Fritz/Khachanov upset top seeds Bopanna/Ebden at Queen's
Singles stars Taylor Fritz and Karen Khachanov continued their run at the cinch Championships on Friday when they upset top seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 7-6(1), 7-6(3) to reach the semi-finals in London.
Fritz and Khachanov saved one set point in the first set and were impressive in the crucial moments in the second set, saving all five break points they faced to advance after 80 minutes.
The eighth seeds are teaming for the first time this week, having beaten Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Martin Etcheverry in their opening match. They will meet third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic or fifth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic in the last four.
In other action, Neal Skupski and Michael Venus clawed past second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 7-6(5), 7-6(6).
“I think we played very well and deserved it in the end,” Skupski said. “We can take confidence in beating a very good team in Joe and Rajeev. They have won Grand Slams together and are a very dangerous team on the grass.”
The seventh seeds won 85 per cent (39/46) of their first-serve points according to ATP Infosys Stats and embraced the reduction in time between points (as part of the doubles trial) to ride momentum and race through service games.
Competing in just their second tour-level event of the season together, Skupski and Venus will play Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in the last four after the Croatian-American team overcame Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Defending champions Dodig and Krajicek saved three match points in the Match tie-break to seal a 6-7(5), 6-3, 13-11 victory after one hour and 37 minutes at the Queen’s Club.
[ATP APP]Top seeds Bolelli/Vavassori reach Halle final
Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori moved past Yannick Hanfmann and Dominik Koepfer 6-3, 7-6(6) at the Terra Wortmann Open to reach their fourth tour-level final of the season as a team.
The top seeds, who lost in the title match at the ATP 500 event last season, saved nine set points in the second set, before eventually triumphing on their first match point after 84 minutes. Bolelli and Vavassori are chasing their second trophy of the year.
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