Top seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and No. 8 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland will clash in the ABN Amro Open semifinals on Saturday after both posted victories on Friday in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Alcaraz, ranked No. 3 in the world, dismissed unseeded countryman Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-1, while it took Hurkacz — ranked No. 21 […]
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ATP roundup: Carlos Alcaraz eases into Rotterdam semis
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Top seed Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and No. 8 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland will clash in the ABN Amro Open semifinals on Saturday after both posted victories on Friday in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Alcaraz, ranked No. 3 in the world, dismissed unseeded countryman Pedro Martinez 6-2, 6-1, while it took Hurkacz — ranked No. 21 in the world — nearly 2 1/2 hours to defeat No. 4 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4.
Alcarez out-aced his opponent 7-0 and won 91 percent (21 of 23) of his first-serve points. Hurkacz posted 17 aces to Rublev’s five, and saving four of the five break points on his serve.
The other Saturday semifinal match will pit No. 3 seed Alex de Minaur of Australia against Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci. de Minaur disposed of Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 6-1, 6-4, on Friday, while Bellucci continued his impressive run with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over sixth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
de Minaur didn’t produce an ace, but the No. 8 player in the world saved four of five break points while winning 77 percent (20 of 26) of his first-serve points. Bellucci, ranked No. 92, served up five aces and saved all four break points en route to his first ATP Tour semifinal.
Dallas Open
No. 2 seed Casper Ruud of Norway advanced to his first Dallas semifinal, when Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka retired due to a shoulder injury.
Ruud, ranked No. 5 in the world, led 7-5, 3-2 when Nishioka halted the match.
Ruud will oppose Jaume Munar in the semifinals after the Spaniard upset No. 8 seed Matteo Arnaldi of Italy 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Munar saved four of five break points and won 75 percent (43 of 57) of his first-serve points, including 93 percent (14 of 15) in the decisive third set.
In evening action, third-seeded Tommy Paul (the defending champion) downed Reilly Opelka 7-6 (3), 6-2 in an all-U.S. match, and Canada’s Denis Shapovalov upset sixth-seeded Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic 7-6 (5), 6-0. Paul and Shapovalov will meet in the other semifinal.
–Field Level Media