Fognini, Gulbis Reach Gstaad QFs; Lopez Falls

Fabio Fognini will face another mercurial talent Ernests Gulbis on Friday in the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad quarter-finals. Gulbis, who continues his return to consistent form, leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head 4-1, but the pair has not met since October 2014.

Fognini, competing in Gstaad for the first time since losing in the first round of qualifying 10 years ago, saved 11 of 15 break points to beat Norbert Gombos 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 for a place in his fourth ATP World Tour quarter-final (or better) of the year.

World No. 310 Gulbis advanced to his first ATP World Tour quarter-final since October 2015 at the Erste Bank Open (l. to Johnson in SFs), with a 7-6(10), 3-6, 6-4 win over fifth seed and last week’s Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag runner-up Paolo Lorenzi in two hours and 39 minutes. Former World No. 10 Gulbis required eight set point opportunities to clinch the first set and saved two set points at 5/6 and 7/8 in the tie-break.

Yannick Hanfmann, currently No. 170 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and contesting just his seventh tour-level match, struck 13 aces to knock out third seed and defending champion Feliciano Lopez 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-1 in one hour and 49 minutes. Hanfmann, who recovered from 15/40 at 5-5 in the first set, also reached the BMW Open by FWU quarter-finals as a qualifier in May (l. to Bautista Agut).

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