Top-seeded Gael Monfils of France rallied to beat sixth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 4-6, 7-6(7/5), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Croatia Open on Friday.
Monfils was a break down in the second set, before building a 5-2 lead and wasting two set points. He won five straight points in the tiebreaker to force the decider.
A single break was enough for the Frenchman to win the third set and clinch a sixth semi-final spot this year.
Monfils is to face Austrian Dominic Thiem, who beat fellow Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer 6-7(5/7), 6-1, 3-0. Haider-Maurer retired due to a knee injury.
Second-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut also advanced by defeating Borna Coric of Croatia 6-3, 6-3.
Bautista Agut saved all four break points he faced, including three when the 18-year-old Coric was trailing 3-5 with a chance to stay in the first set.
‘NOT PLEASED’
“I am not pleased with the way I played, but I still felt I had some chances,” Coric said. “I dropped both mentally and physically in the second set.”
It is the fourth semi-final of the season for Bautista Agut. The Spaniard lost all three previous semi-finals this year — in Chennai, Marseille and Munich.
He is to face Joao Sousa, who saved a match point and upset fifth-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(8/6) to advance to the semi-finals — his third this year. Sousa reached the final in Geneva in May.
‘MORE LUCK’
“I played very good tennis,” Sousa said. “At the end we both deserved to win and I had more luck.”
Sousa started the match quickly, winning the first four games in just 11 minutes.
Fognini recovered in the second set, breaking for the first time to gain a 3-1 lead.
Sousa started the third with a 2-0 lead, but Fognini then broke back as the decider went to a tiebreaker. Sousa was 5-6 before rallying to win.
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