Roberto Bautista won back-to-back matches on Friday to advance to the final of the Topshelf Open, where he is to meet Germany’s Benjamin Becker.
The Spanish world No. 28 knocked out defending champion Nicolas Mahut of France 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarter-finals, before returning to court later in the day for his semi-final clash after rain on Thursday forced a carry-over.
Austrian Jurgen Melzer was his opponent after overcoming the challenge of Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 7-6, (7/3), 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (11/9) in an epic match also earlier in the day. In a marathon six sets of tennis for both players on the day, Bautista came out on top 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4) to sink Melzer’s brave challenge.
Photo: AFP
He is to now meet Germany’s Benjamin Becker, the 2009 champion, who ended the run of Portuguese qualifier Joao Sousa 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to set up a chance for a second career ATP title both at the same venue.
“I always enjoy playing here very much,” Becker said. “I like to play on grass and I don’t know why, but I often play my best tennis at this tournament.”
Becker, who memorably recorded the final victory over Andre Agassi at the 2006 US Open before the American retired, is now ranked 83rd in the world after peaking at 38 in 2007.
In the women’s draw, American qualifier Coco Vandeweghe advanced to the final with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Czech Republic eighth seed Klara Zakopalova.
She now plays China’s Zheng Jie, who has yet to drop a set on her way to the final, as she knocked out Slovakian Magdalea Rybarikova 6-1, 6-3.
Vandeweghe is gearing up for Wimbledon where she drew Spaniard Garbine Muguruza, the woman she beat on Thursday in the quarter-finals.
“It was a good, clean match,” Vandeweghe said of her win over Koukalova. “Last week, I lost to her in a tough three-setter after serving for the match, so I definitely looked at it as a revenge match. To get that win in a semi-final is a really fun feeling. I’m totally happy and elated. It’s been a good year so far. I’m looking forward to playing in the final.”
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Francesco Bagnaia yesterday profited from a mistake by rookie Pedro Acosta to win the Japan MotoGP sprint and close the gap on overall championship leader, Jorge Martin. Spaniard Acosta crashed with four laps to go while leading the field at Motegi, allowing defending world champion Bagnaia to take first ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. Spain’s Martin finished fourth and saw his overall lead over Italian Bagnaia in the championship standings cut to 15 points. “I am very happy because with these conditions, it’s not very easy to win and gain points,” Bagnaia said after a sprint race that took place under
Naomi Osaka is braced for a “battle” after yesterday setting up a clash with Coco Gauff in the round-of-16 of the China Open, while top seed Aryna Sabalenka also marched on. Osaka defeated 60th-ranked American Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 and next faces Gauff in a showdown of former US Open champions in Beijing. World No. 2 Sabalenka swatted aside Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-2 for her 14th consecutive victory and plays another American in 24th-ranked Madison Keys. Looking ahead to the Gauff meeting, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka said: “She’s very athletic, obviously.” “For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve,
RSS