Spaniards Ramos-Vinolas, Martinez Cruise Into Santiago SFs

With an opportunity to close out the Golden Swing with a second February title, Albert Ramos-Vinolas marched on to the Santiago semi-finals with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis on Thursday.

The Spanish second seed reached the Cordoba final without dropping a set to start the month, and has now won four straight sets at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open to reach the last four. Ramos-Vinolas won a three-set final against Alejandro Tabilo in Cordoba, and a Santiago championship rematch is still on the cards after the Chilean’s 6-1, 6-4 result over Miomir Kecmanovic.

In a lefty vs. lefty matchup against Bagnis, Ramos-Vinolas fell behind 5-2 in the opening set before winning 11 of the last 13 games.

“He was playing better than me,” the Spaniard said of those first seven games. “I think from that moment I started to play really good, then the match changed a little bit. I’m really happy with my performance after the 5-2 start.”

Bagnis saved three break points to start the second set with a hold, but was broken in each of his next three service games as Ramos-Vinolas again finished with a flourish. He now holds a 4-0 ATP Head2Head record against the Argentine.

“I’m playing well. I’ve had a good swing in South America,” said the 34-year-old, who improved to 8-2 on the month. “After winning in Cordoba, it was not easy for me because here the conditions are changing a lot.”

Ramos-Vinolas will next face seventh seed Sebastian Baez, who won the only three-setter of the day, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, over Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro.

The opposite semi-final will see home favourite Tabilo take on Spain’s Pedro Martinez after the Spaniard’s 6-2, 6-2 victory over Yannick Hanfmann. It’s a second ATP Tour semi-final for Martinez, who reached the Kitzbuhel final in July.

“Today I felt really good on the court from the beginning,” said the fourth seed. “I was feeling comfortable, didn’t miss many balls. I was moving well, trying to make him play every point, and that’s what I did from the beginning until the end.

“I think I played a really good match and I will keep going like this for tomorrow.”