aliassime said, cracking a laugh. “It was cool to try to rally a few balls on the boat.”

Francisco Cerundolo held off his own nerves and a strong comeback from defending champion Casper Ruud to cause a second-round upset and earn his first Top 10 win at the Nordea Open in Bastad on Wednesday afternoon.

Cerundolo broke Roland Garros finalist Ruud’s serve three times to run out a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 winner at the ATP 250 event in Sweden. Despite the World No. 5 Ruud raising his level after a slow start to pile the pressure on the 23-year-old Argentine, Cerundolo clinched a decisive break in the 12th game of the third set to reach the quarter-finals in Bastad for the first time.

“I think I was playing really well in the first one-and-a-half sets, and then I got a little bit tight,” said Cerundolo. “I started missing a little bit and he started serving better. He’s a great player, a French Open finalist, so it was a great challenge for me and I’m really happy to get through.”

A First Top 10 Win! 🎉@FranCerundolo upsets World No. 5 Casper Ruud with a 6-4 3-6 7-5 win in Bastad#NordeaOpen @NordeaOpen pic.twitter.com/Zk7bNOX7O3

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 13, 2022

Cerundolo and Ruud’s sole previous meeting came in the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau in March. The Norwegian was a comfortable straight-sets winner on that occasion, but Cerundolo was clinical at key moments on Wednesday as Ruud struggled to find his rhythm in his first match on clay since he fell to Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros championship match in early June.

Cerundolo, who is up to No. 35 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, will next face Aslan Karatsev or Hugo Gaston as he seeks his third tour-level semi-final of 2022.

FOLLOW THIS WEEK’S ACTION

📺 TV Schedule
🎾 Watch Live On Tennis TV
📱 Follow Live Scores On ATP WTA Live
📧 Sign Up For Newsletters

Earlier on Wednesday, Pablo Carreno Busta notched his 250th tour-level win with a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 victory against 2016 champion Albert Ramos-Vinolas.

Both players broke their opponent’s serve five times in a topsy-turvy second-round clash, but it was Carreno Busta who prevailed to move to 4-0 on clay against fellow Spaniard Ramos-Vinolas, with all four of those meetings having gone to a deciding set. The fifth seed will next face Diego Schwartzman or Elias Ymer as he looks to advance to the semi-finals in Bastad for the first time, in what is his fifth appearance at the ATP 250 event.

Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini survived a scare to reach the quarter-finals at the Nordea Open Wednesday, edging Ariel Behar and Tomislav Brkic 7-6(3), 2-6, 10-3 in Bastad.

The second seeds, who enjoyed a run to the final together at the ATP 250 event in 2018, raised their level in the Match Tie-break to ensure they started their title quest with victory, advancing after one hour and 43 minutes.

The Italians are aiming to capture their second tour-level crown of the season as a team this week, having lifted the trophy in Rio de Janeiro in February. They will next play Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa at the clay-court tournament.

Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez continued their strong season, downing Filip Bergevi and Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 6-1 to advance to their ninth quarter-final of the year. The fourth seeds captured titles in Marrakech and Mallorca earlier this season.

Nikola Cacic and Aleksandr Nedovyesov became the first team to reach the semi-finals in Bastad, edging Marc-Andrea Huesler and Pavel Kotov 4-6, 6-2, 10-3 in 72 minutes. Cacic and Nedovyesov are joining forces for the first time this week and will next play either Bolelli and Fognini or Carreno Busta and Sousa.

Purcell/Van Rijthoven Advance In Newport
Max Purcell could not get past Andy Murray Wednesday on the singles court at the Infosys Hall of Fame Open, but he found more joy on the doubles court just days after lifting the Wimbledon doubles title alongside fellow Aussie Matthew Ebden.

Purcell and Tim van Rijthoven, who reached the Wimbledon singles fourth round in his tournament debut, defeated Max Schnur and Artem Sitak 7-6(2), 7-6(3) to make a winning start in Newport. They next face fourth-seeded Americans William Blumberg and Steve Johnson.

Also advancing in Wednesday’s doubles action were Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow. The third seeds won an all-American matchup against Richard Ciamarra and Sam Querrey to set up a quarter-final meeting with another American pair in Alex Lawson and Robert Galloway.