Daniil Medvedev appears to be unbreakable this week at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.

The World No. 1 was frequently pressured by Roberto Bautista Agut in the pair’s quarter-final clash on Thursday, but Medvedev was clinical in taking his chances on his way to a 6-2, 6-4 victory at the ATP 500 event.

The Medvedev serve once again proved a crucial weapon at key moments in the one-hour, 27-minute encounter on OWL Arena. A combination of power and accuracy with his delivery helped the top seed save nine from nine break points against the Spaniard, bringing his tournament total to 17 out of 17 break points saved across three matches.

The win was Medvedev’s first against the Spaniard in four attempts. Bautista Agut was making his fourth quarter-final appearance in Halle and produced some high-class tennis as he bid to match his semi-final run from 2018, yet he was unable to convert his break point chances as Medvedev sent down a barrage of big serves to frequently dig himself out of trouble.

“Well first of all, he’s a great player!” said Medvedev when asked about his past struggles against Bautista Agut. “I remember all the matches we had… He was playing some [great] tennis and it was tough for me to win. Today I had my plan, managed to keep it going. Definitely got more edge on the most important points, because he had more break points than me. It was not easy, and I’m happy to win.”

A high-quality start saw both players fend off a break point to hold in the early stages, but from 2-2 it was Medvedev who stepped up to take command. The World No. 1 reeled off four consecutive game to take the first set, striking the ball effectively off both wings to accumulate 14 winners to Bautista Agut’s 4.

Despite the disappointment of falling behind, the Spaniard appeared rejuvenated in the second set. He surged to 15/40 on the Medvedev serve in the second game with some top-quality all-court play, but could not find the finishing touch. He also missed out after leading 0/40 in the eighth game and was paid to pay by the World No. 1, who converted his sole break point of the set at 3-3 to claim a decisive break.

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Medvedev will now chase a 25th tour-level championship match appearance in a semi-final clash against Oscar Otte, after the home favourite earlier defeated eighth seed Karen Khachanov, 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.

Otte is making his tournament debut in Halle, and the 28-year-old is currently projected to rise to No. 36 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings thanks to his run to the final four. Victory in Saturday’s semi-final will push him even higher to No. 31, and Medvedev is expecting a tough test from the German.

“I know that he’s a great player, especially on grass and he plays very good on clay also,” said Medvedev. “He made the semis [in Stuttgart] last week, losing to Matteo [Berrettini] in two tie-breakers. So he’s a great player, great serve, great volleyer- So it’s not going to be easy. I need to prepare well, show my best tennis and try to win.

“We’ve warmed up twice [together] and practised once [this week], even playing a set which ended in a tie-break. So we’ve started to know each other better and better, so it’s actually fun that we are playing each other tomorrow, because when you practise with one player a lot, it’s fun to see him in the tournament later in the week. But tomorrow we are definitely not going to be friends!”

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ hunt for a maiden grass-court title will next take him to the Mallorca Championships, after the tournament announced Thursday that the World No. 6 had received a wild card for the ATP 250 event.

Tsitsipas will make his debut at the Mallorca tournament, to be held from June 19-25, in a field that also includes World No. 1 and defending champion Daniil Medvedev. Tsitsipas played just one match on grass in 2021, at Wimbledon, but has already played four matches on the surface this year across the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart and the ATP 500 in Halle.

Tsitsipas is ✔️

🇬🇷 @steftsitsipas receives a wildcard and he will play in Mallorca.@atptour | @ATPTour_ES | #MallorcaChampionships pic.twitter.com/iHwOKh3Nz2

— Mallorca Championships (@MallorcaChamps) June 16, 2022

Tsitsipas’ entry into the Mallorca draw also raises the possibility of a rematch with Nick Kyrgios. The pair played out a thrilling second-round encounter in Halle on Wednesday, with the Australian prevailing in three sets. Kyrgios, who is set to face Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarter-finals in Germany on Friday, will also compete in Mallorca and will be making his tournament debut.

The 26-year-old has also signalled his intention to play doubles in Spain, posting “Anyone for dubs in Mallorca?” on his Twitter feed on Wednesday.

Anyone for dubs in Mallorca?

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 15, 2022

Kyrgios has enjoyed success on the doubles court in 2022, winning a maiden Grand Slam title at January’s Australian Open with Thanasi Kokkinakis.